Sampson doesn't have a good reason to insult the Montagues' servantsâhe's basically looking to stir up trouble because his masters (the Capulets) are feuding with the Montagues. SAMPSON No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir. SAMPSON Is the law of our side, if I say 'Ay'? Here's how it all goes down in the play:ĪBRAHAM Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Unless you're fluent in childish Elizabethan gestures ( anyone? Bueller?), you might be wondering what the what Sampson's up to when he spots the Montague's servants on the streets and announces, "I will bite my thumb at / them, which is disgrace to them if they bear it" (1.1.43-44).īasically, thumb biting, which involves biting and then flicking one's thumb from behind the upper teeth, is a Shakespearean version of flipping someone the bird and saying "nanny nanny boo boo." It's an insulting gesture that sounds just a wee bit (okay, a lot) immature.
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