We discover in the play that Tybalt hates Romeo because he is of the Montague family. In Act 3 scene 1 Tybalt is furious at Romeo’s friends but mainly at Romeo because they gate crashed the Capulets’ party. Tybalt felt as if they were being imprudent towards the Capulets’ and their guests.
Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt because Romeo is now related to Tybalt by his marriage to Juliet, and so refuses to fight him. Tybalt is now his cousin by marriage. Romeo doesn’t want to get into a fight, so he ignores Tybalt’s abrupt remarks, and tries to make peace. For example “… good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own, be satisfied.” This establishes that Romeo wants to get on with Tybalt for the sake of his true love, Juliet. This shows the contrast between love and hate because Romeo won’t fight because of his love for Juliet overpowers his hate for Tybalt.
Mercutio feels the need for vengeance because Tybalt mocks him and Romeo, but Romeo will not fight so Mercutio feels it is his duty in honour of the Capulets’ to fight, Mercutio is also very hung up on the offensive remarks Tybalt said both about him and Romeo.
Although we learn a lot about the power of hate in this scene, we also see the power of love and devotion towards friends. We see the powerful force of love when Romeo puts aside his hatred towards Montague’s and refuses to fight Tybalt because they are now related because of his utmost adoration for Juliet. We also see the power of love within a friendship between Romeo and Mercutio, Romeo is distraught when Tybalt stabbed Mercutio. For example “My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt in my behalf.” This implies Romeo feels guilty that his friend got stabbed under his own arm and he only fought because he didn’t like Tybalt mocking his best friend. Romeo goes to get revenge on Tybalt because he killed an innocent man. Romeo kills him; this shows that Romeo and Mercutio’s friendship was very powerful and dear in many ways to the both of them, because they both fought to honour each other.
Tybalt says that Romeo is a ‘villain’; this word means a slave or tramp. Tybalt uses words like this to antagonise Mercutio and Romeo to them fight back. Tybalt’s words intend to pick a fight whereas Romeos words are used to avoid one. Tybalt uses this language to make Mercutio and Romeo feel low and angry, so they will fight him. In Act 3 scene 1 we go the impression hat emotions are running high and that the characters are probably shouting because they are antagonising each other. Rhetorical questions are used to show the characters such as Mercutio, are trying to entice Tybalt into fighting, the rhetorical questions are also sarcastic. For example “And but one word with one of us?” Mercutio says Tybalt sarcastically; the line implies that Mercutio is being sarcastic towards Tybalt and starting a quarrel because of his ignorance. Exclamation marks are used to insult each other, cursing one another; they are also used when people are angry and confused. For example “A plague o’both your house!” Mercutio yells out this phrase after he was stabbed, and was staggering around, he is cursing both the houses because of their arguments has caused him, an innocent person, to die and he didn’t have anything to do with it.
Shakespeare uses language like ‘villain’ and sarcastic to create a tense conversation because at the start of the scene Mercutio and Tybalt are antagonising one another, which creates an emotional effect on this scene.
I think act 3 scene 1 should be directed in a street with the characters yelling and their tone of their voices should start off sarcastic and proud of them selves. When Romeo enters the scene have the tone more tense and sad. Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio will be standing at on end of the street with Tybalt and his friends at the other end. After Tybalt stabs Mercutio, Tybalt will be looking afraid and concerned for his own well-being because he takes into account what the prince said in Act 1 scene 1 that anyone from either of the houses starts a brawl and disrupts the peace in the streets of Verona will be executed. Tybalt will then ride off with his friends being afraid, leaving Mercutio staggering around. Romeo and Benvolio will be in shock and confused while Mercutio is still stumbling around dying however still complaining. Romeo and Mercutio will then realise that Mercutio is joking, their confused looks will then turn into a depressed, gloomy look and they will have tears un their eyes and rush down to be by Mercutio’s body, then Romeo will burst into tears as he realises Tybalt has killed his best friend.
Mercutio curses the houses by saying “a plague ‘o both your houses”. Plague meaning nuisance, which symbolises the arguments and ancient grudge between the Capulet’s and Montague’s’. He said this because he got killed for no reason, he wasn’t of either of the houses but he got killed because of the grudge between both of the houses. Mercutio said this line more than once because he is so angry with both of the families because he didn’t deserve die, and the only reason he did was because of the feud between the families, and he wants the grudge to end because more innocent people will die because of it. When you look at what happens at the end of the play, this line symbolises the future consequence of the feud. “A plague ‘o both your houses” Mercutio says this in hope that something horrible will happen to both of the houses causing pain and upset to both of them, making them make peace. This curse is wreaking the lives of people in Verona and is disrupting the peace, which the people are used too, and Mercutio believes that neither of the houses is worth dying for. This line reassemblies a prediction because Romeo and Juliet ‘a pair of star-crossed lovers’ kill themselves because of their families conflict with each other.
