Moreover, this scene is important because it tells the audience a lot about the characters and the authority of the Prince. And yet this authority comes from ruling through the heart of violence. For example, the Prince says ‘By thee old Capulet and Montague, Have thrice disturbed the quiet of our street…’ He explains to Capulet and Montague that if anyone disturbs the peace again in this way they will be executed. This opening scene starts the play off with a violent atmosphere and this violent atmosphere continues throughout the play. This scene also tells us that the feud is encompassing: all generations and social classes are involved.
Furthermore, Act 3, Scene 1 takes place after Romeo and Juliet’s hidden marriage. Benvolio and Mercutio are lurking around the streets of Verona but Benvolio is worried and thinks they should leave in a short matter of time as their presence might cause another fight. Mercutio’s view on this is not the same; he accuses Benvolio of having a bad temper, and starting fights for no apparent reason.
In Addition to this, He claims Benvolio would walk into a bar and start a fight with anyone just because he felt like it. ‘God send me no need of thee and by the operation of the second cup draws it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need’. Benvolio is a very reasonable person but Mercutio is the type of person who would go out looking for a fight.
During this, Tybalt appears in search of Romeo, as he wants to take his fury out on him. Mercutio begins to mock Tybalt, ‘Here’s my fiddlestick; here zounds, consort!’ Romeo soon arrives but he doesn’t know Tybalt has come looking for him. Romeo wishes not to fight or argue with him, as it will be an insult upon his wife’s family, ‘Tybalt the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting; villain am I none’, Mercutio and Tybalt are unaware of anything Romeo says, so they assume Romeo is being a coward. Tybalt adds ‘Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford no better term than this, thou art a villain’.
On the other hand, Tybalt being an arrogant, forceful character does not let this go easily. He calls Romeo ‘Boy’ and says that this does not ‘excuse the injuries that thou have done me’, Romeo deliberately tries to avoid conflict submission! Mercutio cannot believe his ears. He decides to defend his friend, and he draws his sword. The two begin to fight. Tybalt ‘I am for you’, this quotation was a typical fencing challenge and it means ‘I am the one who is skilled enough to stab you into pieces.’ They both fight! Romeo tries stopping the fight but somehow Tybalt gets a sword under Romeo’s arm and wounds Mercutio then runs away. Mercutio has been seriously wounded ‘I am hurt. A plague o' both your houses! I am sped.’ Mercutio says his injury is ‘not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door’ but ‘ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.’ He also comments on the feud: ‘A plague on both your houses!’ Mercutio dies with violence at his lips. Mercutio’s page goes to fetch a doctor while Benvolio helps him to a nearby house.
After a short while, Benvolio returns and states that Mercutio is dead ‘O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio's dead! That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds, which too untimely here did scorn the earth.’ Romeo is upset and outraged when Tybalt comes back to the place of the fight, this time Romeo is prepared to fight. Romeo gets the better of Tybalt and stabs him, Tybalt dies.
Simultaneously, Benvolio realizes the magnitude of the situation, and decides that this might be a good time for the young lover to leave, ‘Romeo, away, be gone!’ Romeo agrees, and he runs away, leaving a couple of corpses behind. But then the Citizens arrive asking ‘Which way ran he that kill'd Mercutio? Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he?’
More people curiously arrive such as the Prince, Montague, Capulet, Lady Montague, Lady Capulet, and others. At this point there are a lot of questions being asked, Prince: ‘Where are the vile beginners of this fray?’ Juliet’s mother, seeing her dead nephew lying there in a pool of blood, demands that the Prince punish some of the Montagues’ blood, in revenge ‘For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.’ The Prince asks Benvolio who started it. Benvolio explains how Tybalt started it, how Romeo tried to stop it, and how Mercutio was murdered. He also explains how Romeo then lost his temper and fought Tybalt. Lady Capulet does not believe him.
In addition to this, She claims Benvolio is biased: ‘He is a kinsman to the Montague; Affection makes him false!’ She wants Romeo’s death. As Montague reminds him, Romeo's "crime" was exactly the same as the punishment that the Prince had promised, back in Act I, Scene 1. Anyone guilty of fighting was supposed to die. Tybalt fought. So, now Tybalt has died. The prince gradually announces the punishment ‘And for that offence immediately we do exile him hence:’ Romeo is thrown out of the city. The prince also says that ‘Therefore use none: let Romeo hence in haste, Else, when he's found, that hour is his last. Bear hence this body and attend our will: Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.’
Moreover, after this cruel and well-deserved announcement the scene ends. This scene has a lot of conflict and surprising actions, which Shakespeare creates to add dramatic irony, suspense, and thrillers to the play. Act three, scene one is a great turning point for Romeo; Shakespeare brings down his happiness through violence and conflict. Tybalt’s stubbornness and Mercutio’s continuous teasing cause a lot of trouble for Romeo’s future.
Finally, Act 3 Scene 5; this is the scene where Juliet refuses to marry Paris. Romeo is just preparing to leave to travel to Mantua. Juliet tries to persuade him to stay but then later realises he must go. The nurse warns them that Lady Capulet is coming and Romeo and Juliet say farewell, Romeo then leaves. Lady Capulet talks with Juliet; she turns to the question of marriage and tells Juliet to be prepared to be married in two days time. Juliet is horrified. She rejects the request, saying “I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear / It shall be Romeo-whom you know I hate- / Rather than Paris.” Lord Capulet enters the chamber. When he learns of Juliet’s determination to defy him he becomes enraged and threatens to disown Juliet if she refuses to obey him.Capulet is amazed and questions her. When she refuses again Capulet loses his temper. Capulet tells Juliet that either she marries Paris on Thursday or he will disown her. Lady Capulet and Capulet leave and Juliet turns to the nurse for comfort. This scene shows how violent Capulet is, even to his family. He throws insults at Juliet and even says, ‘My fingers itch.’ This shows that he wants to take his anger out physically using his fists.
In conclusion, the violence and the conflict that made the play not only a love story but a tragic love story. If the Montagues and the Capulets had just put all their differences aside then Romeo and Juliet would not have contained any violence and conflict Violence and conflict is one of the main themes in Romeo and Juliet which, keeps the audience entertained. All of the brawls that the two families faced showed the deep hatred towards one another. However, it is ironic that the two houses were only able to put their differences aside when they lose the two things that were most precious to them, Romeo and Juliet. This also shows how stubborn the Montagues and the Capulets were. Where ever there is romance, in some way or another there is also violence. The violence follows the romance. William Shakespeare mentions ‘two star crossed lovers’, this could symbolise fate. What ever happened was destined to take place. Shakespeare included the violence and conflict into the play to show that Romeo and Juliet was not just a love story with a happy ending.