The rapier, a slender thrusting sword, developed in Spain and Italy around the 16th century, spreading to dueling culture in cities like Seville and London. It emphasized skill over brute force amid changing warfare with firearms.

Rapiers star in Shakespearean plays like Romeo and Juliet, set in Verona, highlighting themes of honor and tragedy. This influenced Elizabethan and Restoration poetry exploring courtly violence and wit.