The document discusses themes in Romeo and Juliet and having students read and paraphrase the Act 1 Prologue in Modern English. It provides the text of the prologue in Early Modern English and asks students to translate lines into Modern English and explain how they figured it out. It asks if prior knowledge of Early Modern English, sonnets, and Shakespeare increased understanding of the prologue.

1. Ms. Marshall-Krauss
HCMS

2. 81
 Prediction: Review the “Social Offenses”
ranking you did yesterday. Choose one that
you felt strongly about and explain why. (Glue
the Study Guide onto page 79)
 Today’s objective is to discuss themes in
Romeo and Juliet and read and paraphrase in
Modern English the Act 1 Prologue.

3. CHORUS: Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

4. Early Modern Why is this Modern How did you figure
Text difficult to Paraphrase it out?
understand?
1. “Two Because the Two families I changed
households both vocabulary is who are both household to the
alike in dignity.” different. respected. modern word
families and dignity
to the modern
word respect.
2.
3.
4.

5.  Before reading Romeo and Juliet, you learned
a little about Early Modern
English, sonnets, and Shakespeare’s life as a
writer. Did any of this knowledge increase
your appreciation or understanding of the Act
1 Prologue? Explain.