There are a couple of brawls which take place in Romeo and Juliet. There's one in act 1, scene 1, for example, and another in act 3, scene 1. The latter is a serious one because it results in Mercutio and Tybalt's deaths.
What you'll notice about these brawls is that they always take place on the streets of Verona. They are conducted outdoors and in public, for everyone to see. This is significant because it shows us just how serious and deep-rooted the feud is between the Capulet and Montague families. This feud is so strong, for example, that it cannot be contained and kept indoors. At any moment and on any street a fight may break out. Moreover, it is not just the main family members who are involved in the feud; even the servants are known to verbally fight with one another, as we see in the opening scene.
By creating these types of brawls, Shakespeare adds tension and drama to the play, because the reader does not know when the next fight might come, nor whom it might involve.
A brawl is defined as a rough or noisy fight or quarrel. The derogatory remarks by the Capulet servants Sampson and Gregory in Act I, Scene 1 are enough to provoke a brawl with the Montague servants on the streets of the northern Italian city of Verona. It seems that the Capulets and Montagues have a long running feud, or an "ancient grudge," according to the Prologue. The brawl spreads to the citizens of the city and is further antagonized by Tybalt who threatens to kill Benvolio: "Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death."
Ultimately, the Prince of the city engages the men and puts an end to the melee with threats of future punishments for "civil brawls bred on an airy word." The scene sets the stage for a tragic romance between the daughter of Capulet and the son of Montague.
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