What function does the prologue serve in romeo and Juliet?

Answer 1

The prologue serves to set the scene "in fair Verona" and to give us a little background information: there are two warring families, and our hero and heroine are the children of the heads of these families ("from forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life"). It also tells us that it's going to turn out badly for them, which we already guessed when we found out that the play was called The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

Answer 2

The function of the prologue is to inform people about why they are forbidden, or, star crossed lovers, and basically, what they play, or book, will be about. It also adds a little bit of foreshadowing into the book. ex. But which their children's end nought could remove is already telling you that their lives' are going to end.

Answer 3

The Prologue reminds us that this is not a lovestory - it is a story about two families who hate each other.

Two households both alike in dignity

In fair Verona where we lay our scene

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny.

Shakespeare realised that there would be a danger that people would focus on the star-cross'd lovers and make a weepy out of this tale. He wanted to remind us that the problem is not that two young people are in love, but that two old families hate each other.

The prologue appears twice to keep us on-theme:- that this is a play about families, not about two teenage lovebirds.

But too many people still think its a sloppy story.

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(ADDITION)The first post is right, partly right.There is more than one reason that William Shakespeare put in a prologue.Like the poster above said, the prologue makes it clear from the beginning that a feud and the resistance (of both families) to forgive one another can cause many problems (in this case, the death of Romeo and Juliet).However, the prologue also introduces a very big theme in the play - Fate.During the time that Shakespeare wrote this, it was the era of a shift. A cultural shift from the Medieval era to the Renaissance. During the Medieval time, people believed that everything happened because of Fate. For example, you were a servant because you were MEANT to be, you were going to die at (whatever) age because you were MEANT to be or you were felt like eating an apple because you were MEANT to by Fate.However, during the Renaissance, people began to question whether there really was Fate. Were you really MEANT to be a servant, die at (whatever) age or feel like eating an apple?Shakespeare takes this idea and incorporates it into the play Romeo & Juliet. In the prologue it states that they were 'star-crossed' lovers (meant to be together by Fate), but yet, they have rival families..?It keeps the reader thinking throughout the entire play whether Romeo and Juliet really were supposed to be together, whether they would have died so young if they weren't together, whether everything they did and the events that happened all pre-determined.It poses the ultimate question to readers: Whether our lives are already calculated or not...

Answer 4

The prologue serves to explain to the audience that the setting of the play is Verona. It also gives an overview of the plot, which helps the audience understand the play that follows. In case someone is likely to miss this point, it helps to explain how the family's feud causes the harsh ending. It also, by announcing the ending at the beginning, helps to make the events of the play seem more inevitable and driven by fate.

The full text of the prologue is as follows:

Two households, both alike in dignity(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

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,

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.

The fearful passage of their death-marked love

And the continuance of their parents' rage,

Which, but their children's end, naught could remove,

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

Answer 5

TO give an insight on whats going to happen; foreshadow and gives brief introduction .

Answer 6

The prologue describes the play's major conflict and resolution

Answer 7

The function of the prologue in Shakespeare's plays is to be the introduction to the story.

Answer 8

He introduces it by telling the audience where the play takes place and what the broad outlines of the plot will be.

Answer 9

nathan heffernan