Question

What are the purposes of a prologue in a play?
to provide information about the inner thoughts and feelings of a character
to set the mood and tone of the play and provide background information
to provide information about how the stage should be set and what props are needed
to give some insight into the relationships among different characters
to provide a hint to the audience about what will happen later in the play

Answer 1

To set the mood and tone of the play and provide background information

Answer 2

The correct answer is: To set the mood and tone of the play and provide background information.

"Prologue" comes from the Greek term prologos, that means "before words", that gives us an inicial clue. In the prologue the author gives us information to better undestand the play, to know when and why things will happen. In other words, "they set the mood and tone". Prologues especifically explain or set the stage for what happens next, this information is important to differentiate it from regular openings, In some movies the prologue can be identified easily as it apears like an explanatory text before the movie, for example post apocalyptic movies: "In the year 2300 Earth is devastated and the only humas alive live underground..."