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What happens in Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet?
A fight breaks out between members of the Capulet and Montague houses, followed by Prince Escalus demanding that all fighting cease. Then, Benvolio vows to help his lovelorn friend Romeo forget about Rosaline.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Act 1, Scene 1. (4-minute read)
Read 1-2 sentence summaries of all 26 scenes in Romeo and Juliet. (3-minute read)
What important characters are introduced in Act 1, Scene 1?
Most of the play’s significant characters are introduced in Scene 1. They are listed below in the order that they appear. (Clicking on a character’s name will take you to an in-depth Character Analysis.)
- Sampson and Gregory: Capulet servants who are not main characters, but who help establish that childish behavior is at the core of the Capulet-Montague feud.
- Benvolio: A Montague whose focus in the play is to be supportive of his cousin and close friend Romeo. (He literally cries because Romeo is unhappy in this scene.)
- Tybalt: Combative, troublemaking Capulet cousin of Juliet whose passionate hot-headedness will spark much of the play’s violence.
- Capulet and Lady Capulet; Montague and Lady Montague: Juliet’s parents and Romeo’s parents respectively. As heads of the two houses, Capulet and Montague are responsible for the perpetuation of the feud. Their wives serve mainly supportive roles, but Lady Capulet’s relationship with her daughter will be important in the play.
- Prince Escalus: As the ruler of Verona, the Prince will focus on dealing with the violent feud between the two houses throughout the play.
- Romeo: Along with Juliet (who is not in this scene), one of the two titles characters and protagonists of the play.
- Rosaline: The focus of Romeo’s superficial and unrequited love until he meets Juliet. Alluded to in this scene, Rosalie won’t be named until Scene 2—and she won’t be seen in person in the play at all.
Read our Character List descriptions for Romeo and Juliet. (3-minute read)
Do any of the play’s important themes show up in Act 1, Scene 1?
The Connection Between Passion and Violence, a key theme in the play, appears very early in Scene 1 when Sampson, who passionately hates the Montagues, jokes about committing violent acts against Montague women. In the play, violence connects to passion regardless of whether that passion is love or hate.
Read about The Connection Between Passion and Violence as a Theme (#2). (2-minute read).
Are any of the play’s key symbols in Act 1, Scene 1?
Yes, thumb-biting, a silent gesture used at the time as an insult, appears in this scene and serves as a symbol of the childishness that underlies the Capulet-Montague feud.
Read about Thumb-biting as a Symbol (#2). (1-minute read).
Read explanations of three quotes Act 1, Scene 1 about the Symbol of Thumb-biting. (3-minute read)
