Question

What does this excerpt from act 1 of Romeo and Juliet reveal about the Montague-Capulet feud?

ABRAHAM: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON: I do bite my thumb, sir.
ABRAHAM: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
SAMPSON: (aside to GREGORY) Is the law of our side, if I say ay?
GREGORY: No.
SAMPSON: No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir.
GREGORY: Do you quarrel, sir?
ABRAHAM: Quarrel sir! no, sir.
SAMPSON: If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you.
ABRAHAM: No better.
SAMPSON: Well, sir.
GREGORY: Say 'better:' here comes one of my master's kinsmen.
SAMPSON: Yes, better, sir.
ABRAHAM: You lie.
SAMPSON: Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow.

Answer 1

The Capulet-Montague feud is petty, foolish, and easily blown out of proportion.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sampson and Gregory represent the House of Capulet, and Abraham and Balthasar represent the House of Montague. The two families are in a feud, an argument, that touches everyone even the slightest bit related to them. Because of it, apparently you can’t even walk on the street in Verona without a fight starting.

Abraham and Balthasar’s fight starts pretty harmlessly. They are walking along in the street (with weapons, of course), when Sampson insults them. He does so slyly and silently, with what would be the alike of the modern middle finger. Abraham calls him out on it.

Answer 2

This lines would reveal the obedience among members of each family. It might show how everybody should respect their place and not try to step up the family. Respect and submission could be portrayed here, by the use of questions, it seems that one is questioning the other on the place he has and if he is willing to challenge it.