Study into early 17th century Italian street gang culture.

[mike thomas]

Hi, I wonder if anyone might kindly assist me:

I have recently began studies into gang culture in 17th century Venice and Rome.
The characters of Sampson and Gregory from Romeo and Juliet intrigue me, and I am trying to determine just how an upper-class Italian, arrogant thug, might have looked in those times. All I have to go on is the dialogue, and I am trying to get some idea of how Shakespeare might have imagined his characters to look.

I have sketched out some ideas using the original text from Romeo and Juliet.

The following passage is the opening scene, where the two friends of Romeo,
namely Gregory and Sampson, are prattling, in advance of the street fighting.

I wonder, from the forum's point of veiw, if the sketch (attached) gives some idea of how Sampson might have looked (please read his dialogue).

Thanks to everyone. best regards



ACT I. Scene I.

Verona. A public place.



Enter Sampson and Gregory (with swords and bucklers) of the house

of Capulet.



Samp. Gregory, on my word, we'll not carry coals.

Greg. No, for then we should be colliers.

Samp. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.

Greg. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of collar.

Samp. I strike quickly, being moved.

Greg. But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

Samp. A dog of the house of Mountague moves me.

Greg. To move is to stir, and to be valiant is to stand.

Therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.

Samp. A dog of that house shall move me to stand. I will take

the wall of any man or maid of Mountague's.

Greg. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the

wall.

Samp. 'Tis true; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels,

are ever thrust to the wall. Therefore I will push Mountague's men

from the wall and thrust his maids to the wall.

Greg. The quarrel is between our masters and us their men.

Samp. '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.

[Beewulf]

I liked your sketch; I've always imagined Sampson as larger and less intelligent than Gregory, while Gregory seemed wiry and quick-witted. In any case, Gregory's puns and wordplay go right over Sampson's head. Also, the name "Sampson" suggests someone who is powerfully built.

You wrote that Sampson and Gregory are friends of Romeo. That's incorrect. They are low-status employees of the house of Capulet and pick a fight with low-status employees of Romeo's family, the Montagues.

Since Sampson and Gregory are servants who work for Capulet, it's not accurate to think of them as members of the upper class. The fact that they are armed with swords and bucklers (a buckler was a small round shield) as opposed to the more aristocratic rapier and dagger (which Tybalt and the other high-status characters use) is an additional clue to their humble nature. Note, too, that they speak in prose rather than verse, which is another indication of their low status.

One can think of Sampson and Gregory as brawlers, men who have picked up what they know of fighting from the street, while someone like Tybalt has been taught by fencing masters, and is well versed in sophisticated styles of swordplay, as Mercutio makes clear,


He fights as you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and proportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and the third in your bosom: the very butcher of a silkbutton, a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the very first house, of the first and second cause:ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso!

[mike thomas]

Thanks very much for your very helpful (and quite detailed) insight Beewulf.

Yes you are right. They are not friends of Romeo, merely servants of the opposing household of Capulet. I stand corrected, and thank you for pointing it out. Should have realised: I sketched Samson with a tiny cap: capulet.

Never thought about them speaking in prose rather than verse, I have learned something new this day.

I am intrigued by the banter between Shakespeare's characters, and these two make excellent study material. Its plain to me they are nothing but thugs. I often wonder at the thumb-biting business, and wher Shakespeare picked that one up.

You are right with Sampson. Of course his name hints at strength, and I think the very opening lines, re carrying coal, hint at the Old Testament Sampson who carried the gates of the city on his back.

Sampson's remarks about being moved by a dog of the house of Mountague, makes me wonder if maybe something else is being implied - sub texta - hinted at by coal ==> colliers ==> under. Maybe even the name Newcastle (carry coals) might hint at something new underneath.

Anyway I put the idea of strong Sampson being moved by a dog in sketch form here:

https://sites.google.com/site/sampsonthecollier/

I wonder what you think.

The opening lines, I think are strange. What on earth does Sampson mean by "we'll not carry coals"? Have you any ideas?

I somehow get the impression from Sampson's next line "I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw" is a hint * colour *,
and the act of drawing some image. A contrast with the black of coal. This is the reason why I decided to see what
images might be gleaned from the characters.


Thanks again Beewulf for your help.