Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus tells us of an extenct grudge between different houses of equal dignity that has broke out into a "new mutiny" that will cause blood to flow in the streets of Verona and will ultimately result in the deaths of the star-cross'd lovers. The Chorus points to the heads of these two families as the source of the strife at hand, the rage of their parents causing the deaths of their children. We soon learn the surnames of the warring clans, Capulet and Montague, and both patriarchs as well as their respective ladies appear in the flesh in the play's first scene. Even though Tybalt of the Capulets is the most aggressive character on the stage, Mercutio's twice-spoken curse, "a plague a' both houses! Makes it plain that the sides are equally to blame for his death, and by extension, for the tragedy that befalls the lovers. Beyond this, however, we are never told what the original cause of the war between the Capulets and Montagues was.
The inference here is that the conflict is an archaic rivalry based
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The Chorus introduces the power of fortune in the opening prologue when we are told that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed” and “death-marked,” and that their death will end their parents’ feud. Fate and fortune are closely related in the play, as they both concern events that are out of human control. By telling us that Romeo and Juliet are destined to die because of their bad luck, Shakespeare gives us the climax of the play before it even begins. This strategy, which seems odd considering the end has been spoiled for the audience, serves two purposes: it allows the introduction of the power of fate and fortune over people’s lives by declaring the fate of Romeo and Juliet at the very beginning, and it also creates tension throughout the play because they very nearly succeed despite this terrible declaration. Thus the opening prologue sets up the fate/free will