Romeo Mercutio Tybalt
Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy by William Shakespeare, written in the 16th century. It tells the story of two, young, ‘star-cross'd' lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, who can't be together because of their feuding families. Act 3, Scene 1 is the climax of the play, in which two deaths occur.
The scene opens with Mercutio and Benvolio on a hot summer afternoon in Verona's market square. Mercutio is teasing Benvolio when Tybalt arrives and asks for a word with one of them. Mercutio replies with witty insults, whilst Benvolio pleads with the two men to take their argument somewhere private. Then the newly wed Romeo enters. Unaware of Juliet's marriage, Tybalt calls him a villain, but is shocked by Romeo's calm reaction. Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel but he refuses. Mercutio, outraged that his friend won't fight, draws his own sword and declares that he will take Romeo's place. He and Tybalt begin to fight, so Romeo attempts to restore peace by stepping between them. Tybalt then stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm. As Mercutio is dying, he curses both families, blaming both for his doomed fate, but still manages to come out with witticisms. He is carried away accompanied by Benvolio, who breaks the news that Mercutio had died. Romeo, torn between love, anger and loyalty, blames Juliet for making him effeminate and says he should have fought Tybalt. When Tybalt re-enters, Romeo duels and kills him. Benvolio urges Romeo to hide before he is arrested and executed. Romeo is full of despair but runs away before an angry group of citizens, the two families and the Prince arrive. The Prince demands an explanation from Benvolio, who tells the story truthfully, emphasizing on Romeo's attempt to maintain peace. Lady Capulet accuses Benvolio of lying to protect the Montagues, and demands Romeo's life, whilst Montague says that Romeo couldn't have killed Mercutio, but Tybalt deserved to die because he murdered Mercutio. The Prince listens to their pleas, but chooses to exile Romeo, rather than execute him.
The atmosphere at the beginning of the scene is light-hearted, with Mercutio talking to Benvolio,
“Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.”
Benvolio, remembering the Prince's threat, is wary of being outside because the Capulets are out in the streets and if they meet, a brawl would be unavoidable. Mercutio tells Benvolio not to criticise others for their hot tempers because Benvolio has a temper as quick as any other man. This is merely a light banter, but Benvolio's words foreshadow the events that are to come. Mercutio uses many puns and imagery when he is explaining,
“… thou wilt quarrel with a man for cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes.”
He is telling the audience more about himself because the behaviour described suits his personality more than Benvolio's, because he is more likely to fight anyone over anything. The puns Mercutio uses are very clever, e.g. hazel nuts and hazel-coloured eyes, and he uses imagery to describe the different scenarios.
Mercutio seems calmer at the start, which could be due to the heat, compared to the energy he has when Tybalt arrives,
“Tybalt
Follow me, for I will speak to them.
Gentleman, good den, a word with one of you.
Mercutio
And but one word with one of us? couple it with something, make it a word and a blow.”
Mercutio and Tybalt are having a battle of wits. Mercutio suggest they fight, to which Tybalt agrees, if Mercutio provokes him, which shows that the characters are becoming aggressive. Mercutio is aware that Tybalt is here to see them about gatecrashing Capulet's party, and shows that he is very proud of it through his arrogance. Mercutio taunts him further when Tybalt asks to see Romeo,
“Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords.”
Mercutio provokes Tybalt by deliberately mistaking his meaning. He is trying to humiliate Tybalt by joking that Tybalt thinks of them as minstrels, which was considered degrading and insulting. Shakespeare uses a metaphor, which turns Tybalt's plain sentence into an insult by Mercutio, adding impact to the scene and getting the characters worked up.
Benvolio is shown pleading to the two men, fearing that the insults may have a devastating effect,
“We talk here in the public haunt of men:
Either withdraw unto some private place…”
Benvolio lives up to his name's meaning, peacemaker. He tries to get Tybalt and Mercutio to reason with each other or take their fight somewhere private. Benvolio is scared of the consequences and reminds the others that the Prince had forbidden each family to fight in public. Mercutio's pride comes through when he refuses to leave,
“Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze; I will not budge for no man's pleasure, I.”
He has a strong personality because he is not bothered by the Prince's threat, and is basically providing entertainment for the other characters by fighting in public. The repetition of ‘I' shows Mercutio is serious because he is making sure people know that he is prepared to fight in the market square. Both Mercutio and Tybalt are egotistical because they are both pushing boundaries and think that the Prince is not being serious about the hostility between the two families.
When Romeo enters the scene, Tybalt goes straight into a provocation,
“No better term than this: thou art a villain.”
Calling someone a villain was a very serious insult in Shakespeare's time, since it meant commoner. It would have been offensive to a nobleman, like Romeo, but Tybalt knows what he is doing and is expecting Romeo to retaliate. His insult shows how badly he took to Montagues being at a Capulet party, and how outraged he was when his uncle had forbidden him to confront them. Tybalt is furious when Romeo replies in a calm manner,
“Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting. Villain am I none;
Therefore farewell, I see thou knowest me not.”
