Read the excerpt from Act I, scene i of Romeo and Juliet.


Capulet: What noise is this? Give me my long sword, h!

Lady Capulet: A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?

Capulet: My sword, I say! Old Montague is come,

And flourishes his blade in spite of me.


What is the purpose of this dialogue?


to foreshadow the tragedy

to describe the setting

to provide comic relief

to help build suspense