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ROMEO AND JULIET
ACT 1, SCENE 1

SUMMARY
Sampson and Gregory, two servants of the house of Capulet, stroll through the streets of Verona
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The two exchange
punning remarks about physically conquering Montague men and sexually conquering Montague
women
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Sampson bites his thumb at the
Montagues—a highly insulting gesture
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Benvolio, a kinsman to Montague, enters and draws his sword in an attempt to stop the
confrontation
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Benvolio explains that he is merely trying to keep the peace, but Tybalt professes a hatred for
peace as strong as his hatred for Montagues, and attacks
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A group of citizens
bearing clubs attempts to restore the peace by beating down the combatants
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Prince Escalus
arrives and commands the fighting stop on penalty of torture
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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
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Benvolio describes to Montague how the brawl started
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Benvolio replies that he earlier saw Romeo pacing through a grove of
sycamores outside the city; since Romeo seemed troubled, Benvolio did not speak to him
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They add that they have tried to discover what
troubles him, but have had no success
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The Montagues quickly depart
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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
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Romeo departs, assuring Benvolio
that he cannot teach him to forget his love
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ANALYSIS
In an opening full of rousing action that is sure to capture the audience’s attention (and designed
partly for that purpose), Shakespeare provides all the background information needed to
understand the world of the play
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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
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The opening of Romeo and Juliet is a marvel
of economy, descriptive power, and excitement
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Masculine honor does not function in the play as some sort of stoic
indifference to pain or insult
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This concept of masculine honor exists
through every layer of society in Verona, from the servants on up to the noblemen
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It is significant that the fight between the Montagues and Capulets erupts first among the
servants
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But
do not overlook Shakespeare’s inclusion of servants in the story: the perspectives of servants
in Romeo and Juliet are often used to comment on the actions of their masters, and therefore,
society
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The things servants say often change the way we can
look at the play, showing that while the Montagues and Capulets are gloriously tragic, they are
also supremely privileged and stupid, since only the stupid would bring death upon themselves
when there is no need for it
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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
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The
give-and-take between the demands of the social world and individuals’ private passions is
another powerful theme in the play
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Note how careful Samson is to ask, “Is the
law on our side, if I say ‘Ay,’” before insulting the Montagues (1
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42)
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Finally, this first scene also introduces us to Romeo the lover
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In a play called Romeo and Juliet we would expect the forlorn Romeo to be
lovesick over Juliet
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Who is Rosaline? The question
lingers through the play
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And Friar Lawrence, for one, expresses shock that Romeo’s affections could shift so
quickly from Rosaline to Juliet
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One can argue
that Rosaline exists in the play only to demonstrate Romeo’s passionate nature, his love of love
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1
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It seems that Romeo’s love for chaste Rosaline stems almost
entirely from the reading of bad love poetry
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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, thereby sullying our understanding of Romeo’s
love with Juliet
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