Since Romeo is now Tybalt's kinsman, he refuses to fight him. Only Friar Lawrence knows about the marriage, so Tybalt doesn't understand why Romeo is being so kind to him. Tybalt, confused and furious, continues to taunt him,
“Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw.”
Tybalt is trying to stir him up by using the term ‘boy'. He is degrading Romeo and showing that he is superior. Tybalt is still very bitter about the party so he tells Romeo to draw his sword and fight.
Mercutio is shocked and can't bear to see his friend back down,
“O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
‘Alla stoccata' carries it away [Draws]
Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk?”
He criticises Romeo, saying that Tybalt has won over him. Mercutio shows a sense of honour, believing he must he must fight in Romeo's place, so that the Montagues are not disgraced. Personification is used when Mercutio uses ‘alla stoccata', a fencing term, as a name for Tybalt. He is trying to upset Tybalt by ridiculing his supposed fencing skill. Even when the mood starts to become serious, Mercutio manages to use humour in his speech,
“Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives…”
This is a pun on his previous insult. An obvious ‘rat catcher' is a cat, which in traditional folklore has nine lives. Mercutio is serious now, with the intent to kill Tybalt, meaning he's getting worked up and irritated.
The scene's atmosphere changed almost suddenly when Romeo intervened because it gave Tybalt the chance to stab Mercutio. Since he knows that he is going to die, Mercutio has a change of mind,
“A plague a'both your houses!”
Mercutio has now started speaking in prose, not verse. This shows that the situation has changed. Mercutio blames both families for the feud, which has now resulted in his casualty. He still retains arrogance, because he believes the feud is the cause of his eventual death, and not his personal behaviour, e.g. the insults and provocations.
The other characters doubt that he is badly hurt, because Mercutio still uses puns in his speech,
“Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.”
Since he is a comical character, the other men think that this is just another one of his jokes. Mercutio is now very sure of his death but his speech shows he isn't ready, because he is dismissing the reality. He is bitter because he believes Romeo's intervention gave Tybalt the chance to stab him. Mercutio's final words are full of resentment,
“Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or I shall faint. A plague a'both your houses!”
The repetition of ‘a plague a'both your houses' is very powerful. As well as expressing Mercutio's emotions, it is repeated three times, turning it into a curse. Those words are like a summary for the rest of the play, telling the audience that there is a sad ending. Mercutio changes his mind on his deathbed, detaching himself from the Montagues. He feels like the victim in all this, because the feud and fuel was nothing to do with him, but he's the one who got himself involved so he has to deal with the consequences. When Mercutio asks Benvolio to assist him, it is the final blow for Romeo, because his closest friend wants nothing to do with him. Mercutio dies offstage because in Shakespearean times, the stage was a raised open area, with only a door for the actors to enter and exit. It would have been awkward for the actor playing Mercutio to get up and walk off when he is supposedly dead, but it may have been possible for him to be carried off.
Romeo is left confused, and is left with a tough decision,
“My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf; my reputation stain'd…”
He is torn between loyalty and love. Tybalt may be his cousin now, but Romeo feels that he must avenge Mercutio's death because his friend was stabbed under his arm. Romeo blames Juliet for making him effeminate, and by marrying her he was unable to fight Tybalt. He owes it to Mercutio to kill Tybalt, but he worries Juliet might reject him. Benvolio re-enters the scene. He breaks the news that Mercutio has died, so Romeo has to decide,
“This day's black fate on moe days doth depend,
This but begins the woe others must end.”
This moment is the turning point for Romeo, because he must make a decision. He is trying to explain that the fatal consequences of the day's events will start more bad days in the future. A rhyming couplet is used here to bring the audience's interest back to the play. The rhyming couplet is like a cliffhanger, creating suspense and tension.
When Tybalt returns, Romeo is full of rage,
“Away to heaven, respective lenity,
And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now!”
Romeo tells Tybalt that any respect for him is gone, and that he is so angry, that his fury will control his actions. Although he thought about Juliet before, he quickly forgets about her when Tybalt comes back. He also gives an ultimatum: Tybalt, Romeo or both of them must die. Benvolio urges Romeo to run away after Tybalt is killed. Romeo finally realises what he has done,
“O, I am fortune's fool.”
Alliteration is used to keep the audience interested. The exclamation of ‘O' shows the despair Romeo is going through. From the moment he killed Tybalt, he lost Juliet because Romeo will never be able to see her again, since he is a wanted man now.
Despite vowing that he would punish the two families, if there were any more public fights between them, the Prince is a fair man,
“Where are the vile beginners of this bloody fray?”
The Prince shows he is a good ruler, by making no assumptions or holding any biased opinions. Benvolio, being the only main character that wasn't involved in the duelling, speaks up,
“There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.”
This speech by Benvolio is a catch-up for the audience. Although he is getting Romeo in trouble, Benvolio wants the truth to be told, so that there is no dispute about the day's events.
Another rhyming couplet is used to explain Lady Capulet's reaction,
“Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child!
