How Does Shakespeare Use Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1?

How does Shakespeare use passage of arms in Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1? In this essay I will address how affair is successfully used in Act 1 Scene 1 to prepare the audience for the rest of the interpret. It will firstly prove how Shakespeare uses physical contravention amongst the twain feuding families. Secondly I will demonstrate the musical theme that Shakespeare says emotional conflict through the character of Romeo, and his turn outpourings of love for Rosaline.Finally I will show that the character of Romeo demonstrates both physical or external conflict and emotional or internal conflict. The purpose of the prologue is to distinctly outline the plot of the whole figure out in fourteen lines and it also allows the audience to be settled before the actual play properly starts. The audience gets a glimpse of the rest of the play, it is introducing the idea that there is conflict for instance death-marked love gives the idea of love not creation positive, that is hinting that love is in fact negative as it have-to doe withs to death.The prologue is a fourteen-line sonnet it rhymes alternately till the last two lines where the sentences end in rhyming couplets indicating to the audience that the first act is beginning. The audience watching the play would separate a sonnet with love. However the audience is made aware that death and violence are going to be a major part of the play due to rattling angry, violent and aggressive words these include death, rage and also mutiny. We are also told that from ancient grudge shock to new mutiny which describes a history ancient long standing conflict between the two families.We also construe that there is a duration of the parents rage indicating to the audience that this conflict is still on-going and unlikely to be easily resolved. Act 1 Scene 1 opens with Gregory and Sampson of the house of Capulet, in a mankind place in Verona City which shows immediately where the story will take place. From the outset it is clear that the servants are looking for physical conflict, as they are fortify with swords and bucklers. At this time gentlemen wore swords, but servants usually didnt, so by being armed it is obvious that Gregory and Sampson are looking for trouble.The language of the two servants is very manlike well draw (swords) gives the audience the idea that Sampson is looking for a fight. We learn that he will take the wall of either man or maid of Montague clearly demonstrating he will not run from whatever conflict with the Montagues. However, Gregory is not as interested in taking part in this conflict but is more interested in talking with his mouth rather than his sword. If thou art moved, thou runnst away shows how he would rather goad Sampson and challenge his masculinity with the clever use of words.The language used during the interaction between the two servants, much(prenominal) as addressing each other as thou is very focal ratio class and not the la nguage of a servant. This would appeal to the nobility and the upper classes in the audience. This scene is also very comedic it does this to show the lighter side of the conflict within Romeo and Juliet. One way it is funny is when talking rough the male intimate slurs My naked weapon is out is referring to his sword in a sexual way, which will entertain the audience. Another comedic feature is how Gregory can change the context of Samsons words.Sampson states that well not carry coals meaning that they will not be accept any goading by the Montague then Gregory replies No, for then we should be colliers (coal miners) this is funny as he changed the context of carrying coals to mock Samson. The first encounter between the two families begins when servants of the two households Sampson and Gregory (Capulet) meet Abraham and Balthasar (Montague). Sampson symbolically bites his thumb this indicates that he is looking for a fight. Again we see conflict being introduced as biting your thumb at psyche was an insulting gesture.He does this to stir things up between the two families admitting that I do bite my thumb, sir the audience would probably see him as a trouble cleric and the source of conflict. However their view of him could change because he starts to back down due to finding out the law isnt on his side and we learn that he does not bite my thumb at you, sir. At this point the audience would then begin to view him as weak. The noble Benvolio (cousin of Romeo) is the peacemaker as he tries to stop the fight and orders them to Part, fools It is significant that it is Benvolio who is the peacemaker as his name means good will. However, Tybalt (Capulet) comes along and will not talk of peace I hate the word, leaving Benvolio with no choice but to continue the conflict. The citizens of Verona are obviously sick of the conflict that exists between the Capulets and Montague, as they shout dash off with the Capulets Down with the Montague So it is clear th at the people of Verona do not like the frequent civil wars. This negativity towards conflict could also be seen as a allegory for maintaining the peace in Shakespearean society.The prince is introduced as the person who tries to maintain order and peace in Verona he does this firstly by calling to the mob. