Romeo’s friends in the play are Mercutio and Benvolio who are both very different characters. Mercutio is the comic relief of the play. He is there to make us laugh and he is a casual, fun character. Mercutio never really wants a fight but always seems to encourage them to take place. In Act 3 scene 1 Mercutio plays on Tybalt's words winding him up and causing the fight to take place. E.g. Tybalt says “A word with one of you”. Mercutio answers back by saying “And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow.” This just enrages Tybalt even more. Benvolio on the other hand is the peacekeeper in the play. In Act 1 scene 1 Benvolio does everything he possibly can to stop the servants fighting e.g. “Part, fools! I do but keep the peace.” In some respects Benvolio is the most sensible character in the play and is also always honest.
The main character from the Capulet side (apart from Juliet) is Tybalt. Tybalt is ALWAYS looking for trouble. At the party when he saw Romeo and his friends he would not let the matter drop. ”What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word.” and “I’ll not endure him.” He thinks very highly of himself in terms of his fencing skills. He is full of energy and has no sense of fun or humour.
In Act 3 scene 1 Benvolio’s opening comments immediately suggest tension. Benvolio begs Mercutio to go indoors because he thinks that
The Capulets are out looking for them. “The day is hot.” This suggests that it is a very hot day, everyone is tired and fiery tempered and that there is tension and anger in the air. “For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” Line 37 TYBALT ENTERS!!! When we last saw Tybalt, which was Act 1 scene 5 he said, “I will withdraw; but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall.” This is therefore the ‘bitterest gall’ he was talking about. When Tybalt enters the audience expect a fight and probably feel excited curious and nervous.
We know that Tybalt is an excellent fighter because in Act 2 scene 4 Mercutio tells Benvolio so. “He fights as you sing prick-song: keeps time, distance and proportion.” Therefore we know that there is bound to be a fight between the two families.
At the point in Act 3 scene1 where Tybalt enters, Mercutio’s character comes into play. He plays with Tybalt’s words, which causes anger and even more tension. He messes around and winds Tybalt up. Benvolio continues as peacemaker. We need a peacekeeper to keep order. Benvolio acts as narrator. He is a trustworthy and reliable character who acts as the voice of reason.
At this point, line 55, Romeo enters. Mercutio continues to antagonise Tybalt by suggesting that Romeo is his servant. Tybalt calls Romeo a villain. Poor Romeo tries his best to explain to Tybalt that they should be friends and not enemies. “Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage.” Tybalt has none of this. “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.” The audience are now on the edge of their seats and are expecting a huge fight to take place.
Tybalt and Mercutio fight each other and Romeo tries to intervene and split them up. “ The Prince expressly hath forbid this bandying in Verona.” Romeo reminds them what the Prince said and tries his best to split them up but ends up getting in the way causing Mercutio’s wound. Mercutio plays with Tybalt’s words right up until the last moment when he is wounded by him. At this point Tybalt leaves. Mercutio is now dying. He wishes death on both houses ”A plague o’ both your houses.” Benvolio shows care and concern and when he asks Mercutio if he is hurt, Mercutio replies “ ay, ay a scratch, a scratch; marry, ‘tis enough.” He asks for a surgeon. Romeo tells Mercutio to be brave and that it can’t be that bad but Mercutio uses the pun “Tomorrow you will find me a grave man.” Mercutio speaks using imagery, puns and similes. Mercutio dies. Shakespeare shows Mercutio’s death to help us understand why Romeo is now angry and to make us feel sorry for him, also so we can empathise with the Romeo and Benvolio and realise just how serious the play is.
Shakespeare now puts in a soliloquy for Romeo. Romeo speaks his thoughts out loud to the audience. Line 111, Romeo is taking all the blame for Mercutio’s death. He also says that his love for Juliet has softened him and now he has no courage. “ O sweet Juliet! Thy beauty hath made me effeminate, and in my temper, soften’d valour’s steel.” The audience now sees Romeo change. Romeo blames the day on fate. Tybalt enters as Romeo is threatening to kill him and Romeo is ablaze with anger. He tells Tybalt that he is going to die and he is even prepared to die himself. “Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine to keep him company: Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him.” The line, which is a stage direction within a line, is “This shall determine that”. This is a demonstrative pronoun. They are effective because they make the audience expect whatever has just been said. Romeo and Tybalt now fight. Romeo kills Tybalt and he is now ridden with guilt. “O, I am fortune’s fool!” The play is so dramatic because it is based on chaos. The whole play is chaos v order.
The scene now ends with a lot of confusion and lots of people. The deaths have affected everybody. Benvolio subconsciously changes the scene by speaking in rhyming couplets, line 142-145. The Prince orders Benvolio to tell him what happened. Benvolio summarises the play fairly accurately. The audience believe and relate to him. They trust him because he was an eyewitness. Benvolio is fair to Tybalt and is not biased. He doesn’t suggest anyone is to blame. Lady Capulet does not believe him because he is a Montague. She speaks in rhyming couplets because it is important. Lines 187-197 are all in rhyming couplets because the pace is changing. The Prince decides that Romeo should be banished from the city or be killed. The Prince is someone of importance i.e. someone with moral or legal authority.
Act 3 scene 1 is the climax of the play so therefore should be the most dramatic. Tybalt and Romeo are the main drama adders in this scene. Shakespeare uses lots of language techniques to create drama throughout the play such as speaking in blank verse, prose or rhyming couplets. The rhyming couplets are particularly effective when Romeo is talking about his love life. I think that this play reflects society today in that there are major feuds between different countries today e.g. In Northern Ireland there is a feud between Catholics and Protestants and maybe one day they will realise their mistakes like the two families did after they had lost their children. This is why the play is so tragic yet believable.
