What expectations are created in the first scene of Romeo and Juliet and how does Shakespeare establish these expectations?

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G.C.S.E. English Literature Coursework

Assignment:

What expectations are created in the first scene of Romeo and Juliet and how does Shakespeare establish these expectations?

Romeo and Juliet is a romance/tragedy by William Shakespeare set in the Italian post medieval city of Verona based on two lovers named Romeo (from the house of Montague) and Juliet (from the house of Capulet) who are hampered by their families hate for each other and are forced to death because of their families' conflict. This play brings up key themes hate and love throughout the play.

At the start of the play the two Capulet servants Sampson and Gregory are in conversation and the come across one of the Montague servants, Abram and this causes friction because of the ongoing war between the two families. One of the leading members of The Montague's' enters, Benvolio. Benvolio tries to stop the conflict but one of the leading members of the Capulet family enters, Tybalt, and he destroys all attempts Benvolio might have tried to stop a conflict, and they fight with other members of the house joining in on the fray.

This leads to a entrance from the Prince of Verona, which breaks up the fight and he then gives a speech, indicating that he and the city have had enough of the quarrels between the two families. He warns that if another quarrel was to happen then there will be big trouble.

After the quarrel Benvolio is told to talk to Romeo, who has been hiding himself away because he has been love struck by a women who doesn't love him back. Because Romeo is a very dramatic character he takes love to heart and this is the reason for Romeo hiding himself away.

Benvolio meets up with Romeo and Romeo explains his hardship to him. Benvolio tries to make him forget about the women and move on.

At the start of the play some of the key themes are introduced, hatred and violence. Violence is introduced in the stage directions in that Sampson and Gregory are said to be carrying swords.

'Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, with swords and bucklers.' - opening stage directions

This indicates violence and Shakespeare is setting up an early theme in the play. Comedy is used an initial element of the play in the banter between Gregory and Sampson two of the servants from the Capulet family. Shakespeare uses this comedy element to lead the audience into a false sense of security and to make the change of atmosphere in the play seem more dramatic. Hatred is introduced in the language of the early lines in the start of the play in the conversation between Sampson and Gregory who express their hatred the Montague family.
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'A dog of the house of Montague moves me.' Line 7

The conversation also introduces the house of Montague so now the two main families are established. The conversation builds up in intensity, at the start of the conversation it seems a harmless piece of banter but then true feelings towards the Montagues are expressed by the two servants Sampson and Gregory , mainly Sampson. At the beginning of the conversation Sampson talks about not being afraid of any Montague but towards the end he is talking about raping the women and cutting off their heads, in ...

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