Phoebe's passage

Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.From forth the fatal loins of these two foesA pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;Whose misadventured piteous overthrowsDo 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;The which if you with patient ears attend,What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend

The prologue begins by introducing the two feuding families, calling them “alike in dignity” as both are wealthy families living in Verona. The next line “from ancient grudge break to new mutiny” is referring to the families ancient hate for each other and how this is how it was re-kindled again through the love of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” is hinting that a fight will begin in this story as the smoldering hate is brought back to a roaring, flaming despise for each other's family. The next line tells how from both families comes a child. From the Montagues, a boy is born. From the Capulets, a girl, and they are destined to be lovers. Their love defies the family’s hatred for each other and only adds to the fire. Their death will cause the two families extreme heartache and they then re-evaluate their feud. The last few lines are saying, listen closely to the rage and how only two star-crossed lovers can mend it.