Romeo and Juliet: Act 1 - Romeo and Juliet Act One Prologue...

Romeo and Juliet
Act One
Prologue
Two households, both alike in dignity,
in fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From these two foes a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
and the continuance of their parents' rage,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage.
Act One, Scene One
● Street Scene - on stage and on floor
● Characters:
○ Townspeople 1-12, (Rosaline), Romeo, (Count Paris), (Juliet), (Nurse)
○ Sampson and Gregory, Abraham and Balthasar, Benvolio and Tybalt
○ Lord and Lady Capulet, Lord and Lady Montague
○ Prince Escalus
● Props:
○ Townspeople to have baskets/ belongings to trade at market
○ Sampson, Gregory, Abraham, Balthasar, Benvolio, Tybalt, Lord Capulet, Lord Montague,
and Prince Escalus to have swords
○ Romeo and Count Paris each to have roses
Townsperson One: The Montagues and the Capulets really don’t like each other
Townsperson Two: It’s more than a family feud. Their fighting spills into the streets!
Townsperson Three: And it’s not just Lord Capulet and Lord Montague fighting. It’s their servants too!
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords
GREGORY
The quarrel is between our masters and us their men
SAMPSON
Tis all one. I will show myself a tyrant . I will cut off their heads.
Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR
GREGORY
Draw thy sword! Here comes two of the house of the Montagues.
SAMPSON
My sword is out. Quarrel. I will back thee.
ABRAHAM
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON
I do bite my thumb, sir.
ABRAHAM
But do you bite your thumb at us , sir?
SAMPSON

No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you , sir, but I bite my thumb, sir.
GREGORY
Do you quarrel, sir?
ABRAHAM
Quarrel sir? No, sir.
SAMPSON
Draw, if you be men
(They fight…)
Enter BENVOLIO
BENVOLIO
Part, fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do.
(Beats down their swords)
Enter TYBALT
TYBALT
Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death.
BENVOLIO
I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me.
TYBALT
What? Drawn, and talk of peace?!
I hate the word, as I hate all Montagues, and thee.
(They fight)
Enter CAPULET and LADY CAPULET
CAPULET
What noise is this? Give me my sword!
LADY CAPULET
A crutch. You need a crutch! Why call you for a sword?
CAPULET
My sword, I say! Old Montague is come
Enter MONTAGUE and LADY MONTAGUE
MONTAGUE
Thou villain Capulet!
(Lady Montague holds Lord Montague back so he will not fight)
--Hold me not, let me go.
LADY MONTAGUE
Thou shalt not stir a foot to seek a foe.
Enter PRINCE ESCALUS
PRINCE
Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace!
Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground and hear the sentence of your prince.
Three civil brawls, by thee, old Capulet, and Montague, have thrice disturbed the quiet of our streets.