Scene i: In a public place of Verona, we first see two servants of the Capulet family armed with swords, ready to fight with any "dog of the house of Montague." They express the enmity toward Montague in vulgar terms tinged with sexual innuendoes. Just then, two servants of the Montague household enter and the two sides begin to fight. The fight ends temporarily when Benvolio, a Montague and a cousin to Romeo, appears and beats down their swords. Immediately after this, however, a noble member of the Capulet family, Tybalt, bursts in, and begins to fight with Benvolio. The fracas attracts others, including Old Capulet and his wife, Old Montague and his wife, and the Prince of Verona, named Escalus. The Prince commands these rebellious subjects to stop breaking the civil peace, complaining that these street battles have erupted on several occasions, and threatening lives of the combatants. Old Montague asks Benvolio about the cause of the argument at hand, but Lady Montague's concern is with their son, Romeo. She is glad that Romeo was not involved in the fight, but she then says that her son has been in a melancholy and depressed state of mind. Romeo enters, appearing down-cast and distracted, but he nevertheless speaks in highly affected, figurative language about the brawl, using oxymorons like "loving hate," "heavy lightness," and "serious vanity." Romeo explains to Benvolio that he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline (who never appears as a character in the play) who is sworn to chastity. Benvolio says that Romeo should "forget to think of her," and his friend/cousin replies that he will stop thinking about Rosaline if Benvolio can show him "a mistress that is passing fair" (l.234).
Scene ii: The scene shifts to another street in Verona, where a young noble, County Paris, first speaks with Old Capulet about the Duke's threatened punishment and then states his desire to marry Capulet's daughter, Juliet. The head of the Capulet clan initially objects to this proposal, saying that Juliet is too young (not yet fourteen years old), but he then says that he will consent to the marriage if Paris can win his daughter's love. The aged patriarch instructs a servant to deliver invitations to a banquet that he is planning, and leaves the stage in the company of Paris. Left alone, the servant says that he has a dilemma: he is illiterate and cannot read the list of guests. Just then, Romeo and Benvolio pass by, and Romeo agrees to read the list. After he finds the name of Rosaline among the invited guests. Romeo plans to attend the banquet and Benvolio says that he will show Romeo some other maid at the feast.
Scene iii: At the house of the Capulets, Juliet's garrulous Nurse fondly recalls her mistress's childhood to Juliet's mother, Lady Capulet. When Juliet arrives, Lady Capulet sounds her daughter out about her willingness to marry, and Juliet says that she has not considered it. Her mother says "Well, think of marriage now," noting that many Veronese girls who are younger than Juliet are already wives. Lady Capulet tells her daughter that Paris will be at the banquet that night and directs her to "Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face."
