Shakespeare’s first scene begins with two minor characters, Samson and Gregory, conversing with one another. At first glance the scene is seemingly just comic banter, a light-hearted start to the heavy drama that will follow. But Shakespeare always provides deep insight into his drama with his opening scene. First, in terms of plot, the scene establishes the extensiveness and effect of the family feud. Even the lowliest of servants have become obsessed with the feud: they are as thoroughly involved and complicit in the quarrel as are the warring heads of the households. Moreover, the comic lines prepare the audience for the linguistic riches that will follow. Romeo and Juliet is also a play that does not just use language: it is also about language. Through poetic language the poet and playwright can express powerful emotions, and even the serving men of the Capulets (as well as of the Montagues) have succumbed to powerful emotions.
The first line the audience hears is actually somewhere in the middle of the conversation between Samson and Gregory, who are two servants to Lord Capulet. Samson declares to Gregory, “We’ll not carry coals” (1). The expression “carrying coals” was a Renaissance idiom meaning to be publically humiliated and shamed. Samson is asserting that he will not allow any of the Montagues to say or do anything toward him that he would consider offensive or scornful. Samson is thus asserting that if any Montague makes even the slightest of negative comments toward him, then he will defend his honor: Samson will fight to protect his reputation. As the dialogue will later reveal, the Capulets and the Montagues have been ordered to cease their hostilities. But Samson, like Lord Capulet, is full of anger and pride (which are two of the Seven Deadly Sins). Samson is willing to break his promise (to keep the peace) if there is even the slightest of reasons for doing so. Neither the laws nor commands of the Prince of Verona can stop Samson or Gregory from feeling hate for their enemies. Neither the laws nor the commands can diminish their sense of pride. And, as the playwright will reveal later, the heads of the family, Capulet and Montague, are not any different from their servants in this regard. They, too, are full of hatred and pride. Powerful emotion thus can affect all people equally even if the people are from unequal social positions.
Samson’s idiom prepares the audience for listening and understanding words and expressions that have double meanings, and Gregory’s response continues the wordplay. Gregory responds with “No, for then we should be colliers” (2). The word collier here is a pun (a humorous expression involving the double meaning of a word). The word collier literally means a person who carries coals (an extremely low position in society). But the word also idiomatically means a person who is sneaky and untrustworthy. Gregory’s clever pun thus expresses the idea that if he and Samson do not act proudly to defend their honor, then they are behaving in a sneaky and unworthy manner to their lord; they would then be behaving as one of the lowest and meanest individuals in society.
Two additional puns quickly follow: the words choler and collar during the Renaissance would be pronounced almost identically to collier. The word choler refers to anger: Samson thus implies that if the Montagues humiliate them (collier), then they will become angry (choler). And Gregory adds that they must stay alive (keep their necks out of a collar or noose) if they hope to get their revenge against the Montagues.
The puns continue quickly, and even sharp-
witted individuals sitting in the audience might miss one or two; for this type of dialogue would be presented rapidly. One pun that would not be missed by anyone in the audience is the doubleentendre (a pun in which one of the meanings is risqué or sexually suggestive). Renaissance audiences delighted in these types of puns and were always ready for them. Samson states that although he is willing to kill the Montague men, he will be civil (polite and courteous) to the Montague women and will only “cut off their heads” (19-20). Samson then explains his odd assertion by adding that he will take the women’s maidenheads. The word maidenhead means virginity. Samson is thus declaring that he is willing to have sex with the Montague women so that they are no longer virgins.
Samson and Gregory’s hatred toward the
Montagues is thus firmly established in the opening lines. So, when two servants from the Montague household walk by them, their actions are hardly surprising to the audience. Samson puts his thumb in his mouth and flicks it at the Montague men. This was an insulting and vulgar gesture used to express contempt (roughly equivalent to the extension of the middle finger used in modern times). Samson had been hot and angry about the possibility of being insulted by the Montagues, but ironically he is the one who insults them. Samson is emotional and irrational. Reason plays no role in his behavior.