O Prince! O husband! O, the blood is spill'd
Of my dear kinsmen. Prince, as thou art true,
For blood if ours, shed blood of Montague.
O cousin, O cousin!”
It seems that Lady Capulet was very close to Tybalt, so she takes his death badly. She feels that the best way to avenge his death is to demand that Romeo's life be taken as well. ‘O' is repeated many times to show the shock and devastation she is going through.
The Prince goes to Benvolio for the truth, revealing that he knows that Benvolio is trustworthy. Benvolio begins his long narrative,
“An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;
But by and by comes backs to Romeo,
Who had but newly entertain'd revenge…”
Benvolio's account of the fighting describes the aggression between Tybalt and Mercutio, which is contrasted with Romeo's attempts to keep peace. Benvolio has also stopped talking in verse and explains the story in prose to show the seriousness of the situation. Since Benvolio is a Montague, Lady Capulet doesn't believe his version of events,
“He is a kinsman to the Montague,
Affection makes him false, he speaks not true…”
Lady Capulet's biased accusation is exaggerated, but she is correct. Benvolio doesn't mention Mercutio's provocations and implies that Tybalt was the only aggressor. Lord Montague defends his son, saying Romeo did the right thing because Tybalt deserved to die. The Prince listens to their pleas, but his final decision is tragic for Romeo and Juliet,
“…Let Romeo hence in haste,
Else, when he is found, that hour is his last.”
The Prince doesn't sentence Romeo to death, but exiles him, because Romeo executed a murderer. But it was unlawfully done and Romeo didn't seek permission beforehand, so he had to be punished. The sentence was lightened because Benvolio insists that Tybalt had started the quarrel and murdered Mercutio, stressing that Mercutio was the Prince's kinsman. The Prince believes that pardoning murderers will only lead to more murders. He uses ‘I' a lot, which shows power not arrogance, telling the characters and audience that he is the law in Verona, so whatever he says should not be questioned.
Romeo is an extremely complex character, with emotions ranging from love to revenge. He has an impulsive personality, acting quickly to situations, e.g. marrying Juliet after meeting her the previous night. Romeo is unable to control his feelings in extreme circumstances, like Mercutio's death, which drove him to kill Tybalt. Romeo is also fiercely loyal, and very close, to Benvolio and Mercutio, but loyalty lead to his doomed fate. Since he grew up in one of two feuding families, Romeo has only ever experienced hatred between the Montagues and the Capulets, so he values Juliet's love, even though she is his lifelong enemy.
Although she isn't in the scene, Juliet is affected by the day's action. After Romeo nearly left her widowed, she now has to deal with his exile. Juliet can't leave Verona with her husband, because he had just killed her cousin and she is dependent on her family for money. It would also be suspicious if she disappeared, since her family weren't aware of the marriage and it would be humiliating for the Capulets. As well having to cope with Romeo's exile and Tybalt's death, Juliet is courted by Count Paris, a potential husband. In the 16th century, people weren't expected to live to an old age, so her parents are keen to marry her off quickly, so that she would have a secure future. Lord Capulet thinks that Juliet is too young to marry at thirteen, but the family's status would be enhanced because Paris is wealthy and respected.
With his quick wit and loud personality, Mercutio is a known joker and scene-stealer. He constantly jokes and puns, but his decease is a significant part of the play. Before, the play was a comedy, turned into a tragedy by his death. This starts off the events that ultimately lead to the tragic fates of many characters. Mercutio is a source of tension in the scene, getting Tybalt worked up with insults and taunts. He blames both families, not fate, for his death, but still manages to make one final pun, “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.”
In this scene, Tybalt exhibits a fiery personality, fuelled by his rage from the party. In the 1968 Zeffirelli film adaptation of the play, Tybalt's main costume colour scheme was red and orange, to reflect this. His emotions are expressed through the few lines he has, angry because Romeo was at a Capulet party, and resentful towards his uncle for forbidding from duelling a Montague. Like Mercutio, Tybalt is very loyal to his family, protecting them from any humiliation, even going to drastic measures when Capulets are offended. Tybalt is shown as a victim to Mercutio's bullying, insulted with clever witticisms, and provoked to a point where he was determined to kill Mercutio. His return to the scene was unlucky, with Romeo furious and enraged, prepared to duel to death.
Benvolio is Romeo's cousin and one of his closest friends. His most valued characteristic is his non-confrontational way of dealing with the Montague-Capulet feud, refusing to fight when threatened, and generally trying to keep peace between the families.
The scene is the height of tension, in which the play makes the transition from a comedy to a tragedy. Act 3, Scene 1 occurs immediately after Romeo and Juliet's marriage, which explains the kindness Romeo shows his new cousin, Tybalt. Many emotions are shown, from humour, when Mercutio jokes around, to guilt and despair, when Romeo is forced to kill Tybalt. The change of speech, e.g. verse to prose, shows the sadness coming from both families after the deaths of two significant characters. The separation of these two deaths, i.e. Tybalt was not murdered straight after Mercutio, adds tension, as does the entire scene itself, leaving the audience wondering about the fate of the other characters.
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