Prologue to Romeo and Juliet Act 1

Prologue to Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Translating it to plain English

The Prologue Two households, both alike in equal dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood make civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, naught 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.

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity,

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy,

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona.

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A long standing hatred breaks into new violence

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny A long standing hatred breaks into new violence Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A long standing hatred breaks into new violence, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow citizens.

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny A long standing hatred breaks into new violence Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow citizens From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A long standing hatred breaks into new violence Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow citizens From forth the fatal loins of these two foes Two unlucky children from these opposing families

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A long standing hatred breaks into new violence Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean, citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow citizens From forth the fatal loins of these two foes Two unlucky children from these opposing families A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

The Translation Two house holds , both alike in dignity, Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, This all takes place in beautiful Verona. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, A long standing hatred breaks into new violence Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow citizens From forth the fatal loins of these two foes Two unlucky children from these opposing families A pair of star crossed lovers take their life; The Two fated lovers commit suicide.

The Translation Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger.

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which could not end, without the death of their children,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which could not end, without the death of their children Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents’ anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which, could not end, without the death of their children, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which, could not end, without the death of their children Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours; The which if you with patient ears attend,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which, could not end, without the death of their children Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours; The which if you with patient ears attend, If you listen patiently,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger, Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which, could not end, without the death of their children Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours; The which if you with patient ears attend, If you listen patiently, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. Bury their parents quarrel and anger. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, And the persistence of their parents anger Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove, Which, could not end, without the death of their children Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours; The which if you with patient ears attend, If you listen patiently, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. We’ll make up for everything we left out of this introduction, our work on stage will fix.

Middle EnglishThe Prologue Two households, both alike in equal dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood make civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. The fearful passage of their death-marked love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which, but their children’s end, naught 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.

Modern English The Prologue Two families, both equally respected, powerful & wealthy, this all takes place in beautiful Verona A long standing hatred breaks into new violence And citizens stain their hands with the blood of fellow citizens Two unlucky children from these opposing families The fated lovers and commit suicide: Their unfortunate, pitiful deaths Bury their parents quarreling and anger. The sad story of their doomed love And the persistence of their parents anger Which could not end without the death of their children, Is what you’ll see acted out in the next two hours. If you listen patiently We’ll make up for everything we left out of this introduction, on stage.

Prologue to Romeo and Juliet Act 1