The first scene of Romeo and Juliet

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Name:   Christin C

Class:    11M
Subject: English Literature

Date:     11th March 2002

English Literature Coursework – 4th Draft

The first scene, apart from gripping our attention, introduces us to the main themes and gives us an insight into major characters. Discuss.

        The first scene draws the audience in as it started with conversation between Sampson and Gregory, who were servants of the Capulets. This was soon interrupted by a brief skirmish between the Montagues and them. This is a frequent occasion between the two major families, as Prince Escalus mentioned, “By thee, old Capulet and Montague, have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets”.  This denotes that it is not the first time this conflict devastated the city, but the third.

Also, Gregory emphasises the magnitude of the disagreements by saying that “the quarrel is between our masters and us their men”. Both the Montagues and the Capulets seem to despise each other a lot, hinting that there will be further disagreements later in the play. For example, Sampson pointed out that he wishes to “show myself a tyrant. When I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids – I will cut off their heads.” This also shows the form of conversation they have as entertainment, which consists of boasting about themselves and their fighting abilities. Moreover, they demonstrate their vulgar humour regarding

        Soon, the audience is captivated by the brief skirmish between the two parties. Sampson and Gregory decided to aggravate the servants of the Capulets by “biting their thumb”, which was a rude gesture in Shakespearean times. They soon broke out into a fight, but Benvolio tried to keep the peace. However, Tybalt appeared and intensified the brawl. The whole city then joins in, creating quite a riot in the usually orderly city of Verona.

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Apart from the action, there is a liberal use of wordplay throughout the plot. Sampson and Gregory started the scene by mentioning the words “colliers, choler and collar”, which sounds almost the same, allowing for humorous puns to be made. This insertion of comedy into such a tragic play is a common manoeuvre made by Shakespeare, as he seeks to entertain the audience as well as reveal an intricate plot.

        Most of the main characters are introduced in this first scene, such as Benvolio, Romeo, Lord and Lady Montague and Capulet, Tybalt, Escalus, and each family’s respective servants. Therefore, ...

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