Question

Foreshadowing: The Prologue states that this is the story of "star-crossed lovers." Identify another example of Foreshadowing in Act I and explain why it is an example of foreshadowing.

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

Another example of foreshadowing in Act I of "Romeo and Juliet" takes place in Scene 4, when Romeo says,

“I fear too early, for my mind misgives

Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Shall bitterly begin his fearful date

With this night’s revels, and expire the term

Of a despisèd life closed in my breast

By some vile forfeit of untimely death.”

What he means, simply put, is that he has a bad feeling about Capulet's party. He senses this banquet will be the start of something tragic - his own death. This premonition of the characters serves as foreshadowing for the audience. They can already infer, from this example as well as other passages, that these lovers' story will end tragically.

Foreshadowing is a technique used in storytelling in which a piece of information is given to the audience. Such information seems trivial at first, but later it unfolds into something more important.