PROLOGUE, in dramatic poetry, (1) in the Greek drama, that part of a tragedy preced ing the first appearance of the chorus. (2) In the Roman and English drama, an address to the audience preceding the piece itself. It may be either in prose or verse, and is usually pro nounced by one person. Among the Romans the player who delivered this address was called the pro/ogus, and usually considered as a per son of the drama. Thus in the 'Amphitryon' of Plautus (q.v.) Mercury appears as prologs:. Prologues sometimes relate to the drama itself, and serve to explain to the audience some cir cumstances of the action, sometimes to the situation in which the author or actor stands to the public, and sometimes have no immediate connection with either of these persons or sub jects. Shakespeare makes use of the prologue, as in 'Henry V' and the Restoration drama almost invariably employed it. Amongst other
famous dramatists who have used the prolore may be mentioned Goethe, Schiller, Moliere, Racine, Ben Jonson and Dryden. It long since tell into disuse, but is occasionally revived for the effect of quaintness. Consult Archer, W.. (Play Making' (London 1912) ; B. G. S., 'A Study of the Prologue and Epilogue in English Literature from Shakespeare to Dryden) (Lost don 1884); Dryden, J., 'Dramatic (in (Essays,) Vol. I, Oxford 1900); Freytag. 'Technique of the Drama' (Chicago 1908); Griffith, A. F., ed., 'A Collection and Selection of English Prologues and Epilogues from Shakespeare to Barnck' (4 vols., London 1779); Matthews, Brander, 'A Study of the Drama.' (New York 1910) ; Schlag, H., 'Das Drama' (Essen 1909) ; Schlegel, A. W. von, 'A Course of Lectures on Dramatic Art and (2 vols., London 1846).