Romeo & Juliet - Act 1 Scene 1
Verona. A public place.
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet,
armed with swords and bucklers
Sampson and Gregory work on a familiar servant dynamic of “the smart one” and “the dumb one;” Sampson continually tries to demonstrate his valour, and Gregory constantly undermines him with wit.
SAMPSON
Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals.
GREGORY
No, for then we should be colliers.
SAMPSON
I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.
GREGORY
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar.
SAMPSON
I strike quickly, being moved.
GREGORY
But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
SAMPSON
A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
GREGORY
To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand:
therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.
SAMPSON
A dog of that house shall move me to stand.
I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's.
The comic banter of Sampson and Gregory already serves to link sex and violence, a theme which recurs throughout the play.
GREGORY
That shows thee a weak slave, for the weakest
goes to the wall.
SAMPSON
‘Tis true, and therefore women, being the weaker
vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will
push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his
maids to the wall.
GREGORY
The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.
SAMPSON
'Tis all one; I will show myself a tyrant: when I
have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the
maids, I will cut off their heads.
GREGORY
The heads of the maids?
SAMPSON
Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads;
take it in what sense thou wilt.
The servants transition from penis/impotence jokes to sword-as-penis jokes, demonstrating that basic humour hasn’t changed that much in 400 years.
GREGORY
They must take it in sense that feel it.
SAMPSON
Me they shall feel while I am able to stand, and
'tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.
GREGORY
'Tis well thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst
been Poor John. Draw thy tool! Here comes two of
the house of the Montagues.
SAMPSON
My naked weapon is out. Quarrel, I will back thee.
GREGORY
How? Turn thy back and run?
SAMPSON
Fear me not.
GREGORY
No, marry, I fear thee!
SAMPSON
Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.
GREGORY
I will frown as I pass by, and let them take it as they list.
SAMPSON
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them,
which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Enter ABRAHAM and [BALTHASAR]
ABRAHAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON
I do bite my thumb, sir.
ABRAHAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
The brave bragging of the servants turns into much more cautious negotiation when there’s a real enemy present, which makes for both humour and believability.
SAMPSON
[Aside to GREGORY] Is the law of our side, if I say ‘Ay’?
GREGORY
No.
SAMPSON
No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I
bite my thumb, sir.
GREGORY
Do you quarrel, sir?
ABRAHAM
Quarrel sir? No, sir.
SAMPSON
If you do, sir, I am for you; I serve as good a man as you.
ABRAHAM
No better.
SAMPSON
Well, sir.
Presumably Gregory sees Tybalt approaching, which is confusing as it is Benvolio who arrives first. This could mean that Tybalt is seen by Samson and Gregory, but is positioned so as to surprise Benvolio.
GREGORY
Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinsmen.
SAMPSON
Yes, better, sir.
ABRAHAM
You lie.
SAMPSON
Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy
swashing blow.
They fight
Enter BENVOLIO
Benvolio immediately establishes himself as a voice of reason and a calming influence, which is appropriate as his name means “well-wisher.”
BENVOLIO
Part, fools!
Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
[Beats down their swords]
Enter TYBALT
TYBALT
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
BENVOLIO
I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword,
Or manage it to part these men with me.
Tybalt, in contrast, immediately establishes himself as hot-headed and bloodthirsty, and as a deadly threat.
TYBALT
What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee, coward!
The citizens of Verona, not just officers of the law, take to the streets with weapons in order to stop the fight. “Clubs, bills, and partisans” are military weapons, indicating that these are men who have been to war some time ago, taking up arms again in defense of civic order.
Capulet's gown is a sign of the early hour, indicating that he's coming straight from bed, not yet dressed but still eager to fight.
The presence of Lady Capulet and Lady Montague establishes the Lords as family men, with domestic concerns, rather than just as leaders. It also undercuts their authority, highlighting the fact that the feud continues without them, and against their will.
[They fight]
[Enter several of both houses, who join the fray; then enter Citizens,
with clubs]
First Citizen
Clubs, bills, and partisans! Strike! Beat them down!
Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!
Enter CAPULET in his gown, and LADY CAPULET
CAPULET
What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!
LADY CAPULET
A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
CAPULET
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,
And flourishes his blade in spite of me.
Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
MONTAGUE
Thou villain Capulet – Hold me not, let me go.
LADY MONTAGUE
Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe.
It takes the Prince a few tries to get the mob to pay attention, which undermines his authority, demonstrating that he’s not fully in control of the situation.
The flow of the Prince’s speech starts out choppy, full of run-on thoughts and mid-line interruptions. After line 81, it becomes much more structured, with pauses/punctuation breaks at the end of each line, which gives the sense of growing order and confidence as he delivers his edict.
Enter PRINCE, with Attendants
PRINCE
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stainèd steel –
Will they not hear? What, ho! You men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground
And hear the sentence of your movèd prince.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets,
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Cankered with peace, to part your cankered hate.
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives seall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away.
You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Freetown, our common judgment-place.
Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.
Exeunt all but MONTAGUE, LADY MONTAGUE, and BENVOLIO
MONTAGUE
Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?
Speak, nephew, were you by when it began?
Benvolio recounts events which the audience has already seen, but with his own spin on the incident, designed to make Tybalt look like the aggressor (and an ineffectual one at that) and to make Benvolio the hero of the story.
BENVOLIO
Here were the servants of your adversary,
And yours, close fighting ere I did approach;
I drew to part them; in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepared,
Which, as he breathed defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head and cut the winds,
Who, nothing hurt withal hissed him in scorn.
