Romeo Loves Juliet!

This is our blog, where we will have a discussion about our show, Romeo and Juliet. You will need to check in here once a week and post a comment of at least a paragraph on the blog topic of the week. You also need to comment on someone's post, so we can have an ongoing conversation about some of the issues of this play. You are only required to make one post and comment but, of course, you can post more.

Ready? Here we go!!

In the opening of the play, is a short speech, in the form of a sonnet, where a chorus explains what is going to take place in the show. They even talk to the audience and tell them that they're doing a play! Here is the speech -

ACT I

PROLOGUE

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.


Our first question is why do you think Shakespeare started the show by telling the ending? Why is he having his characters talk to the audience? In other words, why do you think he started the show like this and do you think it is a good beginning for our play?