A prologue is an introduction to a literary work that provides information to the reader, such as setting, characters, or theme. It can be found in Greek and Elizabethan drama, as well as in prose works. Examples include Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
A prologue, sometimes referred to as a preface, is an introduction to the beginning of a work of literature. This type of introduction generally provides information to the reader or audience, aiding the ability to understand what is to follow in the main body of work. It can introduce the setting, preview characters, or establish a theme or moral for the play. Examples can be found in Greek and Elizabethan drama, and in a play it often takes the form of a character’s monologue or dialogue.
In Greek tragedy, the prologue is the opening section of a drama that precedes the first choral ode. In Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, it is presented as a dialogue between Oedipus, the priests and Creon, and establishes that the plague in Thebes will end as soon as Laius’s killer is found. This precedes the opening hymn of the Chorus which appeals to the gods.
Shakespeare includes a prologue to set up the story behind the star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet. In this case, the Chorus delivers it, which begins as follows:
“Two families, both equal in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we set our stage,
From the old breaking of the grudge to the new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands impure.
From outside the fatal loins of these two enemies
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their own lives”
Shakespeare not only introduces the plot of two warring Veronese families with this introduction, but he foreshadows the end of the play and warns the audience of the tragedy that is about to unfold.
While many may consider a prologue to be a literary device used only in plays, it is also often seen in prose works. For example, in Plain and Simple, Sue Bender uses it to set the stage for her own experiences with the Amish when she says, “I had an obsession with the Amish. Plain and simple. It objectively made no sense. I, who worked hard to be special, fell in love with people who valued being ordinary.” Indeed, the use of such introductions in literary prose can be traced as far back as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which includes those that provide background information and character sketches for the tales.
Prologues may be written by the author of the work or may be provided by another writer who uses this introduction as a way to introduce and advise a work of literature.
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