While we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came more and more and fought on part and part,
Till the Prince came, who parted either part.
This mini-scene introduces Romeo, setting up the mystery of his melancholy behaviour, and places Benvolio in the awkward situation of trying to help his cousin while also reporting back to his parents.
LADY MONTAGUE
O, where is Romeo? Saw you him today?
Right glad I am he was not at this fray.
BENVOLIO
Madam, an hour before the worshipped sun
Peered forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drove me to walk abroad;
Where, underneath the grove of sycamore
That westward rooteth from the city's side,
So early walking did I see your son.
Towards him I made, but he was ware of me
And stole into the covert of the wood.
I, measuring his affections by my own,
That most are busied when they're most alone,
Pursued my humour, not pursuing his,
And gladly shunned who gladly fled from me.
MONTAGUE
Many a morning hath he there been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew,
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs;
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the farthest East begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora’s bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son
And private in his chamber pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out
And makes himself an artificial night:
Black and portentous must this humour prove
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
BENVOLIO
My noble uncle, do you know the cause?
MONTAGUE
I neither know it nor can learn of him.
BENVOLIO
Have you importuned him by any means?
MONTAGUE
Both by myself and many other friends;
But he, his own affections' counsellor,
Is to himself – I will not say how true –
But to himself so secret and so close,
So far from sounding and discovery,
As is the bud bit with an envious worm
Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air
Or dedicate his beauty to the sun.
Could we but learn from whence his sorrows grow,
We would as willingly give cure as know.
We first meet Romeo, and he has a long entrance while other characters talk, giving him time to establish a mood and physicality, presumably moping and melancholy.
Enter ROMEO
BENVOLIO
See where he comes. So please you, step aside;
I'll know his grievance, or be much denied.
MONTAGUE
I would thou wert so happy by thy stay
To hear true shrift. Come, madam, let's away.
Exeunt MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
BENVOLIO
Good morrow, cousin.
ROMEO
Is the day so young?
BENVOLIO
But new struck nine.
ROMEO
Ay me! Sad hours seem long.
Was that my father that went hence so fast?
BENVOLIO
It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?
ROMEO
Not having that which, having, makes them short.
Benvolio seems to identify Romeo’s problem quite quickly, raising the question of just how much he’s aware of Romeo’s predicament.
BENVOLIO
In love?
ROMEO
Out—
Whether or not Romeo is aware of his friend’s task, he doesn’t make it easy for Benvolio to get a straight answer.
BENVOLIO
Of love?
ROMEO
Out of her favour where I am in love.
BENVOLIO
Alas, that Love, so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
Romeo’s rambling speech is full of ambiguities (what does “this” refer to in each instance?) but serves to highlight the link between love and violence.
ROMEO
Alas, that Love, whose view is muffled still,
Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
Where shall we dine? – O me! What fray was here?
Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
Here's much to do with hate, but more with love.
Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,
O anything of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness, serious vanity,
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms,
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,
Still-waking sleep that is not what it is!
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?
BENVOLIO
No, coz, I rather weep.
ROMEO
Good heart, at what?
BENVOLIO
At thy good heart's oppression.
Romeo attempts several times to end the conversation, change the subject, or leave, allowing Benvolio to demonstrate his determination to get to the heart of the matter.
ROMEO
Why, such is love's transgression.
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast,
Which thou wilt propagate, to have it pressed
With more of thine; this love that thou hast shown
Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs,
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes,
Being vexed a sea nourished with lovers' tears;
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
Farewell, my coz.
BENVOLIO
Soft! I will go along;
An if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
ROMEO
Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here;
This is not Romeo, he's some other where.
Romeo launches into the word-play which he uses often among his friends, suggesting that he’s enjoying his friend’s company, even if he doesn’t want to talk about the situation.
BENVOLIO
Tell me in sadness, who is that you love?
ROMEO
What, shall I groan and tell thee?
BENVOLIO
Groan? Why, no.
But sadly tell me who.
ROMEO
Bid a sick man in sadness make his will:
Ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill!
In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.
BENVOLIO
I aimed so near when I supposed you loved.
ROMEO
A right good markman! And she's fair I love.
Romeo’s predicament is a convention of sonnet-poetry: a man hopelessly in love with an unattainable beauty. Shakespeare borrows this familiar high-art structure, then proceeds to turn it inside-out later in the play.
BENVOLIO
A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.
ROMEO
Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit
With Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian’s wit;
And, in strong proof of chastity well armed,
From love's weak childish bow she lives unharmed.
She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,
Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold.
O, she is rich in beauty, only poor,
That when she dies, with beauty dies her store.
BENVOLIO
Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?
ROMEO
She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste;
For beauty starved with her severity
Cuts beauty off from all posterity.
She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair,
To merit bliss by making me despair.
She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow
Do I live dead that live to tell it now.
BENVOLIO
Be ruled by me: forget to think of her.
ROMEO
O, teach me how I should forget to think!
BENVOLIO
By giving liberty unto thine eyes:
Examine other beauties.
It may have been a practice in Italy for women to wear black masks in public on occasion. Romeo argues that these masks emphasize, rather than hide, the beauty beneath.
ROMEO
'Tis the way
To call hers, exquisite, in question more:
These happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows,
Being black, put us in mind they hide the fair;
He that is strucken blind cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost;
Show me a mistress that is passing fair,
What doth her beauty serve but as a note
Where I may read who passed that passing fair?
Farewell; thou canst not teach me to forget.
BENVOLIO
I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.
Exeunt