ROMEO AND JULIET
Act 1 Scene 1
Act 1 Scene 1
This play begins with a sonnet, a form of
prose usually reserved for a lover addressing
his beloved.
The sonnet is a very structured form of prose,
lending itself to order.
Shakespeare cleverly contrasts this orderly
sonnet with the immediate disorder of the
first scene. Thus, the scene quickly
degenerates into a bunch of quarreling
servants who soon provoke a fight between
the houses of Montague and Capulet.
Act 1 Scene 1
The opening stage direction reads,
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the
house of Capulet, armed with swords and
bucklers (1.1.1,s.d.).
As viewers of the play today, we don't know
that Sampson and Gregory are of the house of
Capulet, but their clothes tell us they are
servants of some great man. To make a big
impression, rich men dressed their servants in
uniforms, called "liveries."
Act 1 Scene 1
A FIGHT WAS STARTED…
•By two servants from the house of
Capulet
•Gregory sees two Montague servants
approaching, and discusses with
Sampson the best way to provoke them
into a fight without breaking the law.
•Sampson says, “ I will bite my thumb at
them, which is a disgrace to them if they
bear it.”
•Sampson bites his thumb at the
Montagues—a highly insulting gesture.
Act 1 Scene 1
• The Montague servant,
Abraham, took the bait.
• The Capulet servants goaded
him when they realised they had
support as Tybalt was
approaching.
• Gregory says aside to Sampson,“
Say ‘better’; here comes one of
my master’s kinsmen”
Act 1 Scene 1
With bawdy banter, Sampson vents his
hatred of the house of Montague. The
two exchange punning remarks about
physically conquering Montague men
and sexually conquering Montague
women.
This scene is wrought with sexual
overtones, with the various servants
speaking of raping the enemy's women.
The sexual wordplay will continue
throughout the play, becoming
extremely bawdy and at times offensive,
yet also underlying the love affair
Act 1 Scene 1
It won't be long before these two will find the trouble
they are looking for, but in the meantime we will see
that Shakespeare doesn't glamorize violence.
Sampson is a boasting fool, and Gregory is more
interested in wordplay than swordplay. Any feud in
which these two are involved can only be silly and
stupid.
In the opening moments of the scene, Sampson talks
tough, and Gregory makes jokes at his expense. In
less than three minutes of stage time Tybalt will be
trying to kill Benvolio.
Act 1 Scene 1
Act 1 Scene 1
ENTERS BENVOLIO AND TYBALT…
• Benvolio tries to stop the fight
• Part fools.
Put up your sword, you know not
what you do.
• Tybalt enters the scene and instead
of putting a halt to the fight,
encourages it.
• They fight.
Act 1 Scene 1
Act 1 Scene 1
THE FIGHT ESCALATES…
 The fight between the two houses
spills into the streets and the
authorities try to stop it.
 Old Capulet enters and demands
for his sword.
 His wife scorns him by saying he
needs a crutch instead.
Act 1 Scene 1
THE FIGHT ESCALATES…
 Old Montague arrives and is eager
to also fight with his enemy, Capulet.
 Lady Montague stops him from
seeking his enemy.
What can you say about Lord and
Lady Capulet with Lord and Lady
Montague and their response to the
fight?
Act 1 Scene 1
THE PRINCE OF VERONA ARRIVES…
 Prince Escalus is VERY unhappy about
the unrest.
And hear the sentence of your moved
Prince
The two houses have fought three times
and have caused much unrest in the city.
Three civil brawls bred of an airy word,
By thee old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our
streets
Act 1 Scene 1
Act 1 Scene 1
• The Prince declares the
violence between the two
families has gone on for too
long, and proclaims a death
sentence upon anyone who
disturbs the civil peace again.
• If ever you disturb our streets
again, Your lives shall pay the
forfeit of the peace
Act 1 Scene 1
The disorder within the play is evidenced by
inverted circumstances. Servants start the
quarrel, but soon draw the noblemen into
the brawl. The young men enter the fight,
but soon the old men try to deny their age
and fight as well.
The fact that this whole scene takes place in
broad daylight undermines the security that
is supposed to exist during the day. Thus the
play deals with conflicting images: servants
leading noblemen, old age pretending to be
young, day overtaking night.
Act 1 Scene 1
After the Prince and everyone else leave,
Old Montague asks Benvolio about who
started the fight
 Lady Montague asks about Romeo
 Then Romeo arrives.
 He seems moody for when greeted by
Benvolio, he laments that the hours pass so
slowly.
Ay me, sad hours seem long.
Act 1 Scene 1
 Benvolio shows his concern, “What sadness
lengthens Romeo’s hours?”
 With a touch of sadness, Romeo tells
Benvolio that he is in love with Rosaline, but
that she does not return his feelings and has in
fact sworn to live a life of chastity.
Out of her favour where I am in love
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Romeo seems to be a rather emotional
person.
Act 1 Scene 1
 Benvolio counsels Romeo to forget her by
gazing on other beauties, but Romeo contends
that the woman he loves is the most beautiful of
all. Romeo departs, assuring Benvolio that he
cannot teach him to forget his love. Benvolio
resolves to do just that.
•BENVOLIO: Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
•ROMEO: O, teach me how I should forget to think.
•BENVOLIO: By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
•
Examine other beauties.
•ROMEO: .. Farewell: thou canst not teach me to
forget.
•BENVOLIO: I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in
debt.
Act 1 Scene 1
 Benvolio counsels Romeo to forget her by
gazing on other beauties, but Romeo contends
that the woman he loves is the most beautiful of
all. Romeo departs, assuring Benvolio that he
cannot teach him to forget his love. Benvolio
resolves to do just that.
•BENVOLIO: Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
•ROMEO: O, teach me how I should forget to think.
•BENVOLIO: By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
•
Examine other beauties.
•ROMEO: .. Farewell: thou canst not teach me to
forget.
•BENVOLIO: I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in
debt.
Analysis of Act 1 Scene 1
In Act 1 Sc 1, Shakespeare provides all the background
information needed to understand the world of the R&J.
In the brawl, he portrays all of the layers of Veronese
society, from those lowest in power, the servants, to the
Prince who occupies the political and social pinnacle.
 He further provides excellent characterization of
Benvolio as thoughtful and fearful of the law, Tybalt as a
hothead, and Romeo as distracted and lovelorn, while
showing the deep and long-standing hatred between
the Montagues and Capulets.

