Act 1, Scene 1: the opening scene

The opening scene portrays the feuding families as ridiculous

The first part of Act 1, Scene 1 in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet presents the warring families and thereby the play’s central conflict. We initially meet Gregory and Sampson who are servants of the Capulet household. They joke about what they would do to the members of the Montague family, their long-time enemies. This shows that the feud between the two aristocratic families also involves their servants. 

Once the Montague servants Abraham and Balthasar enter, the four men start fighting. Chaos gradually breaks out as Benvolio (a Montague), Tybalt (a Capulet), angry citizens, and finally Lord and Lady Montague and Capulet arrive and join the street fight. Order is not restored until Prince Escalus threatens people into obedience. 

Except for the sensi...