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Copywork
About This Passage
The Prince turns a street brawl into an indictment of the inherited feud that has conscripted even Verona’s elders.
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet, and Montague, Have thrice disturb’d the quiet of our streets, And made Verona’s ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments...
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Trace the brawl to the feast. Choose the decisive moment, then argue what its placement reveals about Shakespeare's purpose.
Discussion Questions
- What forms of order do the Prince's death threat and Capulet's hospitality create, and which seems more fragile when Romeo enters the feast?
- Why does Shakespeare let masks conceal Romeo's face while Tybalt recognizes his voice, and what does that contrast make public identity depend on?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
An opponent or enemy. Benvolio calls Capulet Montague's adversary, showing that the leaders' feud has pulled their servants into fighting.
Item 2
Deeply harmful. The Prince calls the rage pernicious because it turns a small provocation into public bloodshed.
Item 3
Relating to the city and its public order. The Prince's civil brawls show private hostility disrupting Verona's shared life.
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Critical Thinking
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