When many people think of Romeo and Juliet, they envision a love story. Thus, it is often surprising to realize that the play starts with a sword fight. The sword fight, fought between members of the Montague and Capulet families and their servants, serves several purposes. First, it introduces the audience to the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. It also gives early introductions to the personalities of Benvolio and Tybalt, two main characters.
Those who know about Shakespearean history, however, will note another reason why a sword fight would be the appropriate start to the play. During Shakespeare's time, play attendees known as "groundlings" watched the plays along with dignitaries. These groundlings occupied the cheap seats, which happened to be located right in front of the stage. Shakespeare had to engage the groundlings (who could potentially be drunk and belligerent) right from the beginning, in order to gain their support and to keep them from throwing things at the actors. A sword fight would have been the perfect way to engage the groundlings right from the start.
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