Romeo and Juliet Verona Quotes

Civil blood makes civil hands unclean quote Romeo and Juliet

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.

– William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Prologue. The opening lines of Shakespeare’s tragic love story introduces us to the ancient feud between two great houses in Verona, the Capulets and Montagues. There is irony in the repeated use of the word "civil" in the Chorus’s introductory words. While Verona’s citizens ought to be civil, we learn that their hands are metaphorically stained ("unclean") with the blood of the victims of their civil war. There is also irony in the description of the warring families being "alike in dignity," since we later learn that they are alike in their undignified behavior.

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,
To wield old partisans, in hands as old,
Canker’d with peace, to part your canker’d hate.

– William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 1. Prince Escalus launches a tirade at the patriarchs of the feuding Capulets and Montagues for their families’ involvement in three disturbances on Verona’s streets. The angry city ruler says that Verona’s elderly citizens have been forced to take off their dress clothes and pick up rusty spears to break up the fights.

Well, think of marriage now; younger than you,
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers: by my count,
I was your mother much upon these years
That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief:
The valiant Paris seeks you for his love.

– William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 3. Lady Capulet, who wants Juliet to marry Paris, tells her that there are mothers younger than Juliet in Verona. She reminds her daughter that she was already her mother at Juliet’s age of almost 14 years.

Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern’d youth:
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement.

– William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5. When Tybalt threatens to attack the "villain" Romeo, old Capulet surprisingly leaps to the defense of his Montague enemy. He urges Tybalt to leave Romeo alone and speaks of the well-mannered Romeo having a good reputation throughout Verona. Lord Capulet clearly does not want any trouble or fighting at his ball. This is situational irony, since Capulet would be expected to at least eject the uninvited Romeo Montague.

There is no world without Verona walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence-banished is banish’d from the world,
And world’s exile is death.

– William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 3. Romeo is devastated when told by Friar Laurence that he has been banished from Verona over killing Tybalt. A despairing Romeo cannot even imagine living outside Verona. He compares his exile from his beloved city to death or being tormented in hell. This is largely because it means he will be separated from Juliet.
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