At the beginning of the prologue, it sets the scene, it tells us ‘In fair Verona where we lay our scene.’ It then briefly describes the two families- the Capulet’s and the Montague’s. It lets us know that the families are not friends by saying ‘Two households both alike in dignity (&) From ancient grudge break to new mutiny’. This is telling us that both of the families are similar in a way that they are well respected with high standards, but yet, an old grudge between them causes bad feelings. An old disagreement between the families will soon turn to a new conflict.
The prologue then goes on to say ‘Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean, from forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.’ By saying this, it is telling us that from two civil families, who are enemies to one another; two children were born. These two children were lovers that were destined to be together but were led to take their lives. So already, we know that there is going to be a death in the play.
Shakespeare wrote in the prologue ‘The fearful passage of their death marked love’. This is saying to us that Romeo and Juliet knew that they were forbidden to be together and that it was a bad idea; but on the other hand, nothing could keep them apart, however bad the problem might be
From that it says ‘Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, doth with their death bury their parents strife.’ This means that with Romeo and Juliet’s well deserved love, it all ended in disaster, and as they died, so did their parents conflict. Nothing could put an end to that conflict except for the death of their children as it quotes ‘And the continuance of their parents rage, which, but their children’s end, nought could remove’.
The rest of the prologue goes on to say ‘Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; the which if you with patient ears attend, what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.’ This means that if you sit back and analyse the play properly then the story will come together.
