The fight has quite a big effect on the rest of the play because it has a direct link to Romeo being banished to Mantua. I think it also helps to introduce some of the main characters and their characteristics into the play. It introduces the main families the Capulets and the Montagues. The main young characters which are introduced in this scene are, Benvolio and Mercutio.
Act 3 Scene 1
In this scene Mercutio and Tybalt are killed in the fighting. The scene happens in the streets of Verona.
Mercutio and Benvolio try to avoid the fighting. Benvolio suggests to Mercutio that they should go home, “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire: The day is hot, the capels are abroad.” This shows that Benvolio does not wish to fight with Capulets.
Mercutio is in a playful mood, showing off to his friends. When Tybalt arrives Mercutio starts making fun of him. When Tybalt arrives he is looking for Romeo to start a fight with him, because Romeo was at the Capulet party without being invited. When Mercutio sees Tybalt he says to Benvolio “By my heel I care not”. This shows that he does not care that Tybalt is there.
When Mercutio speaks to Tybalt there is some friction between them. “And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow”. Mercutio says to Tybalt “I will not budge for no man’s pleasure”. This tells us that he is not afraid of Tybalt and is prepared to fight him.
Tybalt tries to make Romeo fight with him by saying, “thou art a villain”. This is an insult to Romeo who is of noble birth. Romeo tries to ignore the insults that Tybalt is saying to him. Tybalt orders Romeo to take out his sword and fight with him. Tybalt wants to fight with Romeo because Romeo was at the Capulet party.
Mercutio says to Tybalt “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! … Will you walk?” Tybalt’s reply to that is “I am for you”. This leads to Mercutio and Tybalt starting a fight. Mercutio’s death is upsetting for Romeo, as he died trying to stop Tybalt fighting with Romeo. “A plague o’ both your house! I am sped”, this is a curse to both Montague and Capulet houses! It means, “I am killed”.
When Romeo sees that Mercutio is dying he becomes angry with Tybalt for killing him. He shows this when he says, “This gentle man the prince’s near ally, my very friend, hath got his mortal hurt”. He then sets out to find Tybalt. Romeo kills Tybalt because he is angry with him for killing his best friend Mercutio.
As a result of Mercutio and Tybalt’s deaths the Prince sends Romeo to Mantua and if he ever returns to Verona he will be killed. “And for that offence immediately we do exhile him”.
This scene effects the rest of the play because, Romeo gets sent to Mantua so he and Juliet can not be together. This leads to Juliet getting the sleeping drug, as her father wants her to marry Paris.
Act 3 Scene 5
In this scene Romeo has left Juliet to go and live in Mantua. Juliet’s father has arranged for her to marry Paris.
Juliet is crying over Romeo being banished to Mantua. Lady Capulet brings Juliet news of her marriage that her father has arranged for her. When Capulet comes to see Juliet he finds her crying, he thinks this is because her cousin Tybalt is dead but it is actually because Romeo has been banished to Mantua.
Capulet is in a violent mood when he is speaking to Juliet. Juliet tells Capulet that she doesn’t want to marry Paris. Capulet does not like this being said to him and starts a verbal fight with Juliet. He thinks she is acting ungrateful and not thankful. “Doth she not give us thanks? … Is she not proud?” Juliet does not want to marry Paris because she is married to Romeo but her father does not know this. Capulet arranged the marriage to try and make Juliet happy.
I don’t think Capulet is right in trying to make Juliet marry Paris but in those days your father did pick your husband for you.
The nurse is not helping Juliet in her crisis. The nurse tells Juliet to forget about Romeo, and that he is nothing compared to Paris. “Romeo’s a dishclout to him…I think you are happy in this second match”. Juliet does not like what the nurse has said but appears to agree with her. Secretly, she despises her nurse, for her fickle behaviour.
At the end of the scene Juliet is feeling suicidal. She decides to go and see Friar Laurence to see if he can help her. Juliet decides that if Friar Laurence can’t help her she will kill herself. “If all else fails, myself have power to die”.
This scene has a big effect on the rest of the play because it leads to Juliet taking a sleeping potion. Romeo thinking she is dead. Paris and Romeo having a fight and Romeo killing himself.
Act 5 Scene 3
In this scene Paris has gone to Juliet’s tomb. Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, after he does not receive a message from Friar Laurence to say she is not dead.
Paris is at Juliet’s tomb saying his prayers. When he hears footsteps he hides. Romeo opens the tomb to find Paris hiding in it. This is the first time that Romeo and Paris have met in the play.
Romeo and Paris have an argument because Paris believes Romeo is there to do something to Juliet’s body. Their argument leads to them fighting. “Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!” In their fight Romeo ends up Killing Paris.
Paris asks Romeo to lay him in the tomb with Juliet. Romeo does this out of respect for Paris.
Conclusion
In the end all of the young characters in the play die except Benvolio. Both of the families suffer a great loss over the young lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The Montagues and Capulets realise that their feud has gone on for long enough and as a result of their constant fighting many young lives have been lost. They decide to end their quarrelling and the Montagues and Capulets become friends.
I think that it is good that the Montagues and Capulets resolve their differences and become friends, but it’s to late to save the lives of the Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio and Tybalt.