At the same time, Shakespeare establishes some of the
major themes of the play. The opening of Romeo and
Juliet is a marvel of economy, descriptive power, and
excitement.

Analysis of Act 1 Scene 1
In the figures of the civil watch and the Prince, the
brawl introduces the audience to a different aspect of
the social world of Verona that exists beyond the
Montagues and Capulets. For example, the servants try
to attain their desire while remaining on the right side of
the law. Note how careful Samson is to ask, “Is the law
on our side, if I say ‘Ay,’” before insulting the Montagues
(1.1.42).

After the Prince institutes the death penalty for any who
disturb the peace again, the stakes for letting private
passions overwhelm public sobriety are raised to a new
level.

Analysis of Act 1 Scene 1
Finally, this first scene also introduces us to
Romeo the lover. However, instead of being
in love with Juliet, Romeo is nursing a crush
on Rosaline. Who is Rosaline? The question
lingers through the play. She never appears
onstage, but everyone believes he is in love
with Rosaline for the entirety of the play
even after he has secretly wedded Juliet.

Analysis of Act 1 Scene 1
In this way, Rosaline haunts Romeo and
Juliet. One can argue that Rosaline exists in
the play only to demonstrate Romeo’s
passionate nature, his love of love, eg, in
the clichés he spouts about his love for
Rosaline: “Feather of lead, bright smoke,
cold fire, sick health” (1.1.173), it seems that
Romeo’s love for chaste Rosaline stems
almost entirely from the reading of bad love
poetry. Romeo’s love for Rosaline, then,
seems an immature love, more a statement
that he is ready to be in love than actual

Analysis of Act 1 Scene 1
An alternative argument holds that
Romeo’s love for Rosaline shows him to be
desirous of love with anyone who is
beautiful and willing to share his feelings.

Over the course of the play, the purity and
power of Romeo’s love for Juliet seems to
outweigh any concerns about the origin of
that love, and therefore any concerns
about Rosaline, but the question of
Rosaline’s role in the play does offer an
important point for consideration.
