the Capulet family armed with swords. They are ready to fight with any "dog of the house of Montague." They express the hatred toward Montague in vulgar terms and sexual references. Then two servants of the Montague household enter and the two sides begin to fight. The fight ends temporarily when Benvolio, a Montague and Romeo’s cousin, appears and beats down their swords. Immediately after this, however, a member of the Capulet family, Tybalt, bursts in, and begins to fight with Benvolio. Escalus, the Prince, commands them to stop breaking the peace, complaining that these street battles have erupted on several occasions. He then threatens the lives of the fighters. Old Montague asks Benvolio about the argument, but Lady Montague's is more concerned with their son, Romeo. She is glad that Romeo was not in the fight, but she then says that her son has been depressed. Romeo enters, he appeares down and distracted. Romeo explains to Benvolio that he is madly in love with a woman named Rosaline. She has sworn to keep her virginity, which is the reason of Romeo’s depression. Benvolio says that Romeo should "forget to think of her," and his Romeo replies that he will stop thinking about Rosaline if Benvolio can show him "a mistress that is passing fair".In Act I Scene ii, the scene shifts to another street in Verona, where a young noble, name County Paris, is speaking with Old Capulet about the Duke's threatened punishment and then says that he desires to marry Capulet's daughter, Juliet. Old Capulet initially objects to this proposal, saying that Juliet is too young, but he then says that he will allow the marriage if Paris can win Juliet's love. Old Capulet then instructs a servant to deliver invitations to a party that he is planning, and leaves the stage. The servant has a predicament: he is illiterate and cannot read the list of guests. Just then, Romeo and Benvolio pass by. Romeo reads the list. After he finds the name of ...
