Module 3 Lessons

2. Romoeo and Juliet - Prologue

esson 75

Romeo and Julietï¿½Prologue

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Now you're ready to begin reading the play Romeo and Juliet. It's recommended that you use one of the following editions:

the HBJ Shakespeare edition of Romeo and Juliet, edited by Ken Roy (© 1987)
the Harcourt Shakespeare edition of Romeo and Juliet, edited by Ken Roy (© 1999)

Structure of Shakespearean Dramas

Skim through your copy of Romeo and Juliet, and look at how it is set up. Notice the following structure:

The play is divided into five acts.
Within each act are scenes.
The lines in each scene are numbered.

Each act of a Shakespearean drama has a specific purpose:

Act 1: Act 1 establishes the setting, provides essential information, initiates the action of the plot, and introduces the characters and their conflicts. A careful reading of Act 1 also reveals major themes.
Act 2: Act 2 continues the action but complicates it. Characters and their conflicts are fleshed out.
Act 3: In Act 3, there is inevitably a major turning point or climax in the action. The action that has been steadily rising since Act 1 becomes a crisis. (By Act 3, it becomes clear that Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play.)
Act 4: Because the play is a tragedy, by Act 4 the action begins to "fall," as do the fortunes of the protagonists. The falling action is usually set into motion by the crisis that arose in Act 3.
Act 5: Act 5 is the final act of a Shakespearean tragedy. It marks the tragic failure, and usually the deaths, of the protagonists. The tragic end occurs as a natural outgrowth of the action, the crisis, and the tragic flaws of the protagonists.

Strategies for Romeo and Juliet

Following are some strategies you can use to help understand Romeo and Juliet:

•Watch a film version before you read the play. The 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, may be your best choice. This movie is available at some libraries and most movie-rental outlets.
Listen to an audio version as you read. You could visit your local library and borrow an audiotape or CD of Romeo and Juliet and listen to the play as you follow along in your text. Shakespeare is much easier to understand if it's read properly. The even rhythm also makes Shakespeare easier to memorize.
Read summary introductions. Both of the recommended written editions of Romeo and Juliet offer a short summary outlining the plot and key points of each scene and act. Read summary introductions before tackling the Shakespearean text.
Read the side notes. Both of the recommended written editions of Romeo and Juliet have side notes that explain the Shakespearean language. Consult the side notes to help you with more difficult passages.
Read the entire scene. Always read the entire scene before you attempt to complete the exercises associated with it.
Refer to Dramatis Personae. Page 5 in each of the editions of Romeo and Juliet lists the characters in the play. Referring to this list as you read will help you keep track of the characters.
Keep a reading log. The lessons will help you come to a fuller understanding of the play. However, they're not a substitute for an engaged, thoughtful reading. As you read and think about particular scenes and acts, make personal observations of your own in a reading log.

The Prologue

You're now ready to read the prologue. The prologue is a kind of introduction providing the audience with all necessary information needed to understand the play. It usually tells about the time, place, subject, and background of the story.

Shakespeare followed the pattern of ancient drama, where the prologue was a monologue recited by the Chorus. The Chorus in a Shakespearean drama is a role for a solo actor.

Read the prologue now. Then respond to the following questions.

1. Why do you think Shakespeare would "give away" the end of his story in the first few lines of the play? In other words, what is the purpose of the prologue?

2. What phrase informs you of the length of the play?

3. Where is the play set?

Journal Entry

Write a journal response after considering the following questions:

The prologue reveals the outcome of Romeo and Juliet. How would Shakespeare maintain the interest of the audience during the play?

If you were staging the play, how would you present the Chorus? Would it be a group of people or a single individual? What would the costumes be? Where would the actors stand?

Which words would you have the Chorus emphasize? Why?

Key Themes in Romeo and Juliet

A theme, if you remember, is a general yet precise insight about life that readers or viewers assume the writer wishes to convey in a literary work. You have to assume because writers seldom state their themes directly. Instead, you must read or view carefully to determine what themes are implied in the literary work.

Examine the following four themes:

• feuding families

When the play opens, two of the principal families of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, are involved in an active feud. Roots of the long-standing quarrel are not known to the audience, but the severity of the feud is.

Unfortunately, the feud extends beyond the two warring families and is destructive to much of Verona's society. Although neither Romeo nor Juliet support the fighting, they find themselves embroiled in the hostilities.

• choosing a marriage partner

Juliet finds herself in a difficult position because she has fallen in love with Romeo. However, Lord Capulet, Juliet's father, has decided that he will choose her marriage partner for her.

• the impulsivity of youth

Romeo and Juliet are both very young. Because they've had few life experiences, they make impulsive moves rather than logically thinking things through. As a result, their actions create trouble for both themselves and those around them. Their hearts rule their heads, propelling them toward disaster.

• the role of fate in human affairs

The prologue uses the phrase "star-crossed lovers," which means their love is doomed by the stars. The word star implies that something larger than Romeo and Juliet—that is, fate—controls their lives.

The motif of fate or star-crossed love is repeated as a phrase, a description, and an image throughout the play. The unfortunate consequence of "fate ruling human action" is that, try as they might, people are unable to exert control over their own destinies.

As you read the play, pay attention to evidence that supports each theme. You'll find there's a considerable amount of support for each one.

In this lesson, you examined the structure of Shakespearean drama and explored some strategies to help you read Shakespeare. You read the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, and you were introduced to its themes.

Lesson Glossary

Chorus: an actor in Elizabethan drama who recites the prologue to a play and from time to time comments on the action
climax: the moment in the plot when there is a definite, crucial change in direction and one becomes aware that the story is about to move toward its end
monologue: a long speech made by one person
motif: an element repeated within a particular work for a particular purpose; that usually relates to theme
prologue: an introduction recited to introduce a play
protagonist: the central character or characters in a piece of literature
tragedy: in general, a literary work in which the protagonist meets an unhappy or disastrous end
tragic flaw: traditionally, that particular defect in a tragic hero that leads to his or her downfall