How do the phrases "star-cross'd lovers" and "death-mark'd love" introduce the themes of love and fate in the prologue to romeo and juliet? support your response with evidence from the prologue.

Answer and Explanation:

The prologue of the play "Romeo and J.uliet" by William Shakespeare reveals two things about the main characters. First, it is clear they are destined to meet. That is what "star-cross'd lovers" means. Something that is crossed (written) in the stars is something whose fate cannot be changed. It must happen, and so it will. Finally, the second thing revealed in the prologue is that Romeo and J.uliet will die. They have a "death mark'd love", the type of love driven by so much passion that it is destructive:

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Do 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;

This is the least suspenseful prologue of all, since the whole story is summarized in it. Romeo and J.uliet's love was forbidden due to the bloody feud between their families. Even though their fate was to meet and fall in love, it was also to die for that love.

Note: I've spelled J.uliet like this because, for some reason, sees it as a link or inappropriate word now.

"the sandy walls seemed to collapse in on themselves"

and

"the bloodshot waters seemed to have no bottom"