"Romeo and Juliet" is an Elizabethan play enact in Verona, which presents with two themes: love and hate. These themes are the reason that this play captivates the audience's attention and their imagination. Prior to both Act 1 and 2, the chorus addresses the audience with a prefatory speech in the form of a sonnet. These sonnets contributed with cue about where the play takes place, background information about the leading characters, and some basic meaning of the play. These sonnets are important to the play because it prepares the audience by giving clues and details about the plot and upbringing of the play.
Before Act 1, the play opens with a chorus announcing the background feud between two families, young lovers will die, and their deaths will reconcile their quarrelling families.
"....In fair Verona where we lay our scene
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife..."
In the fourteen lines sonnet, the chorus announces the climaxes of the plot. The sonnet includes words form to relate natural phenomenon, as well as to the shaping of ideas. For instance, Act 1 opens the dramatic purpose of introducing the two feuding families are destine together by an ancient blood feud that has grown to a deadly hatred. This play is about a conflict between love and hate, introducing the hatred that promotes the play's action and sets the play into the wrong path of tragic love. The exposition starts with the chorus presents that from these enemy families, Romeo and Juliet are destined to fall in love, disclosing an unfortunate fate. Thus, their fate of loving each other is the caused to their death. Therefore, their tragic deaths bring an end to the parents' bitter feuding. The prologues' imagery starts when Romeo and Juliet meet is the incident that leads to their death: "A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life." Chorus sets up the mood by telling the audience in the form of a sonnet that there is a feud in Verona and "star-cross'd lovers" that will bring peace to Verona. Further, the chorus tells the audience the play's outcome. Once knowing the play's outcome will enforces every line of the play toward the lovers' tragic death will motivate a genuinely felling. This remarks to that effect of the play's drama presence not only the anticipation of action, however the affections and thoughts that foreknowledge excites. On the contrary, this however is contradicts to the play by the fact that the sonnet is structural clues and the language is used to tells readers the basic story line and reinforces the themes. For example, Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed" and "death-marked" both destined for bad luck and death. Moreover, the chorus' words seem to focus on the idea of hate and not so much about love: "From ancient grudge break to new mutin. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." These two lines are about the feud between the families. It shows that it is a feud, which has been brewing for many years. The pride within each family has led them to violence and unpleasant.
Prior to Act 2, the chorus revisited the play.
"Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet..."
The chorus states that the love Romeo had for Rosaline has been substitute with his love for Juliet. The two lovers are equally attracted to one another: "Now Romeo is beloved and loves again." Their love gives each other the power and strength of mind to shun the feuding between the two families. This sonnet is the reinforcement that lay out of the lovers and gives clue that there may be some way to overcome their obstacles: "But passion lends them power, time means, to meet." The opening line, the chorus addresses the pace which Romeo is instantly fallen in love to Juliet and abandoned his pursuit of Rosaline. The chorus's tone seems to be making fun of Romeo's quickness in changing direction of his lovers. This sonnet only slightly shifts to enhance the play. Nonetheless, this introductory serves to distinguish between Romeo's miserable loves for Rosaline and his true deeply love with Juliet. However, the words of the chorus seem to raises numerous questions. For instance, why are their families in raging feuds but still love each other? and why do they fall in love so fast? In spite of this, it makes the audience want to read the story the play in order to find out why they die.
These sonnets are important to the play because it prepares the audience by giving clues and details about the plot and upbringing of the play. These sonnets do not ruin the story at all. "Romeo and Juliet" is a universal play that is practically customary to everyone. Ordinary by sixth grade everyone somewhat know the play and thus the deaths come as no surprises whatsoever. Even modern television broadcasting showed the tragedy would end in death of lovers and many characters. The magnificence of this play does not because of knowing how it ends, but in following the path of the lovers take through their belief and passionate affair.
Hmmm . . . it would be nice if you could tighten the structure a bit more. At the moment, your essay says a bunch of things that are only loosely connected. You might try asking yourself why the play would require a chorus to explain what is happening or what is going to happen. Answering that question might lead you to a more focused thesis.
