Word: prologue (noun)

Associations

A prologue is an introduction at the beginning of a book, play, or other written work. It gives background information or sets the scene for the story that follows.

• In a novel, the prologue might explain events that happened before the main story starts.
• In a play, the prologue can be a short speech or scene that introduces the story or theme.
• In movies, sometimes there is a prologue scene that shows what happened before the main plot.

A synonym is "introduction," but a prologue is usually more specific to stories, plays, or books and often gives important background, while an introduction can be more general or formal.

Substitution

Instead of "prologue," you could say:

• introduction (more general, less about story background)
• preface (often used in non-fiction books, about the book itself)
• foreword (usually written by someone other than the author)

Using "introduction" instead of "prologue" might make it less literary or less connected to the story.

Deconstruction

The word "prologue" comes from Greek:

• "pro-" means "before"
• "-logue" comes from "logos" meaning "speech" or "word" So, "prologue" literally means "speech before" or "words before" the main story.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a book or movie you know that has a prologue? What did it tell you?
• Why do you think authors use a prologue instead of starting the story right away?
• How would a story feel different if it had no prologue?