Question

Read this excerpt from the prologue of Romeo and Juliet.

The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
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And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffick of our stage;
Which best states the purpose of this excerpt?

It introduces the disagreement of the parents.
It explains who the main characters are.
It speaks about the setting of the play.
It foreshadows the outcome of the play.

Answer 1

It foreshadows the outcome of the play.

"Death-mark'd love" and "their children's end" explicitly predict the lovers' tragic deaths and the continuing parental feud, so the prologue previews the play’s tragic outcome.