R&J - POWER Flashcards
“Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel (…) What ho, you men, you beasts!”
Act 1 Scene 1
Prince Escalus (equal) uses commanding and condemnatory language to assert his authority over the feuding families.
Shakespeare establishes the Prince as a figure of law and order, contrasting the chaos of the feud.
Referring to them as ‘beasts’ condemns their animalistic savagery and loss of control, perhaps exploring the idea that even the rich, high class men, when overcome by hate, act like animals. This also establishes a dynamic wherein the Prince is angered by the constant disruption to society due to the feud, and has begun looking down on the Capulets and Montagues.
“neighbour-stained steel” is an allusion to the ‘civil blood’ staining the ‘civil hands’ where neighbour turns on neighbour. This is contradictory of the catholic teaching “love thy neighbour”. Although catholicism and religion is an integral part of Veronese citizen’s lives, Shakespeare is exploring the idea that despite their loyalty to their religion, the characters repeatedly perform blasphemous actions, in this case murder: the power of their hate surpasses their loyalty to their religion.
“If ever you disturb our streets again, / Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.”
The threat of death underscores the Prince’s power and his determination to maintain order.
Shakespeare uses this to highlight the seriousness of the feud and its impact on Verona, setting the stage for the tragic consequences of unchecked aggression.
Shakespeare uses this aggressive and threatening line from the Prince to showcase the violent and unchallangeable nature of societal power.
Romeo and Juliet end the violence between their families with love - however, the law is trying to end violence with more violence. Shakespeare maybe demonstrating how violence corrupts society as a whole and even leads those who are ‘kind’ or ‘fair’, in this case the Prince, to further fuel the violence, even if they have good intentions. If those in power have the power to end the conflict they should do so with love.
Conditional tense ‘if’ shows that the Prince is willing to give them a second chance.
