Romeo and Juliet: Act One Scene One. Despite all the violence that eventually follows, Act One Scene One for the most part borders on comical. Sampson and Gregory exchange sex jokes linked to the conflict

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Romeo and Juliet is certainly a tragedy, where family conflict leads to death – the prologue tells us ‘two star crossed lovers take their life’ and, because of this, ‘bury their parents strife’. So the audience know what will happen in Romeo and Juliet as a result of this: two lovers will commit suicide because of an ongoing conflict. It is in Act One Scene One, however, that we actually get to see this conflict dramatised for the first time.

The scene picks up the theme of violence straight away from the stage directions – the two Capulet servants Sampson and Gregory enter ‘armed’. This shows that they are ready for fighting and also symbolises their willingness to do so. The audience also recognise that they are ready to protect themselves should the need arise – and indeed, later on in this scene it does, however they bring it on themselves. Another point made in the stage directions is the setting: ‘Verona, a street’. Being told that the setting is a normal street shows that the conflict has spread among the civilians. This is also shown when they join in the brawl later on in the scene, once again shown by stage directions, ‘CITIZENS enter, armed’. However, in contrast to the servants, they don’t seem to support either side, – ‘Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!’ – indeed, this suggests they are actually sick of the drama this conflict brings and how it seems to involve them.

Despite all the violence that eventually follows, Act One Scene One for the most part borders on comical. Sampson and Gregory exchange sex jokes linked to the conflict. Their words are confrontational, however bawdiness runs through them, for example ‘Therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall’. Gregory was originally talking about the weakest person (I.E the weakest fighter) being overpowered; ‘the weakest goes to the wall’. Sampson has run with this and turned it into a sex joke. This implies that the conflict has almost turned into a sex joke, and that there is a thin line between violence and sex.

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One important theme running not just through Act One Scene One is masculine honour. In Verona, a man must a man must defend his honour whenever it is insulted, whether verbally or physically. Their houses’ honour is something that all the men, whatever their class or social standing, feel they have to uphold, so this concept animates Sampson and Gregory (servants) as much as it does Capulet (a nobleman). This concept is also proven by the two Ladies having to prevent their husbands from fighting. ‘Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe!’ During the play the audience ...

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