Romeo and Juliet
Prologue Activity
Step 1)
Watch the first minute of Romeo and Juliet (modern version).
After students watch the prologue, ask them if this has sparked
their interest. Do they want to watch more?
Step 2)
Read the Prologue below out loud to the students.
Chorus.
Step 3)
“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-cross’d lovers take their life,
Who misadventur’d piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which but their children’s end nought 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.”
In groups of 2 or more, have the students answer the questions
on the handout below.
Romeo and Juliet
Prologue Activity
Identify the rhyme scheme of the excerpt below. Use the lines provided on the right to indicate the
appropriate letter. (This was written in England, and does not always follow modern day pronunciation)
1)
“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-cross’d lovers take their life,
_____
Who misadventur’d piteous overthrows
_____
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
_____
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
_____
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
_____
Which but their children’s end nought 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.”
_____
2)
Is the rhyme scheme regular or irregular?
________________________
3)
What type of poem is the above excerpt?
________________________
Directions: Match the term to its definition and synonyms.
4) _____ Civil
5) _____ Dignity
a) part of body regarded seat of strength and power
(synonyms: bodies, insides)
b) a military enemy; hostile army, hated person
6) _____ Fair
(synonyms: opponents, rivals, competitors)
c) vigorous or bitter conflict
7) _____ Foe
8) ____ Households
9) _____ Loins
10) _____ Mutiny
11) _____ Nought
12) _____ Passage
13) __ Star-Cross’d
14) _____ Strife
15) _____ Strive
16) _____ Toil
17) _____ Traffic
(synonyms: quarrel, debate)
d) hard work
(synonyms: labor, effort)
e) pleasing in appearance
(synonyms: beautiful, attractive, enjoyable)
f) revolt or rebel against
(synonyms: defiance, disobedience)
g) a progress or course, as of events
(synonyms: journey, passing, flow)
h) relative standing; rank
(synonyms: prestige, status, wealth)
i) to make strenuous efforts toward any goal
(synonyms: aim, attempt, strain)
j) zero, nothing, not, nonexistent
k) pertaining to or consisting of citizens
(synonyms: domestic, local, public)
l) predetermined by the stars
(synonyms: destiny, inevitably, fate)
m) the people of a home collectively
(synonyms: families)
n) communication between persons
(synonyms: dealing, exchange or communication)
18) How many families are involved in this play?
_______________________________________________
19) Where is the setting of this play?
_______________________________________________
20) What is made by these families?
_______________________________________________
21) What happens to what they made?
_______________________________________________
22) What happens to these families after this event?
_______________________________________________
23) Of what length will the play consist?
________________________________________________
24) If the listener didn’t understand the prologue, or has further questions, what does the
chorus suggest?
_______________________________________________
25) An “ancient grudge” may exist between two individuals, families, teams, schools,
towns, ethnic groups, religions, nations. Considering your life or the modern world,
record one example of an ancient grudge.
______________________________________________________________________
26) What might have begun the feud (“ancient grudge”)? What might have made the
families such bitter enemies? Shakespeare never actually answers this question in the
play.
________________________________________________________________________
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