Says Benvolio. This quote shows that they are really exhausted and just want to go home and relax. Another reason why Benvolio might want to go home is that he wants to avoid conflict with the Capulets, especially after the previous incidents which took place between them. The audience already have an idea that Benvolio is a calm character who always tries to avoid conflict- he tried to stop the previous brawl in the market place in act-1.
Mercutio who is walking along with Benvolio knows the personality of Benvolio and therefore he teases him about him (Benvolio) being very bad-tempered. Shakespeare uses a bit of humor here which shows the contrast of what will happen next.
“…thou art as a hot jack in thy mood as any in Italy,” (act3 scene1, line 11-15)
Here Mercutio is telling Benvolio that he is the most ill-tempered person in Italy where the play is set. Shakespeare uses simile to compare the character. Benvolio is very naive and doesn’t understand that Mercutio is joking with him. “An I were so apt to quarrel as thou art…” (Line 31) - here it shows that Benvolio doesn’t understand that Mercutio is just winding him up, testing him on what he says is actually in contrast with the Benvolio’s real personality.
As the scene continues the atmosphere gives you an impression of being peaceful, and no hint of what’s to come. From lines 15-30, a light-hearted passage is shown where mercutio continues to tease Benvolio.
In the previous scene act1 scene5 Romeo attends the Capulets party without an invitation and also knowing that the two families are in a feud. Tybalt identifies Romeo and becomes really angry, he then goes to Capulet and tells him to throw Romeo out of the party. However, Capulet saw no threat in Romeo thus let him stay. Tybalt has become furious and promises to get his revenge at Romeo.
In act3 scene1 Tybalt confronts Romeo but he refuses to fight after a romantic morning where he married Juliet secretly.
“Good Capulet,--which name I tender As dearly as my own,--be satisfied”. Romeo and Juliet are now married so when Romeo says this he is ironically saying that he is now part of the Capulets. Tybalt doesn’t know that but the audiences do, this makes the audience eager to tell Tybalt of the news that they are now married. This devise works really well in plays because it involves the audience into the play making it more enjoyable.
There is a contrast between the marriage scene and the actual fight scene. Te actors do not know about the marriage but the audiences do. This contrast effect will make the audience more on edge as they are aware of the secret marriage between Romeo and Juliet and therefore, understand the dilemma that Romeo’s friend is now fighting his new found cousin (through marriage). Dramatic irony is widely used by Shakespeare in gaining the interest of the viewers which also brings amusement into the atmosphere and the play itself.
Entrances and exits are really important in the play. Like the time when Mercutio dies and Romeo runs after Tybalt to take revenge. The thing ironic about this scene is that Romeo tries to stop Mercutio and Tybalt fighting but in the end Romeo ends up killing Tybalt. From being a peace-maker he becomes a murderer which is a huge contrast in the characteristic of Romeo. The fact that Romeo ends up killing Tybalt near to the place where Mercutio was killed has a dramatic impact on the audience
They can see the result of the fight which is the deaths in one picture which is very convincing in a way to pull the audience into the play.
Using Benvolio as a narrator is very effective at this stage because the audience know that Benvolio is a calm and peaceful character and his personality is in contrast with this scene which involves a lot a violence. Benvolio seems to understand the consequence of a fight and going against the prince’s word which was given in act 1. This scene is similar to act 1 where they had a fight and were warned, at that time we saw tat Benvolio was trying to be the peace-maker which he again tries to be in act3 scene1.
This scene creates suspense in many ways because Shakespeare uses different devises to get the audience thinking by using certain characters at certain times. The atmosphere and the scene would get the audience surprised when suddenly the capulets arrive and there is a fight where two people lose their lives. Mercutio and Tybalt fist start off play-fighting but then it becomes serious after they taunt each other and as a result mercutio dies. As revenge Romeo chases after Tybalt and kills him.
Before mercutio dies he curses both families. “A plague on both your houses” this expresses his feelings towards the two feuding families which partly led to his death.
He is upset that these two families are fighting over something they’re not really sure off; due to this lives are being destroyed and lost.
The prince’s warning was firm and the audience will wait for the consequence for Romeo of the murder of Tybalt. Questions like; what will Romeo do now? And what will the two families do? Will float around inside the audience’s minds who are now eager to find out what the punishment will be.
I think that after this act the audience will be left in shock especially after the marriage scene where everything must have looked liked it was going to be a happy ending where the two families unite and live along-side with each other in harmony. However, after the murders in act 3 their minds must’ve changed and the whole thought of a happy ending collapsing on the sight of the two deaths.
