Two serving men of the house of Montague arrive. The two Capulets want to gesture offensively at them. Sampson bites his thumb at them which has the same meaning as sticking your middle finger up at someone. Abram, a Montague reacts to this and they start quarrelling, they then begin to fight. Benvolio, kinsmen of Montague enters and stops them fighting, Benvolio is more of a peace maker and only fights if necessary.
Then Tybalt enters Capulet kinsmen, ‘what art thou drawn among these heartless hinds, turn the, Benvolio, look upon thy death. He is asking for a fight, this shows that Tybalt is a very violent character and is always up for a fight. Benvolio asks him to help stop the servants fighting. Tybalt says how he hates peace and all Montagues. Benvolio and Tybalt then fight. Officers and Lord and Lady Capulet arrive, Lord Capulet is the head of the Capulets and feels he has a responsibility to join in. He says, ‘Give me my long sword, ho’. Lady Capulet prevents him. Today’s citizens would relate to Lord Capulets behaviour in wanting to join in because it is his family and he wants to help them.
The prince of Verona enters, Prince Escales, he makes the laws and he is not happy with the brawls, ‘By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets’. He is saying that he and his people are sick of it. ‘If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the for fit of the peace’, meaning they will execute whoever does this again. This line sets the tone of the play, to give you a rough outline of what might happen and draws you in to investigate more.
Act 3 scene 5 is in Juliet’s bedroom with Romeo and Juliet. It is the morning after their fist night together. I assume they were both virgins before that night, this could explain the lust from Juliet for Romeo to stay. Also Romeo has been exiled to Mantua after killing Tybalt Capulet and this could be the last time they see each other for a while or even ever. ‘wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day. It is the Nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear’. The Lark is a bird of the day and nightingale of the night, Juliet is saying that she can hear the nightingale not the Lark. She wants Romeo to stay so much that says how she hates the Lark’s sing and it is what is parting them, 'it is the Lark that sings so out of tune, straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharpes. Some say that the lark makes sweet division: This doth not so, for she divideth us’. All of this tender and soft talk is a big contrast to her farth who is very violent which he proves later on in the scene.
After Romeo finally leaves, Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother enters. They talk about Tybalts death who was Juliet’s cousin. They grieve Tybalt and speak ill of Romeo who murdered him. ‘Indeed, I never shall be satisfied with Romeo till I behold him; dead is my poor heart’. Juliet is saying to her mother that she wants Romeo dead however it is laid out as her poor heart is dead until she beholds Romeo. This makes it clear to the audience of her love for Romeo but showing hatred to her mum. Lady Capulet tells Juliet of what she thinks is good news. ‘Marry my child next Thursday morn’, Juliet is devastated, she reacts very badly to this, ‘Now, by ST Peters church and Peter too, he shall not make me there a joyful bride’. Her mother is cruel to her, she tells Juliet’s father, ‘I would the fool be married to her grave’. This means that her mother would rather Juliet dead than alive and refuse to marry Paris, which would be a disgrace to her family. A very harsh and upsetting thing to say to her daughter. Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father acts very violent towards Juliet, some physical and some verbal. ‘Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch!’ he also threatens her, ‘or never after look me in the face. Speak not, reply not, do not answer me’. This scene has a lot of violence and conflict within it. The violence shown in this scene is domestic violence which can be related to by everyone.
At the time of the play, in the sixteenth century women were expected to obey their parent’s wishes and marry young. A women’s role was to marry and bring up the children and it was frowned upon to object to their parent’s wishes. Juliet wants to be with Romeo and not Paris however to prevent disgracing the Capulet’s name and to stay with her family she would have to marry Paris. This scene is very violent and conflicting, Lord Capulet is a very powerful man who has a short temper, and that is compared to Juliet’s tender and loving personality. The main point that Shakespeare is showing is that the worst conflict and violence is domestic. He shows how love leads to conflict and conflict leads to violence.
It’s conclusive that that violence and conflict plays a major role in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The prologue at the start shows the tragic outcome of this story and explains the feud and how it causes violence, conflict and death. Act 1 scene 1 shows the extent of the feud with verbal and physical violence when interacting with each other, also it sets the tone of the play and act 3 scene 5 shows how it leads to domestic violence and splitting up the family.
