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What happens in the Act 1 Prologue of Romeo and Juliet?
In the brief Prologue, the Chorus introduces the play by describing rival Montague and Capulet families in Verona and their violent feud. We are then told that a pair of lovers from the family will end the feud by dying and their story is the subject of the play.
Looking for our Summary & Analysis of the Prologue? Click here! (2-minute read)
Read 1-2 sentence summaries of all 26 scenes in Romeo and Juliet. (3-minute read)
Are any important characters introduced in the Prologue?
The only character in the Prologue, the Chorus, is not a main character, but is also not unimportant. All the play’s characters are briefly described in our Character List and most of the characters (including the Chorus) also have an in-depth Character Analysis.
Read our Character List descriptions for Romeo and Juliet. (4-minute read)
Read our in-depth Character Analysis of the Chorus. (1-minute read)
Are any of the play’s important themes introduced in the Prologue?
Yes, even though the Prologue is only 14 lines, it introduces the core theme of The Inevitability of Fate with the key phrase “star-crossed lovers.”
Read about the Inevitability of Fate as a key Theme (#4) of Romeo and Juliet. (2-minute read)
What is the setting for Romeo and Juliet?
The play is set in 14th-century Verona, a city in Italy that is prosperous but also torn by internal divisions.
Read about Verona as the Setting for Romeo and Juliet. (3-minute read)
What's the most famous quote from the Prologue to Romeo and Juliet?
With only 14 lines, the Prologue in its entirety is one of most important “quotes” of the play. It introduces the centrality of fate in play and reveals to us that the title characters are destined to die. In addition to our Summary & Analysis for the Prologue, you can read about it in three SparkNotes features explaining key quotes in various contexts.
Read about the Prologue in Famous Quotes Explained. (2-minute read)
Read about the Prologue in Quotes by Theme: The Inevitability of Fate. (1-minute read)
Read about the Prologue in Quotes by Setting: Verona. (1-minute read)
