-Sampson and Gregory (two hired thugs who work for the Capulets) defend honor- Sampson says: "Say better, here comes one of my master's kinsmen." He sees Tybalt and realizes two things: first, he wants to impress one of his bosses, and two, he knows Tybalt will jump in to defend him.
-When Capulet hears of the fight, he says "W hat noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!"
-Montague reacts similarly, "Thou villain Capulet,--Hold me not, let me go." bolding unintentional
-what does Benvolio do in this scene? What does this reveal about his character in relation to this brawl?
Tybalt stands out: "Now, by the stock and honor of my kin,
to strike him dead, I hold it not a sin."
-very important to play
-Tybalt insults all the hired goons by saying, "what, drawn among these heartless hinds." -He's referring to Benvolio, saying, "what, you've got your sword out among these trashy guys?"
-the Capulets and the Montagues are rich and high class, though not royalty
-Escalus, the Prince, is royalty; his cousin, Paris, is as well.
-If Juliet marries Paris, she'll advance her family's social status considerably. As a result, Capulet, although conflicted, may essentially sell her off. This was common for higher social classes during the Middle Ages, and remnants still exist today.
sexual politics- women's roles
-Women are powerless over many aspects of their lives, including marriage.
-Lady Montague (especially) and Lady Capulet have little say in their husbands' actions. Lady Capulet is far more developed, which we'll see soon.
-Ladies Montague and Capulet try to hold thier husbands back in the initial fight.
-Lady Capulet was sold off by her father and bore Juliet before age 13.
-Pay attention to the physical settings the women occupy- they are all indoors as it was considered inappropriate for women of high status to walk about town.
-Women have power, though, later in the play (particularly Juliet).
sexual politics- men's roles
-This is a patriarchal society.
-Men spend most of thier time with men.
-Much like today, they insult one another (often quite offensively).
-They keep the feud going.
-Many of the central conflicts in this tragedy are fueled by the inabilities of one age to understand the other.
-Capulet states to Paris, "But Montague is bound as well as I,/in penalty alike; and tis not hard, I think,/for men so old as we to keep the peace."
-Young people, on the other hand, are more passionate in love and war.
fate and free will
-Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a
-The Capulet servingman accidentally
gives the Montague boys the party
-Romeo dreams of the foreboding
consequence of crashing the party
-The Montague boys still crash the party.
-Although obstinate initially, Romeo, after hearing the anti-dreamer message of Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech, concedes and goes to the party.
Romeo: He's a passionate and intelligent young man who can dedicate his attention to loving (and pitching woo) or fighting.
Benvolio: Benvolio is an honest, peaceful character. He's not as adept with language and this alienates him from Romeo. At times, Romeo exlpoits his higher intelligence to confuse Benvolio.
Montague: We don't know very much about Montague yet, but we know he can be angered and he cares for Romeo.
Lady Montague: She says, "O, where is Romeo? Saw you him today?/Right glad I am he was not at this fray." This line reveals two things: she cares for her son, and she views these battles as frivolous.
Tybalt: Tybalt is Benvolio's foil. He is a fiery instigator committed to his family's honor and his honor as well. He is very close with his aunt, Lady Capulet.
character notes, continued
Capulet : Capulet is a rather complex character. He cares deeply for his daughter and hesitates when Count Paris asks for his daughter's hand in marriage. He's also calm at this point- he thinks he can help keep peace and he refuses to eject Romeo from his party. We can infer that he has a strained relationship with his wife.
Lady Capulet : Lady Capulet is a frightening character. She insists Juliet marry Paris and is a cold mother. Her favorite nephew is Tybalt.
Nurse : The nurse is a lovable character who is bawdy, verbose, and stupid. She cares for Juliet the way a mother should. The Nurse is used as comic relief and so low-class patrons at Shakespeare's plays could laugh.
Juliet: Juliet is an intelligent young lady who fears marrying an older man who is not of her choice (and who can blame her?).
She is largely trapped by social conventions.
Mercutio: Mercutio is inarguably the most complex and interesting character in this play. He's manic and verbose, and he uses complicated speech, which is loaded with double-entendres. The reader can question why he covets Romeo's company to the extent he does.