The first scene of the play is significant dramatically because it really establishes the the mood of the story. The first thing the audience sees is a violent fight between members of the houses of Montague and Capulet, a fight that really takes place without provocation and will ultimately accomplish nothing. This scene demonstrates how high the tensions between the families (and even their servants!) run as well as how ridiculous and baseless their hatred for one another really is.
This scene also introduces us to both Tybalt and Benvolio. Benvolio's line, "I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, / Or manage it to part these men with me," shows us how peace-loving and reasonable and honest he is (1.1.69-70). On the other hand, Tybalt's line, "I hate the word [peace] / As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee," acquaints us with how hateful and violent he is (1.1.71-72). The introduction of these two characters adds some suspense to the tension of this scene, causing us to anticipate further violent interactions and to expect more bad behavior from Tybalt.
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