Even though Mercutio is dying at the end of Act 3 scene 1, he still manages to turn a tragic situation into a pun. “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.” By Mercutio still joking and then being serious has a more serious dramatic effect on the scene, because he plays on words but also curses the two families.
At the beginning of Act 3 scene 1 Benvolio sets the scene to show that there might be a fight. For example “the day is hot, the Capulets abroad; for now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” This implies that Benvolio seems to be aware that roaming the streets on such a hot day might lead to trouble. The word ‘hot’ symbolises anger and fury. As the day is hot and each person of the Montague and Capulet hate each other so much makes this scene and the fight very dramatic. Shakespeare’s language also builds on the affect of the fight making it more serious and dramatic
The cultures of fighting in the 13th Century in Italy were that any man would fight to honour their family name. A family name was extremely important and men would go to great lengths to honour their family name. Men were greatly respected by women because men were better than women. Women had to obey male relatives if they weren’t married and if they were they had to obey their husbands.
The school of fencing taught pupils that they must only fight with a proper cause. The two main causes were: being accused of a major crime, and matters of personal of family honour. The second of these causes gives Tybalt his reason to fight Romeo as Romeo and his friends’ gatecrashed the Capulets party, Tybalt saw this as Romeo mocking the Capulet family so challenges him to fight and to honour his family name.
The audience know that Romeo and Juliet have got married unlike Mercutio, Benvolio and Tybalt. By the audience knowing this makes the scene more dramatic and tense because Romeo’s feelings are very different in comparison to Mercutio’s and Tybalt’s. Romeo is happy and in love and doesn’t want to fight whereas Tybalt and Mercutio both are filled with fury and anger and want to fight each other.
I think Mercutio should die on stage because it would show how Romeo and Benvolio would run to be by Mercutio’s side. It would also shows how hurt Romeo is and we will see Romeo change from a calm, loving and happy man into a furious outraged human beast.
After Romeo killed Tybalt, Benvolio says, “The Prince will doom thee death.” This line is more dramatic to the audience because we know that Romeo and Juliet are truly in love and are now married, meaning that Romeo will be taken away from his beloved, Juliet and might not see her again.
Act 3 scene 1 reveals the impact of hatred and vengeance on Romeo. At first Romeo puts aside his true feelings towards Tybalt aside for the love of his new wife, Juliet, but when Mercutio is killed under Romeo’s arm, Romeo feels guilty and feels the need for revenge. Romeo blames Juliet for making him cowardly “Thy beauty hath made me effeminate.” Even though he knows what will happen to him if he kills Tybalt, Romeo still goes ahead and kills him because Mercutio was his best friend and meant a lot to him.
At the start of the scene Romeo is very happy and calm because he has just come back from his secret marriage to his one true love, Juliet. Romeo is calm and under control for ignoring the challenges that Tybalt throws at him and Romeo also reflects Tybalt’s words straight back at him.
Romeo would not fight Tybalt at the beginning of the scene of his love for Juliet and Romeo was Tybalt’s cousin because of the marriage. Romeo was willing to fight Tybalt at the end of the scene because Tybalt killed his best friend that didn’t deserve to die and was not of either of the houses. Romeo thought Tybalt should pay for killing Mercutio, which he would have by the Prince, however Romeo felt he needed to kill him in honour of his friend. This shows that Romeo’s actions were based around vengeance than hate, Romeo’s hate for Tybalt made Tybalt’s death more dramatic but vengeance drove Romeo to kill Tybalt.
Romeo found his other half, his one true love, Juliet, he blocked every other thing in his life out because all he could think about was his love for Juliet and how much he meant to her, and how she made him feel, everything was perfect and there could be nothing wrong in it because she was in the world. In this situation it proves that love is much stronger than hate, however where there is normally love there is also hate involved. Romeo’s love for Juliet is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that overcomes all other values and emotions. Love makes you feel special whereas hate brings our emotions down.
At the end of the scene we see Romeo’s rage overcome love for his beloved Juliet. Juliet’s love cannot stop him from killing Tybalt because Mercutio died underneath Romeo’s arm and he feels guilty, and Romeo’s love within Mercutio and Romeo’s friendship is broken into millions of pieces. Rage drives Romeo, as his friend is now dead. Romeo was acting on his emotions; he was in anguish for losing his best friend.
This scene reveals the impact of hatred and vengeance on Mercutio. The scene reveals the impact of hatred mainly. Mercutio hates the Capulets, that’s why he was so keen to gatecrash the Capulets party, although he isn’t of either of the houses. The main reason why Mercutio is willing to have a quarrel with the Capulets at the start if the scene is because Tybalt enters the scene in such a rude manner. In act 3 scene 1 Mercutio is playing around as he is a very witty man and he is very quick to condemn others for faults he shares. Mercutio’s sense of honour for his friend makes him fight Tybalt. This conveys that Mercutio is a very loyal friend to Romeo even though he is very sarcastic yet a master of words; he can constitute a pun within seconds, as he is tremendously clever.
