Benvolio: Here were the servants of your adversary

And yours close fighting ere I did approach

-Romeo and Juliet,

William Shakespeare

What is the best paraphrase of Benvolio's dialogue?

A. I saw a bunch of servants fighting, and I approached them slowly.

B. I started fighting with the servants of your enemy as soon they approached me.

C. Your enemy's servants and your servants were fighting before I showed up.

C. Your enemy's servants and your servants were fighting before I showed up.

In this quote, Benvolio is talking to Lord and Lady Montague. The word adversary means enemy or the person against another. In this case, the Motague's adversaries, or enemies, are the Capulet's. He is saying that the Montague's enemies and servants were fighting. The word "ere" is short for before. It allows Shakespeare to have the correct number of syllables to keep the iambic pentameter since ere only has 1 syllable, but before has 2 syllables.

Your enemy's servants and your servants were fighting before I showed up.