How does Shakespeare use Conflict and Violence
How does Shakespeare use Conflict and Violence in Act 1, scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Shakespeare has setting the play in Verona in Italy. Italy is a passion, moral and religion country. In the prologue Shakespeare describe the background of play be explain two families, the Capulets and Mountagues.
''Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona ,''
where we lay our scene , From ancient grudge break
to new mutiny.
From this quote I can tell that both families are quite high in town statue, the ancient grudge mean disagreement which last for years or maybe decades. The term of new mutiny mean a action or someone has add there bit just made matter worse.
First sign of violence is between to servants in a very public place. The town centre when stall out, people buy and selling items. The clothes that the character are wear in this scene said that quite low on social scale of the household. The servants of Capulet household seem to looking for trouble in invoking the Montagues servants.
Sampson ''Nay,as they dare. I will bite my thumb at
them; which 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.''
The bite of thumb is insult to Abraham and to house Mountague.
Exchange of words between to servants for two feuding houses carry on until. It reach boil point when the servants start bawl and enter Benvolio. You can tell this character is more importance to sonnet by hes dress.
Benvolio '' Part, fools! Put up your sword; you know not what you do''.
Benvolio is peacemaker, is friend and nephew of head of Mountague household. Benvolio wish no part in hes uncles quarrel.
All servants put down their swords but then enter a troublemaker from Capulet household is Tybalt. Tybalt is the same Benvolio state in the prose.
Tybalt '' What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?''
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
Benvolio ''I do but keep peace; put up thy sword, or manage it to''
part these men with me.
Tybalt '' What, drawn, and talk of peace! i hate the word, As I''
hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: Have at thee,
coward!
Tybalt is opposite to Benvolio. Tybalt think he tough and better than the others around him. Tybalt is a self righteous character and always look for fight and as not need a excuse to clash with Mountagues household.
There fight between Tybalt and Benvolio, which in turn break out into small riot with severals more people each household get involved. The citizens also take they sides and try bring down both houses. Some citizens try make they way home.
An Officer of the law which up hold the Prince laws.
The heads both household come on to scene. Now you can tell by more flamboyant clothes that these are very high up the social scale in sonnet.
Capulet ''What noise is this? Give me my long sword, ho!''
Capulet's wife ''A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
Enter the Mountagues.
Capulet '' My sword, I say! Old Mountague is come, And''
flourishes his blade in spite in me.
Mountague ''Thou villian Capulet!- Hold me not, let me go''.
Mountague wife '' Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek foe''.
The first person to aggravate the now quite situation is Capulet. Enter the Old Mountague as he refer to in Shakespeare's play with hes wife.
Prince arrival at the crowd. The Prince arrives on scene with horse and guards. He dress scream out that he lord of this town. If he is called yet again to dispute of this on going feud.
Prince ''Rebellious subjects, enemies for peace, Profaners of this''
neighbours-strained steel- Will they not hear?-What ho! You
men,you beasts, That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from veins: On pain of torture,
from those bloody hands.
The Prince is all most plead with of the families but same time called males animals.
Purple fountains said that rage is in bedded in their souls and in their blood and well results in bloodshed. From either of two families.
He being in same position time and time. He has had enough of it.
Prince'' Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet''
and Mountagues, Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets.
Prince ''If you disturb our street again, Your lives shall pay''
the forfeit of the peace.
Prince actual threat both houses with death. If he has come to sort the mistempered houses again.
The violence of Act 1 give impression of it be secondly nature to the houses. In sonnet, Shakespeare uses of conflict language because it necessary to the characters development. The Capulets are mainly ones that show aggression to more sincerly Mountagues. The Mountagues are more gentle household that would maybe let bygones by bygone. Also the Mountagues will not be dictate or humiliate by the Capulets house. That is why the fueding has being going for so long.
Edit part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
zoolane
Benvolio is peacemaker, is friend and nephew of head of Mountague household. Benvolio wish no part in hes uncles quarrel.
In sonnet, the very first two pages it speak of now weak the house Mountagues is from the Capulet point view. Also the term that use with prose for example ''Thats shows thee weak slave,'' and ''The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men''. This hint that conflict will be
carry through sonnet. With Shakespeare in poetry style suggest that all social classes are affect with this fueding, and by starting from the bottom of household.The citizens of the Verona have suffer that hands of these two respect houses and that show in market with chao they create.
Prince actual threat both houses with death. If he has come to sort the mistempered houses again.
The violence of Act 1 give impression of it be secondly nature to the houses. In sonnet, Shakespeare uses of conflict language because it necessary to the characters development. The Capulets are mainly ones that show aggression to more sincerly Mountagues. The Mountagues are more gentle household that would maybe let bygones by bygone. Also the Mountagues will not be dictate or humiliate by the Capulets house. That is why the fueding has being going for so long.
