Translating it to plain English

Two households, both alike in equal dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood make civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.

The fearful passage of their death-marked love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

Which, but their children’s end, naught 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 house holds , both alike in dignity,

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respected,

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respected,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respectedIn fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respected,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respected,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,A long standing hatred breaks into new

violence

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respectedIn fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutinyA long standing hatred breaks into new

violenceWhere civil blood makes civil hands unclean

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respected,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,A long standing hatred breaks into new violence,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow

citizens.

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respectedIn fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutinyA long standing hatred breaks into new violenceWhere civil blood makes civil hands unclean.citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow

citizensFrom forth the fatal loins of these two foes

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respectedIn fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,A long standing hatred breaks into new violenceWhere civil blood makes civil hands unclean.citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow

citizensFrom forth the fatal loins of these two foesTwo unlucky children from these opposing families

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respectedIn fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,A long standing hatred breaks into new violenceWhere civil blood makes civil hands unclean,citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow

citizensFrom forth the fatal loins of these two foesTwo unlucky children from these opposing familiesA pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Two house holds , both alike in dignity,Two families, both equally respectedIn fair Verona, where we lay our scene,This all takes place in beautiful Verona.From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,A long standing hatred breaks into new violenceWhere civil blood makes civil hands unclean.citizens stain their hands w/the blood of fellow citizensFrom forth the fatal loins of these two foesTwo unlucky children from these opposing familiesA pair of star crossed lovers take their life;Become lovers and commit suicide

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deaths

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’

strife.

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’

strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’

strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked

love,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’

strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked

love, The sad story of their doomed love,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’

strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked

love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’

strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked

love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could

remove,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,Which could not end, without the death of their

children,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,Which could not end, without the death of their childrenIs now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents’ anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could

remove,Which, could not end, without the death of their

children,Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;Is what you will see acted out in the next

two hours;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could

remove,Which, could not end, without the death of their

childrenIs now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours;The which if you with patient ears attend,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,Which, could not end, without the death of their

childrenIs now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours;

The which if you with patient ears attend,

If you listen patiently,

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents anger,Which, but their children’s end, naught could

remove,Which, could not end, without the death of their

childrenIs now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours;The which if you with patient ears attend,If you listen patiently,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsTheir unfortunate, pitiful deathsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Bury their parents quarrel and anger.The fearful passage of their death-marked love, The sad story of their doomed love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,And the persistence of their parents angerWhich, but their children’s end, naught could remove,Which, could not end, without the death of their childrenIs now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;Is what you will see acted out in the next two hours;The which if you with patient ears attend,If you listen patiently,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.We’ll make up for everything we left out of this

introduction, our work on stage will fix.

Two households, both alike in equal dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood make civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose misadventur’d piteous overthrowsDoth with their death bury their parents’ strife.

The fearful passage of their death-marked love,And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

Which, but their children’s end, naught 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, both equally respectedthis all takes place in beautiful VeronaA long standing hatred breaks into new violenceAnd citizens stain their hands with the blood of fellow

citizensTwo unlucky children from these opposing familiesBecome lovers and commit suicide:Their unfortunate, pitiful deathsBury their parents quarreling and anger.The sad story of their doomed loveAnd the persistence of their parents angerWhich could not end without the death of their children,Is what you’ll see acted out in the next two hours.If you listen patientlyWe’ll make up for everything we left out of this

introduction, on stage.