Romeo and Juliet: Prologue

The color-coded bars in this section make it easy to track the themes throughout the work. Each color corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart. For instance, indicates that all five themes apply to that part of the summary.

Summary Analysis Themes

The Chorus delivers a fourteen line sonnet, in which it states the topic of the play. In the city of Verona, there are two noble houses that hold an “ancient grudge” against each other, resulting in bloody clashes. From these two houses will emerge two “star-crossed” lovers (1.p.3-6). The lovers will heal the rift between their families by dying.

The Prologue introduces themes of love and death and individual vs. society. And by revealing that R and J will die, the Prologue goes further with fate: it literally creates their fate. R and J are fated to die because the Prologue says they will.