Prince Escalus is understandably fed-up with all the bloody street brawls that have brought so much disorder to the city of Verona. Whatever the Prince has tried in the past to increase the peace simply hasn't worked, so a whole new approach is needed. From now on, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy; Prince Escalus intends to get tough with brawlers no matter who they are. After breaking up a potential scrap between Montague and Capulet, he lays it on the line in no uncertain terms:
If ever you disturb our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. [Act I Scene I]
In other words, anyone who gets involved in street brawls from now on will be executed. These are fighting words indeed (no pun intended), but unfortunately they turn out to be completely hollow, as Prince Escalus is roundly ignored by the warring families and their partisans. The fighting will continue and so will the bloodshed. And even when Romeo kills Tybalt, he'll be punished with exile, not death.
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