Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Prologue. The opening lines of Shakespeare’s tragic love story introduces us to the ancient feud between two great houses in Verona, the Capulets and Montagues. There is irony in the repeated use of the word "civil" in the Chorus’s introductory words. While Verona’s citizens ought to be civil, we learn that their hands are metaphorically stained ("unclean") with the blood of the victims of their civil war. There is also irony in the description of the warring families being "alike in dignity," since we later learn that they are alike in their undignified behavior.
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Prologue. There is a great deal of foreshadowing in opening Prologue to history’s greatest love story. We learn from the Chorus that the young lovers are fated to bring their feuding families together by the tragic taking of their own lives. This passage speaks to the intensity of the teenage couple’s love. "Star-cross’d" is a metaphor for the higher power of fate that controls human destiny. Shakespeare creates dramatic irony here by telling the audience what will happen to the characters before they know it themselves.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Prologue. Romeo and Juliet’s love is fated to end in death from the very beginning, the Chorus tells us. This is an example of dramatic irony, since the audience knows this before the characters do.
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Prologue. The whole story of the hatred between the Capulets and Montagues, ended only by the deaths of two of their children, will be told on stage, the Chorus says. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to let the audience know the fate of the characters, before the characters are aware of it.
SAMPSON: Gregory, o’ 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 o’ the collar.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Two servants of the house of Capulet, Sampson and Gregory, go out looking for trouble. Sampson talks tough, warning that they won’t be humiliated by anyone, or "carry coals." He specifically means that he won’t take disrespect from a Montague and warns that they will draw swords if they are made angry – "in choler." Gregory cautions that this could lead to the hangman’s collar for them. This exchange speaks to the violent feud between the Capulets and Montagues. It foreshadows the brawl that takes place in the scene between the two households and their servants. There is also a deal of punning in this passage, with the use of similar sounding words "colliers," "choler" and "collar."
A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. When Sampson sees someone from the house of Montague, he admits that it provokes him to anger. He uses a metaphor to compare a man from their household to a dog.
The weakest goes to the wall.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Gregory repeats a proverb to Sampson about how weaklings get thrown "to the wall," or thrust aside, in the battle for survival between the weak and strong.
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.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. When Sampson says this to fellow Capulet servant Gregory, it illustrates the themes of violence, sex and gender roles found throughout the play. Men view women as the "weaker" sex, while the word "thrust" has both a violent and sexual meaning. Sampson boasts about attacking the Montague men and assaulting their women, including sexually. He demonstrates a sexist and misogynistic mentality.
The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Gregory says that the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues is between the men and not the women of either house. His statement turns out to be ironic, seeing that Juliet becomes a fatal victim of the "quarrel" between the families.
SAMPSON: I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and 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.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Capulet servant Sampson boasts of how he will murder the Montague maids and forcefully take their virginity. When he says "cut off their heads" and "their maidenheads," that is a pun for taking their virginity. Sampson is equating fighting the Montague men to raping their women, believing this to be the manly thing to do. Sampson’s disturbing joke about what he will do with the Montague women shows a worrying level of misogyny in his attitude towards the female gender.
Me they shall feel while I am able to stand: and ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Sampson boasts about the size of his erection when he speaks about sexually taking the Montague women by force. His "able to stand" with its dual meaning is an example of a bawdy pun. He views women as sexual objects whose role is to gratify men.
GREGORY: Draw thy tool…
SAMPSON: My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. As two from the house of the Montagues approach, Sampson draws his sword and asks Gregory to start a quarrel and provoke a fight. The pair exchange bawdy puns, with Gregory inviting the other to: "Draw thy tool." Sampson continues with the phallus imagery and also personification to describe unsheathing his sword – "my naked weapon is out." Comparing the sword to a penis is an example of the misogynistic mentality in a play where men like to exercise dominance over women. In this scene Sampson tends to talk big but is something of a boastful coward, wanting Gregory to pick the fight.
Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Sampson tells Gregory that he will bite his thumb at the Montagues. This was apparently an offensive and obscene gesture in Elizabethan England. Sampson’s words illustrate the play’s theme of gender roles, as he tries to assert his masculine pride and honor.
Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Sampson challenges Abraham and Balthasar to draw their swords and fight, if they are man enough.
Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Peacemaker Benvolio steps in in an attempt to stop a street fight between the Capulet and Montague servants. Benvolio is Lord Montague’s nephew and cousin to Romeo. He is the young voice of reason among the Montagues, when tempers flare between the rival feuding families.
What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. In a metaphor, Tybalt taunts Benvolio for drawing his sword at low-ranking servants like Sampson and Gregory, comparing them to "heartless hinds." He challenges Benvolio to fight someone more worthy like him and threatens to kill Benvolio.
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Juliet’s short-tempered and impetuous young cousin Tybalt calls Benvolio a coward when he tries to keep the peace between the Capulets and Montagues – "I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me." Fiery Tybalt expresses total hatred for all Montagues, illustrating the extent of the bad blood between the two houses. His rash and impulsive behavior helps stir up a big brawl on the streets, causing damage and disturbances and angering Verona’s ruling Prince.
Clubs, bills, and partisans! strike! beat them down!
Down with the Capulets! down with the Montagues!
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. The citizens are fed up with the continuous fighting between the Capulets and Montagues. They join in and attack both families.
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.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. The elderly patriarch of the Capulets shows himself to be confrontational and ready for a fight when he calls for his long sword. Lady Capulet suggests that her husband is too old for fighting, being more in need of a crutch. Capulet retorts that "Old Montague" (Lord Montague) is flourishing his blade at him. There is a certain amount of sexual innuendo in the references "long sword" and "flourishes his blade."
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained 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.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Prince Escalus storms into the play’s first scene, as the ancient feud between the Capulets and Montagues flares up into a violent street brawl. Verona’s authority figure threatens the culprits with violent punishment if they don’t lay down their weapons. He uses a series of metaphors to compare the fighters to beasts who quench the fire of their hate by spilling fountains of blood. In "mistemper’d weapons" we also have an example of personification.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb’d 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,
Canker’d with peace, to part your canker’d hate.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Prince Escalus launches a tirade at the patriarchs of the feuding Capulets and Montagues for their families’ involvement in three disturbances on Verona’s streets. The angry city ruler says that Verona’s elderly citizens have been forced to take off their dress clothes and pick up rusty spears to break up the fights.
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Prince Escalus, the voice of authority in Verona, threatens the feuding Capulins and Montagues that anyone found fighting again in the city will be sentenced to death. This is an example of dramatic irony, because the audience has already been told that the feud leads to the deaths of the young Romeo and Juliet.
An hour before the worshipp’d sun
Peered forth the golden window of the east.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Benvolio, in telling Lady Montague where Romeo is, personifies the sun and uses a metaphor to compare the east to a golden window.
With tears augmenting the fresh morning dew.
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Lord Montague uses metaphorical imagery to describe his son Romeo’s depression, his tears adding to the morning dew and his sighs creating more clouds in the sky.
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
Should in the furthest east begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora’s bed,
Away from the light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out
And makes himself an artificial night.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. A worried Montague reveals the extent of his son Romeo’s depression. When the sun rises Romeo doesn’t just hide himself away in a room, but he shuts up the windows and locks the daylight out. Montague’s speech includes the use of personification in "all-cheering sun," while "draw the shady curtains" is a metaphor for sunrise.
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.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Montague uses a simile to compare the troubled Romeo to a bud eaten away by a worm before it has a chance to blossom. Worm is personified here as being "envious."
Out of her favour, where I am in love.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. When Benvolio asks what is wrong with Romeo, he reveals that he is in love with Rosaline but she does not love him back.
Alas, that love, so gentle in his view,
Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Benvolio speaks about love to his cousin Romeo. He personifies it by giving it human qualities – it is gentle, tyrannous, rough.
Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,
Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Romeo personifies his unrequited love for Rosaline. He laments the fact that love, despite being blind, should have such power over a person to make them do what it wants.
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.
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Romeo is speaking to Benvolio about the fight that has broken out between the Montagues and Capulets. Romeo Montague is tired of families’ feuding and says that in addition to the hate between them there is also love, a reference to his love for Rosaline, a Capulet.
