So that the reader gets a good understanding and so they get hooked and want to read the book. For example, in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", the prologue briefly foreshadows what will happen, like the two feuding families trying to prevent Romeo and Juliet's love for one another.
The prologue does not have a social or moral purpose, it has a dramatic purpose which is to set the scene and give a rough sketch of the direction the play's headed in. It is relevant to the play whenever the play is performed. Dispensing with it would be like dispensing with the Chorus in Oedipus Rex or the Narrator in Our Town; they are part of the way the playwright chose to tell his story.
To introduce the main character and theme is the purpose of the prologue in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the prologue introduces to the audience Theban King Oedipus as the main character. It also introduces the main theme of the pestilence and the hunt for the murderer. Both events show that something is wrong in the city of Thebes and that the play will be spent working that out.
It is in the prologue.
It is not an aside, since there is nobody else on stage, behind whose back the words might be said. Nor is it properly speaking a soliloquy, since it is not delivered within the context of the play. The Prologue is not a character in the play who is delivering his perspective on what is going on, but an external observer giving an objective address to the audience. Compare the prologue of Romeo and Juliet with the similar Prologue in Henry V and contrast it with the soliloquy ( NOT a prologue) which starts Richard III. That soliloquy is given by Richard, one of the characters in the play, and it is given in character.
Nothing is repeated in Romeo and Juliet. The play starts out with a prologue, a kind of TV Guide summary of what the play is going to be about. Although the play does follow the rough plot summary offered in the prologue, it does not repeat any of its words.
The purpose of the chorus in the prologue of a play is to provide background information, set the scene, and help establish the tone or themes of the work. They often address the audience directly and can help guide viewers through the story.
A prologue is an introduction to a book or play.
The prologue does not have a social or moral purpose, it has a dramatic purpose which is to set the scene and give a rough sketch of the direction the play's headed in. It is relevant to the play whenever the play is performed. Dispensing with it would be like dispensing with the Chorus in Oedipus Rex or the Narrator in Our Town; they are part of the way the playwright chose to tell his story.
The prologue typically introduces the main themes, setting, and characters of the play. It may provide background information or set the tone for the rest of the story. Ultimately, the prologue serves as a preview or "teaser" for the audience to understand what to expect from the play.
The Prologue
To introduce the main character and theme is the purpose of the prologue in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the prologue introduces to the audience Theban King Oedipus as the main character. It also introduces the main theme of the pestilence and the hunt for the murderer. Both events show that something is wrong in the city of Thebes and that the play will be spent working that out.
There is no prologue to Shakespeare's play. There is a prologue, however, to the play-within-a-play Pyramus and Thisbe, which is read by Peter Quince, by whom the play was written, produced and directed.
Prologue
It is a prologue.
Inappropriate subject matter for the Romeo and Juliet prologue would include graphic violence, explicit sexual content, or themes that are unrelated to the tragic love story of the play. The prologue sets the tone for the play and should focus on introducing the main themes and characters.
The cast of Silver Wings - 1922 includes: Maybeth Carr as Ruth (prologue) Roy Gordon as George Mills (play) Florence Haas as Little Anna (play) Robert Hazelton as The Minister (prologue) Percy Helton as John (play) Ernest Hilliard as Jerry Gibbs (play) May Kaiser as Her Child Knox Kincaid as John (prologue) Joseph Monahan as Harry (prologue) Florence Short as Widow Martin (prologue) Joseph Striker as Harry (play) Jane Thomas as Ruth (play)
Romeo and Juliet