The Prologue

​The Prologue

By Donna Kapa

​Objectives

• Review elements of a Shakespearean sonnet

• Interpret and analyze the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet

​Review

Multiple Choice

A Shakespearean sonnet has how many lines?

• 10

• 14

• 16

• 18

Multiple Choice

An iamb consists of one unstressed and one stressed syllable.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The last two lines of a Shakespearean sonnet are called:

• iambic pentameter

• unstressed pair

• rhyming couplet

• stressed doublet

Multiple Choice

Pentameter means that a line is written in five syllables.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A line in a Shakespearean sonnet has approximately:

• 8 syllables

• 10 syllables

• 12 syllables

• 14 syllables

Multiple Choice

Shakespearean sonnets always follow the same rhyme scheme.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The word sonnet comes from a word meaning “little song."

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What is scansion in poetry?

• The repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words

• The arrangement of words to create vivid sensory images

• The marking of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem

• The repetition and pattern of end rhyme in a poem

Scansion is the process of marking the stressed ( / ) and unstressed ( ˘ ) syllables in a line of poetry.

Most of Shakespeare’s lines are written in iambic pentameter — five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables:

The Prologue

​Scansion Practice

Whiteboard

What is the Chorus?
A Chorus was a feature of ancient Greek drama, where a group of performers spoke or sang together to guide the audience’s understanding of the story.

The Prologue

In Greek plays, the chorus would:

• Comment on the events of the play.

• Express the public’s reaction or moral viewpoint.

• Help the audience reflect on themes like fate, justice, or human behavior.

The Prologue

Shakespeare borrowed this idea, but usually used one speaker instead of a group.

In Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus speaks the Prologue, giving us a preview of the story’s tragic events.

The Prologue

Poll

Why might Shakespeare choose to tell us the ending before the story begins?

• To refresh the audiences' memory of the story, the setting, and the conflicts.

• To remove suspense and make the story easier to follow.

• To make the play shorter by skipping the surprise.

• To introduce the play’s major themes — such as fate, conflict, and love versus duty.

​The Prologue as Sonnet

The Logic of a Shakespearean Sonnet

• Quatrain 1: Introduces a situation or problem

• Quatrain 2: Complicates or deepens the problem

• Quatrain 3: Shifts or reflects

• Couplet: Delivers the conclusion or message

​The Prologue Analysis

​The Prologue Analysis

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