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace, By addressing them as rebellious he shows them as being outside of the law. He also threatens them with torture to control the citizens so he has to address them with ferocity. This is something that the audience would relate to because peace existed at his time during Elizabeths rule. However to remain in power Tudor kings and Queens would use torture and execution to control any Rebellious subjects.Torture in the 16th century usually ended in death. With the loss of fingers and then larger limbs, death would usually follow. The rack was also being a predominant means of torture. Shakespeare uses metaphors to add dramatic effect, purple fo untains issuing from your veins refers to spilled blood due to the civil brawl this emphasises that he will not hold out the feud. Personification is also used when the Prince tells the citizens to throw your mistemperd weapons to the ground he is talking about the weapons having human traits when they are being used for the wrong reasons.Once over again he is emphasising how he feels that fighting is not the answer. Lady Montagues dialogue shows she is worried about Romeo being involved in the fighting, because she cares about his well being, she asks Benvolio Romeo? apothegm you him to-day? However Benvolio is able to tell lady Montague that Romeo wasnt at the battle and that he was in the forests with a troubled mind introducing the idea of emotional conflict. We progress learn of Romeos emotional state of mind when Montague describes Romeos behaviour as black and portentous.He says that even when it is day he pens himself in his domiciliate and shuts up his windows. This d escription of Romeo allows the first scene to change direction from physical conflict to emotional conflict. The audiences first delineation of Romeo is that he is very dark and mysterious due to his habit of locking himself in his room. However the audience at the same time will be intrigued to find out what has caused this depressive behaviour. The question is asked by Benvolio do you know the cause? which would echo the audiences thoughts. The audience learns more of the character of Romeo when Montague compares his son to a flower and how the bud bit with an grabby worm, Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air. This metaphor enables the audience to learn more about Romeos nature, by equivalence him to a flower the impression of Romeo is that he is more delicate than the previous characters. The audience learn that Romeos emotional inner conflict is due to his love for a beautiful muliebrity (Rosaline) who has rejected his advances.This male suffering was a popular them e in love poetry of this time and was echoed by authors such as John Donne in Sweetest Love, I do not go When thou weepst, unkindly kind, my lifes blood doth decay. Romeos dilemma is similar to that of Petrarch who loved a girl called Laura, this identifies Romeo to the audience as a Petrarchan Lover. As the passage moves on we learn more of Romeos inner conflict. His state of mind is demonstrated by the use of oxymorons loving hate heavy igniter and sick health all give a clear indication of how the use of opposites echo the turbulent state of his mind.The sentences are also disjointed when he describes his love he jumps from Mis-shapen chaos to cold fire, sick health which come on reflects his confusion because of his unrequited love. However Romeos mood changes and this is indicated by blank verses (iambic pentameters) when he further describes what love means to him. This style of writing helps to make the script flow which demonstrates how Romeos love flows. His feelings of what love means to him are further reinforced by the comprehension of rhyme shown, own sighs eyes and discreet, sweet.This elevation in language is reiterated in the language that he uses when he later describes his feelings for Juliet. The audience learns more about Romeos mysterious love when he compares her to Dian. Dian was the goddess of chastity and this gives the audience an indication of the true nature of his love. She is described as having Dians wit therefore by comparing her to a goddess she is intelligent and yet has the body of a goddess. The fact that she wants to live chaste and Cuts beauty off from all posterity supports the idea that she will never return his love and adds to his emotional conflict causing Romeo to become depressed.We learn that Romeo declares that he cannot even bare to say her name and he asks Bid a sick man in sadness make his will Emphasizing the idea that to say her name would cause him to die. Conflict is again reinforced in his love for Rosaline, when he talks about his fight to win over Rosaline. He describes it as a battlefield where he uses words such as siege. These are not words usually associated with love but by saying them the conflict that exists can be seen as both emotional and physical. Benvolio gives Romeo the advice that he should Examine other Beauties Romeo says that this would only make things worse.He likens it to a man that is struck blind cant forget that he once could see his visual perception lost. Once again Romeo is emphasising that he can never forget his love and the emotions that he is feeling can be related to something physical such as losing his sight. The first act introduces the audience to more details of the physical conflict in Verona that was mentioned in the prologue. We learn that this long standing feud is between the Capulet and Montague families. However it is a feud bred of an airy word demonstrating that it is so longstanding that nobody really knows how it started.Romeo who is a member of the Montague family is key to the idea of conflict and brings unneurotic both physical and emotional conflicts. He is himself suffering inner emotional conflict because of his love for a woman who hath forsworn to love and so cannot return his love. Romeos acquire likens him to a flower that has not spread his sweet leaves this points to the idea that he is not a strong and forceful male. But instead the ideal person to become embroiled in the love affair indicated in the prologue.The emotional conflict that he feels is linked to the physical conflict that is happening around him, by his choice of words when he likens his love to a battle by his use of the word siege. This linking is further reinforced when Romeo likens the idea of emotional conflict to the physical conflict of losing his sight. It is my belief that Shakespeare uses conflict in Act 1 Scene 1 to prepare the audience for the conflicts that exist between the two families and to introduce them to th e character of Romeos and how his emotional instability will affect the rest of the play.