1. Prologue and Introduction to Act 1
Romeo and Juliet
Prologue and Introduction to Act 1

2. Kids these days …
Kids these days! They think that love conquers all, that nothing matters except how they feel about each other. They have no sense of responsibilities to their families, no respect for tradition, no regard for those who are older and wiser. They don’t know the problems they’re going to have that all the love in the world won’t solve for them.

3. Romeo and Juliet Background
Romeo and Juliet is based on a long, narrative poem by Arthur Brooke, which was published in 1562 as The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet.

4. Romeo and Juliet Background
To understand what star-crossed means, you have to realize that most people in Shakespeare’s time believed in astrology. They believed that the course of their lives was partly determined by the hour, day, month, and year of their birth – hence, “the star” under which they were born.

5. Romeo and Juliet Background
Although Shakespeare says in the Prologue that Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed, he does not make them mere victims of fate. Romeo and Juliet make decisions that lead to their disaster. More important, other characters have a hand in the play’s tragic ending.

6. Reflection question
How important do you think fate is in affecting what happens to us? To what degree do you think we control our own destinies?

7. Introduction to characters
The Montagues
Lord Montague – Romeo’s dad
Lady Montague – Romeo’s mom
Romeo – son, male protagonist
Benvolio – Romeo’s BFF and cousin
Mercutio – Romeo’s BFF, Prince’s nephew
Friar Lawrence – Romeo’s confidant/mentor
Balthasar/Abram – Romeo’s servants

8. Introduction to characters
The Capulets
Lord Capulet – Juliet’s dad
Lady Capulet – Juliet’s mom
Juliet – daughter, female protagonist
Nurse – Juliet’s second mom
Tybalt – Juliet’s cousin
Count Paris – nobleman who wants to marry Juliet, related to the Prince
Peter, Sampson, Gregory – Juliet’s servants

9. Introduction to characters
Neutral
Prince Escalus – ruler of Verona
Friar John – priest, friends with Friar Lawrence
Apothecary – sells potions/drugs

10. Translation of The Prologue
Read the prologue together.
Re-read the prologue individually.
With your table partner, complete line-by-line translations of the prologue.
Once you have an idea what the overall gist of the Prologue is saying, write a 2-3 sentence complete sentence translation.

11. Important Definitions
Pun: A play on the multiple meanings of a word, or on two words that sound alike but have different meanings. Example: Q: What has four wheels and flies? A: a garbage truck 
Blank verse: Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Blank = no rhyme; Iambic pentameter = five iambs per line of unstressed syllables followed by stressed

12. Important Definitions
Iambic meter: each unstressed syllable is followed by an stressed syllable, as in the word prefer
Iambic pentameter: there are five of these iambic units in each line
Couplet: two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme (typically to signal a character's exit or the end of a scene)

13. Important Definitions
End-stopped line: has punctuation at its end, requiring the speaker to pause
Run-on line: has no punctuation at its end, where the meaning is completed in the line or lines that follow