There is a small fight between the families but that soon escalates into a civil brawl in which many people get involved. The fact that everyone on the steer is equipped to fight (they are all carrying swords while progressing through their day to day activities) shows that Verona is a dangerous place. This is done to excite and captivate the audiences’ attention. At this time, there are two important characters who are introduced; Tybalt and Benvolio. Benvolio enters by saying: “Put up your swords, you know not what you do.” This says something about Benvolio’s character as he was the only one trying to stop the “fray” and shows that he is a caring person and that he commands respect from everyone, whether they are from his house or not. Benvolio’s character, more or less stays the same through out the play. Tybalt is a very different character, and in the play, is portrayed as a very fearless and brave, almost heroic character but is also quite offensive and quick to anger.
The prince soon steps into the brawl and the people watching the play can see his authority and how he represents justice through the language and imagery of his speech. He calls the families “beasts” and threatens death for anyone who starts another fight. “If you ever disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.” He asserts his authority but ultimately, resorts to violence and therefore brings himself down to the level of the average man.
The play suddenly changes its’ direction from violence to love. This is done so the play could also appeal to the higher, more sophisticated class. The opening of the play begins with violence to captivate the audiences’ attention. Romeo is introduced to us as a confused man who is in love with a woman named “Rosaline.” He gives a speech in which he describes his problems to Benvolio which are as if his life has been tipped upside down and that his life has little purpose now. “Tut, I have lost myself, I am not here, this is not Romeo, he’s some other where.” The way in which Shakespeare uses such extraordinary words, is quite fashionable at times, like: “loving hate”, “heavy lightness”, “cold fire”, “sick health.”
There are two points which can be mentioned here. Firstly, the introduction of Benvolio’s idea, that Romeo could go out in search of other women. This opens up a new horizon for Romeo because he never really looked at another women other than “Rosaline.” At the moment, he finds it very hard to forget about Rosaline but by Scene 5, he falls in love with Juliet. This brings up the next point; is Romeo really in love? Shortly into the first scene, Romeo is unwilling to consider loving anyone else but by the fifth scene, he has fallen in love with another woman, entirely. It seems that this is infatuation on Romeo’s part, believing that he is in love with Rosaline when he has not even looked at another woman. On the other hand, it could be a mystery of love, a theme that weighs heavily through out this tragedy.
In Scene 5, Romeo and Juliet come across each other and Romeo pretty much falls in love with her, instantly and the question “can love do this to a person” has to be asked. Tybalt sees Romeo at the feast and is immediately upset and angry and even tells his servant to fetch his sword. Once again, there is a very clear feeling of hatred between the Montagues and Tybalt, and according to Tybalt, he would not consider killing Romeo, a sin. “To strike him dead I hold not a sin.”
Once again, love and violence are juxtaposed, as they are through out the play. Violence is also a very heavy theme in Romeo and Juliet, which was confirmed in the opening act of the play, and there is not only one type of violence. Domestic violence occurs in ‘Act 3 Scene 5’ when Capulet physically abuses Juliet and in ‘Act 3 Scene 1’, Mercutio is murdered as a result of the love between Romeo and Juliet. The biggest juxtaposition of the play occurs in ‘Act 5 Scene 3’ when Romeo and Juliet commit suicide as they can not live with out the love of each other.
I think Shakespeare juxtaposes love and violence brilliantly as it not only keeps the audience captivated but also tends and appeals to the more civilized and sophisticated audience. It also shows the personalities of many characters in the play, especially Romeo, showing that he is someone with a very high sense of emotion. It might not be that he is falling in love, rather, just infatuated with the women he sees. ‘Act 1 Scene 1’ shows this and the personalities of many other characters as well, setting out the basic structure of the play (the juxtaposition of love and violence).
In my opinions, Romeo and Juliet was quiet unlike any tragedy of its’ time, It was so revolutionary because the play progressed much more by coincidence, bad timing and just categorized bad luck, rather than the characters failing because of their own flaws and going down a path that would inevitably lead to catastrophe.
