Shakespeare opens the play with a disagreement between the Montague servants and the Capulet servants, which starts off with a relatively minor insult where Sampson, a Montague, bites has thumb at the Capulet servants, which in those times was a ‘disgrace to them if they bear it’. It then went on to develop into a fight. Starting the play in such a profound way would have shown the audience the degree of rivalry between the two gangs.
The first mention of Romeo in the play is when Benvolio is telling of the riot to Lady Montague and how has been avoiding him, then Lord Montague speaks of how Romeo prefers night to day.
‘…shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out, And makes himself an artificial night: Black and portentous must his humour prove…’
This suggests that Romeo is suffering from some form of depression. We then meet Romeo, he is talking about how much he loves Rosaline, and how his love is not returned. This shows the audience a huge part of Romeo’s personality, how he could be so madly in love with a woman without any hope of that love being returned shows he falls in love very easily.
When we first meet Juliet, she is a mere child and her mother talks to her about marriage, Juliet is still ver4y young and is not particulally interested.
“I’ll look to like, if looking liking move; But no more deep will I endart mine eye than your consent gives strength to make it fly.”
This quote illustrates Juliet’s respect for her parents wishes and her obedience and dependance of them at this stage in the play. Little did her parents know just how waywardly Juliet would become.
