Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, 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; Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows Doth 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.

Two families, equal in rank, in beautiful Verona, where we set our play, break out from an old quarrel into fresh violence, and citizens' blood makes citizens' hands dirty. From the doomed bodies of these two enemies a pair of lovers crossed by the stars is born and takes their life; their unlucky, pitiful ruin buries their parents' quarrel with their death. The frightening course of their love that was marked for death, and their parents' continuing anger, which nothing but their children's end could put a stop to, is now the two hours' business of our stage. If you will listen to it with patient ears, whatever falls short here our efforts will try to make good.