Read this excerpt from the prologue to act II of Romeo and Juliet: CHORUS: Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie, And young a
ffection gapes to be his heir; That fair for which love groan'd for and would die, With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair. Now Romeo is beloved and loves again, Alike betwitched by the charm of looks, But to his foe supposed he must complain, And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks: Being held a foe, he may not have access To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear; And she as much in love, her means much less To meet her new-beloved any where: But passion lends them power, time means, to meet Tempering extremities with extreme sweet. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the purpose of the excerpt? A. It tells the audience exactly what will happen at the end of the play. B. It reveals the conflicting feelings Romeo has for Juliet and his family. C. It foreshadows the death of the lovers in the next section of the play. D. It explains that Romeo and Juliet will face many obstacles because of their families’ hatred.
If you mean the excerpt from the Act II of “Romeo and Juliet”, by Shakespeare, said by Chorus, I believe that the correct answer is second statement: It reveals the conflicting feelings Romeo has for Juliet and his family.
Based on the excerpt from Act II of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, the main purpose of this prologue, said by chorus, is to present Romeo’s conflicted feelings for Juliet and her family and to recap past events that happened in the play ( Romeo forgot about his previous love, Rosaline, by seeing Juliet). The chorus also creates an ominous mood that hints at the conflicts of the play (“Tempering extremities with extreme sweet”).
