In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, describe how the violent clash between the feuding families is introduced Act One.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,
the Prologue first introduces the long-standing feud, where
fighting has recently been renewed. The Chorus tells the audience that the families are
very similar, yet they are causing unrest throughout Verona with their
warfare.

readability="17">

CHOR:

Two
households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we
lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to
new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands
unclean. (Prologue, lines
1-4)

In Act One, scene one,
there is mayhem and bloodshed taking place in the streets of Verona. First the audience
meets Sampson and Gregory, servants in the Capulet household. As they walk, they discuss
how they might get around the law that forbids fighting. A law has been established not
just to stop the fighting between the Montagues and the Capulets, but to keep the peace
for other members of the town, while also protecting
them.

Enter Abram and Balthasar, servingmen of the
Montagues. The Capulet servants want to incite violence, and make sure the blame falls
on the Montagues. Benvolio arrives and tries to stop them. Tybalt,
always ready for a fight, starts to blame Benvolio for starting the
battle because his sword is already out.

readability="25">

TYB:

What,
art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?

Turn thee,
Benvolio! look upon thy
death.

BEN:

I
do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword,

Or manage it to
part these men with
me.

TYB:

What,
drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word

As I hate hell,
all Montagues, and thee.

Have at thee, coward!
 (I.i.61-67)

They
fight.

An officer
of Verona enters and armed citizens. The citizens are so disgusted with the constant
violence that they join the fray, shouting for the destruction of both Montagues and
Capulets. Old Capulet enters, calling for a sword—while his wife says he
really needs a crutch. Capulet wants to go after the Montagues.
Then the Montagues enter and Montague also wants to fight, but his
wife holds her husband back.

At this
point, Prince Escalus enters, and he stops the fighting. First he calls the brawling men
"beasts," and tells them to stop fighting. When they don't listen, he tells them to
throw down their weapons or they will be tortured—that they had better listen to him as
he is very angry.

readability="7">

On pain of torture, from those bloody hands

Throw your mistempered weapons to the ground
And hear the sentence
of your moved Prince. (lines
82-84)

The Prince says that
three recent fights have broken out and disturbed the piece because of the Capulets and
the Montagues:

readability="10">

Three civil brawls, bred of an airy* word

By thee, old Capulet, and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the
quiet of our streets...
(85-87)

("...Bred of an airy
word" means "started by meaningless comment.")

Escalus says
that if fighting breaks out again, those involved will pay with their lives. (This is
foreshadowing.)

readability="6">

If ever you disturb our streets again,

Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
(92-93)

The Prince is clear
that the fighting has been going on for some time—too long; he clearly blames the
Capulets and Montagues who have stirred up the town: even the elderly are fighting with
rusted swords. In no uncertain terms, the Prince expects to be obeyed, by threat of
death for disobeying him.

This is only the beginning of
scene one, but it is clear between the Prologue and the first part of this scene that
the fighting between the families has been going on for sometime: this unrest will
greatly impact Romeo and Juliet.