# Scene I explained — Romeo and Juliet > Chapter companion for Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. ## What happens In a public place in Verona, servants of the Capulet and Montague houses start a brawl, which escalates into a full-scale street fight involving Tybalt, Benvolio, and eventually the heads of both families. Prince Escalus intervenes, decreeing that further disturbances will be punished by death. After the crowd disperses, Montague and Lady Montague discuss Romeo's melancholy with Benvolio, who later confronts Romeo about his lovesickness for Rosaline. ## Themes in this chapter ### Family Feud and Conflict The opening brawl between the Montagues and Capulets establishes the deep-seated hatred that drives the play's tragedy. ### Love and Impulse Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline is portrayed as a passionate but unrequited love, full of contradictory emotions. ### Youth and Impetuosity The young servants and Tybalt act rashly, escalating a minor insult into a violent street fight. ### Duality and Oxymoron Romeo's speech is filled with oxymorons like 'brawling love' and 'loving hate,' highlighting the confusion of his emotions. ## Character check-ins ### Romeo Appears melancholic and lovelorn, pining for Rosaline and speaking in oxymorons about love. ### Benvolio Acts as a peacemaker during the brawl and later tries to comfort and counsel Romeo about his unrequited love. ### Tybalt Enters the fray aggressively, challenging Benvolio and expressing hatred for the Montagues. ### Capulet Appears during the brawl, calling for his sword and confronting Montague. ### Montague Engages in the feud, but later expresses concern over Romeo's strange behavior. ### Lady Montague Inquires about Romeo's whereabouts and expresses relief he was not in the fight. ### Prince Escalus Intervenes to stop the brawl and issues a decree of death for any future disturbances. ### Sampson A Capulet servant who instigates the brawl with crude jokes and gestures. ## Key lines > Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love. There is a lot about hatred here, but even more about love. _Romeo reflects on the brawl, noting that love is a stronger force than hate in his current state._ > Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O anything, of nothing first create! Oh, love that fights! Oh, hate that loves! Oh, everything created from nothing! _Romeo uses oxymorons to express the paradoxical nature of his feelings for Rosaline._ > She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow Do I live dead that live to tell it now. She has sworn never to love, and because of that vow, I am living dead while still alive to speak of it. _Romeo laments that Rosaline's vow of chastity makes him feel as though he is dead inside._ > Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets. Three street fights, started by a trivial word, have been caused by you, old Capulet and Montague, and have disturbed the peace three times. _Prince Escalus scolds both families for repeatedly disrupting Verona's peace over minor provocations._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/romeo_and_juliet_se/chapters/act-i-scene-i - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/romeo_and_juliet_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/romeo_and_juliet_se/chapters