In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus speaks the opening prologue before Act 1.
The prologue is a fourteen-line sonnet that introduces Verona, the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, and the lovers’ tragic fate. It gives the audience information before the action begins, including the idea that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed” lovers.
The Chorus is a speaker or group of speakers serving a framing function. It does not identify one named character from Verona. This can cause confusion because the play later gives important explanatory speeches to the Prince, Friar Laurence, and the Nurse.
Shakespeare’s use of a prologue follows a convention from classical and early modern drama. Rather than hiding the ending, the opening announces that the lovers will die, making the audience focus on how the known tragedy unfolds.