Act 1 Scene 1

The scene begins in a street in Verona, where Sampson and Gregory, two servants of the Capulets are joking and making rude remarks about Abram and Balthasar, servants of the Capulets enemies, the Montagues. Emotive language is used to describe the “dog of the house of Montague.” This demonstrates effectively how deep the resentment runs. This is not a folly of mere boys; it is a true, long-lasting and deeply residing hate that not only exists between the two ruling men of the family but extends also to influence the lives of their servants. The Montagues then appear in the scene and Sampson and Gregory encourage the Montagues to fight, to the point where a sword fight ensures. As this begins, Benvolio, a member of the Montague family enters the scene and tells the servants to stop quarrelling. Instead the exact opposite effect is achieved, and Benvolio is challenged to a sword fight by Tybalt, a quick and foul tempered member of the Capulet family. Here a simile is used in “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward!” The use of simile comparing the hatred Tybalt has towards the Montagues as akin to one’s hatred of hell, is indicative of how strong and fiery the dislike is between the two families, to the point where they are both willing to fight to the death. Emotive language is also employed to demonstrate that the citizens of Verona also have their sides, with their lives affected too by the feuding ways of the noble families – “down with the Capulets! Down with the Montagues!”