​Objectives

• Review elements of a Shakespearean sonnet

• Interpret and analyze the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet

​Review

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

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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

​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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