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Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir.
That fair for which love groaned for and would die
With tender Juliet matched, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
Alike bewitchèd by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed he must complain,
And she steal love’s sweet bait from fearful hooks.
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear.
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new beloved anywhere.
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet,
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.

The Prologue to Act 2 is like the prologue at the beginning of the play in that it consists of a 14-line sonnet delivered directly to the audience by the Chorus. However, It is not as significant as the play’s other prologue, which revealed the major plot points and set up the significance of fate in the lovers’ story. The Prologue to Act 2 summarizes what happened to Romeo and Juliet in the first act before closing with a couplet describing the strength they have gained through their shared passion: “But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, / Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.”

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