At the start of Act 3 scene 1 Mercutio is just being his bitter, sarcastic self as a joke, but things start to heat up and get nasty when Romeo enters the scene, Tybalt insults Romeo. For example “well peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.” In the sixteenth century a ‘man’ was meant as an insult, meaning servant. Tybalt calling Romeo a man really upset Mercutio and turned from playing around into a furious serious person.
Mercutio then got mad at Romeo because he refused to fight and Mercutio saw this as a cowardly act. Mercutio decides to fight Tybalt instead, Romeo tries to stop them, Romeo steps between them, and holds Mercutio’s under his arm, but Tybalt thrusts his sword under Romeo’s arm, going into Mercutio and wounding him. Mercutio blames Romeo for getting hurt because Romeo detested fighting then steps in the way, causing Mercutio to get hurt.
It is fair to say that Mercutio does not really hate he just wants to defend the honour of his friend, this justifies that Mercutio is a true loyal friend and in this situation would fight in honour of Romeo. Mercutio feels Romeo is responsible for his death, by Romeo getting in the way, and because of this Mercutio gets stabbed. I think this situation could happen in any century because it shows the power of a friendship in this state of affairs the friendship between Romeo and Mercutio is extremely powerful.
Tybalt enters this scene quite aggressively because he is extremely annoyed at Romeo for gate crashing the Capulets party. Tybalt saw Romeo at the party and thought they were insulting the Capulets. As Romeo enters the scene Tybalt stops petty fighting with Mercutio and starts seriously insulting Romeo. For example “Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford no better term than this, thou art a villain.” Tybalt is of the Capulets and Romeo of the Montague’s house, which are in conflict with one another; both Romeo and Tybalt were brought up being taught to hate each other. The houses are bitter enemies. The main reason for Tybalt’s hatred fro Romeo, is that Romeo is a Montague, a sworn enemy.
At the start of this scene Tybalt doesn’t want to fight Mercutio even though Mercutio is willing to fight, but as soon as Romeo declines his challenge and Mercutio re-challenges Tybalt, he is more than willing to fight him even thought Tybalt doesn’t really have a problem with him. Tybalt accepts Mercutio’s challenge because he is taunting him and a he is a very close friend of Romeo. Mercutio is willing to fight Tybalt on behalf of his friend.
As a character Tybalt is the most hateful one, Shakespeare uses him to show us what hate will eventually do to people, and how his actions reflect his personality. I think Tybalt is the main character that is carrying on the ancient grudge by always being ready to start a fight, and making things worse. I think that Tybalt is very proud of his family and honours his family name; he is a passionate young person who gets caught up in the family feud.
Of the two deaths, which occurred in this scene. I think Tybalt is the main person to blame because he came onto the scene in a rude manner and got himself into a fight with Mercutio although Mercutio did provoke it. Also as Tybalt killed Mercutio you would expect him to stay away from Romeo, however Tybalt re-enters the scene still wanting to fight Romeo, it is only because of Romeo’s anger towards Tybalt that made Tybalt die.
Act 3 scene 1 is so exciting and dramatic because it shows us the value of love and how hate can drive us. It also shows us the power of friendship between Romeo and Mercutio and how a death of a loved one can overtake all the emotions of one’s body. In this scene we see the consequences for peoples actions. The contrast between light and dark and life and death, shows how closely they are linked.
After Romeo kills Tybalt he says, “O, I am fortunes fool!” Romeo said this because anger drove him to kill and now he has to pay for his actions. Romeo changed his fortune for his love and himself, he blames fate. Fate is an important theme in this play. We are told in the prologue Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed-that fate is against them. It seems as if, whatever they do, they cannot avoid their tragic ending.
From this point things go wrong for Romeo and Juliet because Romeo has broken the law, his anger and vengeance drove him to kill, yet this is no excuse for his actions. Romeo is banished from Verona, meaning also taken away from his loved one, Juliet. Romeo changed his future by killing Tybalt, if Romeo had just left Tybalt alone and let the Prince make Tybalt suffer for killing Mercutio, then Romeo would have still been able to be with the one he loved.
I think hatred and vengeance affected each character in a different way, more on some than others. I think hatred drove all three of them on a same level yet vengeance didn’t affect Mercutio much. The vengeance level between Romeo and Tybalt was very high, they both wanted revenge but at different times and for different reasons.
We shouldn’t blame the Capulets and Montagues fo the deaths because they were old enough to know that fighting won’t solve anything, but because it is an ancient grudge they let it go too far, death was always threatened. People will learn from their own mistakes, and not by age.
We learn from this play the dangers of hating whole groups of people based on trivial things. Not every grudge will end sweetly as we find out in Romeo and Juliet; people suffered for their actions, each person got what they deserved from the families. Prejudging is a danger because the Capulet’s and Montague’s are very alike. This play shows the lengths that some people will go to, to protect and honour their family name, no matter what the consequences are for their actions.