Romeo and Juliet: Act one, Scene one
Important Quotations
Puns - The humorous use of words which have more than one meaning
"swords and bucklers"
Foreshadows conflict in the play
First scene features a sword fight between the Capulet's and the Montague's
Dramatic and shows strength of the violent conflict between the two families
"collar" = hangman's noose
"Choler" = anger
"collier" = coal miner
Prince eventually breaks up the fight and threatens to execute the next person to cause trouble
Introduces threat of violence
Tybalt - always wants to fight
Sampson and Gregory
"Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads" - Sampson
Saying they will either take the heads of the women or their virginity, links to role of women in society
" 'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh" - Sampson
Highlights patriarchal society
Elizabethan audience would enjoy the innuendos and word play
Theme of conflict
Using it in the first scene makes audience aware it will happen frequently
"I do bite my thumb, sir" - Sampson
Contrast between politeness and the rude action
Benvolio
Originates from the Latin word for 'good'
Romeo's cousin
"Part, fools" - Breaks up the fight
"You know no what you do"
Similar to what Jesus said when being crucified
Deliberate links to religion and connotations of Jesus
Antagonist of the play
Opposition to Romeo (the protagonist)
Juliet's cousin
Referred to as "Prince of cats" due to folk tale
"Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death" - Tyablt
Shows agression
"I do but keep the peace"
"What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee" - Tybalt
Hates the word peace as much as hell, Montagues and Benvolio. Suggests contempt of Montagues is similar to hell
Tybalt and Benvolio then fight
Several of both houses and citizens enter the fight and join in
"Civil blood"
"Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!"
Immature and childish characters
Decide to provoke the two servants from the Montague family (Abram and Balthazar)
Calls the families "enemies to peace"
Romeo
He is lovesick
In love with a girl named Rosaline who does not love him back (Petrarchan lover)
Benvolio consoles Romeo
Loving and romantic character
This changes in Act 3, when Mercutio is killed
The two families are animalistic towards each other and Shakespeare portrays conflict so early on to show how much the families hat each other
"If ever you disturb our streets again, / Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace." - The Prince
Talks in oxymorons, e.g. "bright smoke"
"O Loving Hate" - Romeo
"O brawling love" - Romeo
Shows his love is difficult and hateful because Rosaline does not love him back
Oxymorons show confusion - he doesn't know why she does not love him