1 ^note.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ Escalus, prince of Verona. Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince. Montague, head of a house at variance with the house of Capulet. Capulet, head of a house at variance with the house of Montague. An old man, of the Capulet family [Old Man]. Romeo, son to Montague. Mercutio, kinsman to the prince, and friend to Romeo. Benvolio, nephew to Montague, and friend to Romeo. Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet. Friar Laurence, a Franciscan [Friar Lawrence]. Friar John, of the same order. Balthasar, Servant to Romeo. Sampson, servant to Capulet. Gregory, servant to Capulet. Peter, servant to Juliet's nurse. Abraham, servant to Montague. An Apothecary. Three Musicians [Musician 1], [Musician 2], [Musician 3]. Page to Paris; another Page; an Officer [Officer 1]. Lady Montague, wife to Montague. Lady Capulet, wife to Capulet. Juliet, daughter to Capulet. Nurse to Juliet [Nurse]. Citizens of Verona; kinsfolk of both houses; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants. Chorus. [Citizen], [Watch 1], [Watch 2], [Watch 3], [Servant 1], [Servant 2], [Servant 3], [Servant] Scene: Verona: Mantua.

THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET.

PROLOGUE. Enter Chorus. ^note

Chor.
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;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
  Do ^note 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 ^note shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. ^note

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