Capulet Servants In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

In the opening act, Capulet servants are boisterously talking in the street about their distaste for Montague men and women, making sexual and violent suggestions of how best to violate the enemy clan. When two Montague servants approach, one of the Capulet servants makes a lewd gesture as to provoke a fight. Benvolio, who is a member of the Montague family, attempts to settle the street fight by drawing his sword and claiming peace. At this scene, a member of the Capulet family approaches and immediately assumes the worst of Benvolio. Tybalt is a hotheaded character, spewing hatred for Benvolio’s peace and the Montagues that is quick to escalate a situation into a brawl. Montague and his wife arrive,
The conflict affects everyone from the immediate families to the townspeople who aren’t even related to, or respected by, these noble houses. I think it is important that Shakespeare opened the play with this scene because it widens the scope from just the noble and rich families to the servants and townspeople as well. This vantage point gives the audience (and the reader) a better understanding of why Prince Escalus wants to keep the peace; the Montague and Capulet vendetta trickles down through the classes and eventually affects the realm.

This opening scene is also important because it was ultimately Tybalt that killed Mercutio. Tybalt has already proved to be a hothead and quick to anger, as well as blatantly proclaimed his hatred and disdain for peace with the Montague family. While Mercutio wasn’t innocent, it was clear that Tybalt was out looking for trouble. The tension that has been building up between these enemy clans has finally come to a climax, for the steaks were too high and the momentum was too intense for anything less than