a) The beginning of the play sets the stage with a street brawl involving the servants and members of the Montague and Capulet families, sworn enemies of Verona.
b) Later, after the Capulet ball, Tybalt, a hot-headed Capulet relative, engages Romeo in a sword fight.
c) Tybalt also gets into a fight with Mercutio, Romeo's close friend, which escalates the tension and leads to Mercutio's death when Romeo intervenes to try separating them.