the.com/prologue
the bouncer at the door who whispers what you're about to walk into
means The opening section of a literary or dramatic work that sets the scene or introduces themes before the main story begins.
from From Greek 'prologos,' a tidy compound of 'pro-' (before) and 'logos' (word, speech) — literally 'a speaking-before.' It entered the theatrical vocabulary of ancient Greek drama, where a single figure would step out to address the audience and lay the groundwork, then traveled through Latin 'prologus' and Old French 'prologue' into English.
- greek roots
- from prologos, meaning before-word
- chorus origin
- ancient Greek plays opened with a spoken setup
- henry v
- Shakespeare's Chorus begs you to imagine the war
- often skipped
- readers infamously jump straight to chapter one
- vs preface
- prologue is fiction, preface is the author talking
for instance
prologue to frankenstein — mary shelley's 1818 framing device with letters from robert walton to his sister before the main novel begins