Act 3 Scene 1 opens with Mercutio and Benvolio walking along the hot dry streets of Verona and it contains many references to the heat like this for example: “For now these days, is the mad blood stirring” which is said by Benvolio which means because it Is so hot we will get hot and bothered if we meet the. So even before they meet the Capulets they already are hot and frustrated so meeting their enemy is the last thing they would want. Also at the very beginning Benvolio tries to get Mercutio to go home with him: “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire” as Benvolio knows that they probably will meet the Capulets. At this stage of the scene the tension is probably at half stage.
When Tybalt and the Capulets arrive, Tybalt isn’t looking to fight Mercutio but Mercutio raises the tension by taunting Tybalt “ Make it a word and a blow” says Mercutio which angers Tybalt as he is looking for Romeo. Mercutio then carries on taunting, goading and spoiling for a fight with Mercutio which eventually in turn leads to the two of them fighting and Mercutio being killed by Tybalt behind Romeos back.
When Romeo arrives fresh from his secret marriage to Juliet there is a sense of Dramatic Irony in his words as he talks of his love and friendship to Tybalt: “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 know'st me not”
Tybalt takes this as though Romeo is winding him up but in fact Romeos words are completely truthful. This angers Tybalt even more and then that is when the violence begins.
Mercutio responds to Romeos unwillingness to fight by in turn fighting Tybalt. When the fight begins you cannot tell if both men intend to kill but as it goes on the tension increases more and more by every blow. In the end as Romeo pulls away Mercutio they turn there back on Tybalt and he stabs Mercutio around the kidney area. Then Tybalt and the Capulets run away and Mercutio reveals he is wounded but the Montague’s don’t think it is too serious. Mercutio then begins his speech on how the two houses should be cursed: “A plague on both your house” is one line from this speech and the he ends up collapsing and dieing in front of all the Montague’s.
When Romeo realises Mercutio is dead he has so much anger towards Tybalt so he chases him down and offers a fight. This anger is partly in guilt as he feels it is partly his fault that Mercutio died. He remembers one line that Mercutio said: “Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm”. This is why he feels it was his fault.
Then the tension rises even more as Romeo fights with Tybalt and kills him. Panic erupts and the riot is stopped by the arrival of the Prince who wants an explanation. He says: “Where are the vile beginners of this fray?” Benvolio explains by saying it is partly Romeos and Tybalts fault. As Tybalt is dead the older members of the Capulet house blame it on Romeo and demand he is punished to the prince. The prince then banishes Romeo from the city of Verona.
The overall pace of this scene is very fast and there is very high tension in this scene. This is mainly because two people are killed and a huge sector of the scene is spent battling.
