Abram

Question

You lie.

Sampson

Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy washing blow.

(They fight.)

Benvolio

Part, fools! Put up your swords, you know not what you do.

(Beats down their swords)

Enter Tybalt

Tybalt.

What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?

Turn thee benvolio, look upon thy death

What does Shakespeare achieve with the stage directions in this excerpt?

A. He provides details about the plots resolution
B. He provides clues about what occurred in the past
C. He provides hints about how the story will end
D. He provides exposition about action in the scene

Answer 1

The correct answer is D. He provides exposition about action in the scene.

Shakespeare's use of stage directions in this excerpt sets the stage for the conflict between the characters, indicating that a fight is about to occur and that tensions are high. The actions of Benvolio trying to separate the fighters, and Tybalt's aggressive challenge, give insight into the current state of affairs in the plot without providing resolution, past occurrences, or predictions about the conclusion of the story.