Question

in act 1, scene 1:
sampson and gregory, two servants of the house of capulet, stroll through the streets of verona. with bawdy banter, sampson vents his hatred of the house of montague. the two exchange punning remarks about \maidenheads,\ which is really about:
a. physically conquering montague men and sexually conquering montague women
b. their regret about not keeping civil peace in verona
c. their intense dislike of benvolio, specifically
d. women not being allowed to act on stage in shakespeares day

in act 1, scene 1:
the capulet servants make the highly - offensive gesture of montague servants.
a. rubbing their noses
b. biting their lips
c. pointing their middle fingers
d. biting their thumbs

Explanation:

For the first question: Sampson and Gregory's bawdy puns about "maidenheads" tie to their aggressive, hostile attitude toward the Montagues, framing dominance over both Montague men and women as an extension of the family feud.
For the second question: In Romeo and Juliet Act 1, Scene 1, the Capulet servants use the specific, offensive gesture of biting their thumbs to provoke the Montague servants, a recognized insult in the play's context.

Answer:

1. a. physically conquering Montague men and sexually conquering Montague women
2. d. biting their thumbs