‘Well, peace be with you, sir. Here comes my man.’
Romeo is the ‘man’ that he talks about.
This is because, as the audience knows, Tybalt has questioned Romeo over his presence at the masked ball that that the Capulets held the night before. Tybalt wishes to challenge Romeo, though Romeo is unaware of this, as he has not received the letter sent to him because he has spent the night with Juliet and not returned home.
Shakespeare builds tension between Mercutio and Tybalt’s conversation before Romeo arrives as Mercutio is constantly trying to provoke Tybalt into fighting with him, but this is not making Tybalt want to fight Mercutio, only getting him more aggravated for when Romeo comes along, he manages to keep his patience with Mercutio until Romeo comes.
Romeo enters the scene and appears the happiest man in the whole of Verona as he has just married Juliet, though he must keep this a secret until a more appropriate time. Tybalt immediately approaches Romeo and pronounces him a ‘villain’. Romeo replies saying that he cannot say anything back to his remark because the reason Romeo has to love Tybalt excuses it. Romeo continues to avoid fighting Tybalt, but Mercutio thinks Romeo is teasing him by saying:
‘Tybalt the reason I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To see such a greeting. Villain am I none.
Therefore farewell; I see thou know’st me not.’
Mercutio thinks of this as teasing as he does not see any reason why Romeo could love Tybalt, and does not know of the reason that excuses his insult to Romeo, so all Mercutio can see it as is teasing. Mercutio does know however that Romeo does not want to fight Tybalt. Mercutio eventually draws his sword and he and Tybalt begin to fight.
Romeo does not want this fighting taking place, as he fears the Princes punishment and he tries to stop the fighting only to get in the way and cause injuries to Mercutio. Tybalt and the rest of the Capulets exit and leave Mercutio dying with Romeo and Benvolio.
In Mercutio’s last moments he repeats a curse over and over, ‘a plague o’ both your houses!’ This was believed to come true in the time the play was set (towards the end of the sixteenth century). The repetitive use of this phrase adds tension and a haunting effect to it and Mercutio’s last words are ‘your houses!’ which again he is repeating the phrase over.
After Mercutio leaves the scene Romeo is left on his own. He now realizes how badly Tybalt injured Mercutio and that they have only been cousins for barely a few hours.
Benvolio returns and tells Romeo that Mercutio has died. Romeo replies ‘This days black fate on mo days doth depend’ meaning the unfortunate things that have happened throughout the day are sure to threaten other days. He is saying here that other people are sure to die, which becomes true as Tybalt is later killed.
Tybalt enters and Romeo’s guilt for his friends death turns into anger for Tybalt, ‘fire-ey’d fury be my conduct now!’ He now wishes his anger could guide him to kill Tybalt so Tybalt’s soul could join Mercutios. They fight and Romeo kills Tybat. Benvolio tells Romeo to run away because of the consequences and Romeo realizes he has been foolish and remembers the Prince’s words, he leaves the scene.
The Prince enters, followed by the Capulet’s and Montague’s. Benvolio tells them how events took place, and Lady Capulet insists on Romeo’s death. Instead Prince Escalus banishes Romeo from Verona and if he returns he shall then be killed.
Throughout the scene we see many different moods Romeo experiences, from him being ecstatically happy when he marries Juliet, loving and honest when first confronted by Tybalt, brave when he intervenes, guilty when Tybalt has killed Mercutio, as he was in the way. Angry, when Tybalt then re-enters the scene and single-minded when it comes to fighting Tybalt as he looks for no other solution to his guilt or the consequences and finally he feels foolishness when he does realize the consequences of his actions against Tybalt.
