The phrase "where civil blood makes civil hands unclean" is from the Prologue of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and carries a layered meaning. It refers to the violent feud between two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets, whose conflict spills over into the streets of Verona, causing ordinary citizens ("civil" meaning relating to citizens) to shed each other's blood. Thus, "civil blood" means the blood of fellow citizens, and "civil hands unclean" means that the hands of these citizens are stained with that blood, both literally and figuratively
. The word "civil" also carries a double meaning: it denotes both the community of citizens and the idea of being polite or civilized. Shakespeare uses this to create irony, as the citizens, who should be peaceful and courteous, are instead engaged in violent and uncivil behavior. Hence, "civil hands unclean" suggests that the violence has corrupted the citizens morally, making them no longer truly "civil" in the sense of being well-mannered or civilized
. In summary, the line means that the ongoing civil strife between families causes ordinary citizens to become bloodstained and morally tainted, highlighting the destructive consequences of the feud on the social fabric of Verona