Romeo & Juliet Lesson 5: The Prologue - The Prologue Problem Worksheet

In Lesson 5 of a Romeo and Juliet study, students encounter a challenging activity titled "The Prologue Problem". This worksheet presents them with the famous Prologue of Shakespeare's tragic play, but with a twist: the lines are jumbled and out of order. The task for the students is to rearrange the lines into their correct sequence. To aid them in solving this puzzle, they are encouraged to look for the rhyming pattern, a common feature in Shakespeare's work that provides clues to the intended structure of the text.

The exercise not only immerses students in the rich language of the Prologue but also engages their analytical skills as they decipher the rhyme scheme to restore the original order of the lines. The Prologue itself sets the scene in fair Verona and introduces the central themes of the play: the longstanding feud between two noble families, the Capulets and the Montagues, and the doomed love of their offspring, the "star-cross'd lovers," Romeo and Juliet. By tackling "The Prologue Problem," students gain a deeper understanding of the play's introduction and prepare for the ensuing drama that unfolds on the stage—or in this case, the classroom.