Romeo and his fellow attendees arrive at the Capulet feast where Capulet makes his rounds through groups of guests, joking with them and encouraging all to dance.

Romeo sees Juliet across the room and falls in love with her instantly. He claims that torches have never shone as bright as her and that he has never experienced love until this moment.

Tybalt hears and recognizes Romeo’s voice while moving through the crowd, asking for his rapier so that he can kill him. Capulet overhears Tybalt and tells him that Romeo is well regarded in Verona, and that he will not have him harmed at his feast. Tybalt protests, but Capulet scolds him until he agrees to keep the peace. As Capulet moves on, Tybalt vows that he will not let this indignity pass.

Romeo approaches Juliet, kissing her on the hand. He tries to convince her to kiss him by using religious metaphors that figure Juliet as a saint and Romeo as a pilgrim who wishes to erase his sin, since it is only through her kiss that he might be absolved. Continuing the metaphor, Juliet says that his sin is now on her lips and they must kiss again.

The Nurse arrives, breaking them up and telling Juliet that her mother is calling her. Romeo asks the Nurse who Juliet’s mother is. The Nurse replies that Lady Capulet is her mother and Romeo is devastated. In order to find out Romeo’s identity without raising any suspicions, Juliet asks the Nurse to identify a series of young men. The Nurse goes off and returns with the news that the man’s name is Romeo, and that he is a Montague.

Analysis:

The theme of youth versus old age is again evident in this scene through Capulet's interaction with his guests and relatives, particularly Tybalt. His entrance in the middle of this scene reminds the audience of the violent time in which the play is set. Conflict is seen not only between the families, but also across generations, as shown by Tybalt's conversation with Lord Capulet.

When Romeo first sees Juliet, he breaks into a sonnet, signifying his instant love for her. The first conversation between Romeo and Juliet is an extended Christian metaphor. Using this metaphor, Romeo ingeniously manages to convince Juliet to let him kiss her. The religious overtones of the conversation clearly imply that their love can be described only through the vocabulary of religion. In this way, their love becomes associated with purity.

Romeo speaks to Juliet as if she is a source of light, this carries on throughout the play; "Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!". The lovers are repeatedly associated with the dark, an association that points to the secret nature of their love because they can only meet safely at night. At the same time, the light that surrounds the lovers in each other's eyes grows brighter to the very end, when Juliet's beauty illuminates the dark of the tomb.

Juliet expresses the connection between love and hate and marriage and death: "My only love sprung from my only hate". She declares that she would die if she can't marry Romeo: "If he be married. / My grave is like to be my wedding bed". The image of death as a bridegroom for Juliet is repeated throughout the play to maintain an atmosphere of impending tragedy.

Important Quotes:

"Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall." - Tybalt

Plot Summary - Act 1