Attempt to explore the significance of various quotes/sections from the play, Romeo and Juliet. In your exploration you need to consider the ways the audience is being positioned to view the various themes/issues. You also need to think about how the issue/theme demonstrates the values, attitudes and/or beliefs that underpin the play.
In class today, we completed the task using the Prologue from Act I as our stimulus. Below is the paragraph that we wrote. Use this as a guide for your chosen quote/section.
Act I, Prologue
The Prologue in Act I is a significant part of the play because it positions the audience to understand that the two houses, Montague and Capulet, have grudges against one another and that the only way to resolve the conflict is to suffer the deaths of their two children. This is evident through the overview of the plot which is provided by the Chorus. The Prologue is also important because it allows the audience to understand the values and beliefs that underpin the society of Verona with regards to the theme/issue of fate. The embedded attitude towards fate is that all elements of life are already planned/pre-determined. This is clear when the Chorus says, “a pair of star crossed lovers take their life”. This quote positions the audience to believe that the outcomes of Romeo and Juliet’s love were beyond their control.
