To conclude, the prologue is a very important part for readers to understand the play. This is because of brief overview that it offers which listeners can switch back to when stuck on what is happening. It also draws the attention of the audience when something big is about to happen.
In Act 1 Scene 1, the servants of the Capulets are on the street waiting for some servants of the Montague’s to arrive. When they do, Samson from the Capulets bites his thumb at them, essentially a strong insult. Abraham from the Montague’s accepts the insult and the men start to fight.
Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin, enters and makes the men stop fighting by drawing his own sword. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, then also enters the street. Seeing Benvolio, he too draws his sword and enters the fight. Old Capulet runs onto the stage and demands a sword so that he too may fight. His wife restrains him, even when Old Montague emerges with his sword drawn as well.
The citizens of the Watch have put up a cry, and manage to get Prince Escalus to arrive. The prince chides them for three times before causing the street of Verona to be unsafe. He orders them to return home, and personally accompanies the Capulets.
The Montagues and Benvolio remain on stage. They ask Benvolio why Romeo was not with him, and he tells them Romeo has been in a strange mood lately.
When Benvolio enters he says:
“I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword,
or manage it to part these men with me.”
This comment makes Benvolio appear to be calm and anti-violent. So this is one character in the play that certainly doesn’t like conflict and is a peacemaker.
Comparing Tybalt to Benvolio is like comparing black to white. They are completely opposite to one another. Tybalt is a fiery character, who looks for fights, he is very aggressive. Benvolio is a cool character that tries to stop fights. Proof of Tybalt’s fiery nature comes from when he says things like “What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: Have at thee, coward.” Which is declaring that he hates peace and quiet but rather likes fights and brawls.
I think that Shakespeare opens the main part of the play with aggression and conflict to show to people who thought the story was some sloppy love story. In a few ways it is a sloppy love story but the added violence gives the story a different perception. I think that most audiences to this play at first wouldn’t expect such violence.
At the end of Act 2, Romeo and Friar Laurence are in the chapel waiting for Juliet to arrive. The Friar cautions Romeo to ‘love moderately’. Juliet soon appears into the church to get married. This will give the audience some hope for things in the future for Romeo and Juliet, even though they know that things will probably turn out bad for them.
In Act 3 Scene 1, Benvolio and Mercutio are walking along in the hot sun when Benvolio says:
“I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire:
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.
Which is Benvolio suggesting to Mercutio that they should go indoors, fearing a fight will be unavoidable if they happen to come across Capulet men. Mercutio replies “Thou art like one of those fellows that when he
enters the confines of a tavern claps me his sword
upon the table and says 'God send me no need of
thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws
it on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.”
Which is Mercutio has as quick a temper as any man in Italy, and should not accuse people of their short fuses. Then Tybalt enters with a group of cronies. He approaches Benvolio and Mercutio and says, “Follow me close, for I will speak to them. Gentlemen, good den: a word with one of you.” This means that Tybalt is asking to speak to one of them. Then Mercutio gets annoyed and provokes and taunts him. Tybalt then turns his attention to Romeo and calls him a villain. Romeo, now married to Juliet and therefore family of Tybalt, refuses to be angry by the insult. Then Tybalt demands Romeo to draw his sword, to which Romeo insists that he has no reason to hate Tybalt and does not want to fight him. Romeo asks that Tybalt put down his sword until he knows the reason that he doesn’t want to fight him. Mercutio angrily draws his sword and declares with biting wit that if Romeo does not fight Tybalt, he will. When Tybalt and Mercutio fight, Romeo puts himself between them to create peace but then Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm, as Mercutio falls, Tybalt and fellow men run away. Mercutio dies, cursing both the Montagues and the Capulets, “A plague o’ both your houses” Mercutio also says, “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man” which is Mercutio using more wit.
Enraged, Romeo declares that his love for Juliet has made him effeminate, and that he should have fought Tybalt in Mercutio’s place. When Tybalt, still angry, storms back onto the scene, Romeo draws his sword. They fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt. Benvolio urges Romeo to run; a group of citizens outraged at the recurring street fights is approaching. Romeo, shocked at what has happened, cries “O, I am fortune’s fool!” and flees.
The Prince enters, accompanied by many citizens, and the Montagues and Capulets. Benvolio tells the Prince the story of the brawl, emphasizing Romeo’s attempt to keep the peace, but Lady Capulet, cries that Benvolio is lying to protect the Montagues. She demands Romeo’s life. Prince Escalus chooses instead to exile Romeo from Verona. He declares that should Romeo be found within the city, he will be killed.
This could be seen as a turning point for the rest of the play because this is the start of all things bad going in Romeo and Juliet’s way. This is also where Romeo will find it even harder to see Juliet.
Benvolio claiming that it is hot and that they should go inside to avoid a fight creates an atmosphere of tension. This is because you know that when the character is trying to avoid a fight, he most certainly will end up fighting. Also you know that as fate would have it something bad will happen.
When Tybalt enters, he behaves as if he is bored and looking for a fight. This is when Mercutio decides to answer back to him and be witty with words like, “Consort! What, dost thou make us minstrels? an thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall make you dance. 'Zounds, consort!” these words could refer to many things as it is a clever use of wordplay.
This exchange raises the level of tension in the scene due to the argument being bound to go into something more, such as fight.
Benvolio tries to deal with this conflict by telling them, “We talk here in the public haunt of men: Either withdraw unto some private place, And reason coldly of your grievances, Or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us.” Which is warning them that if they fight here there will be consequences and that they should go away from each other to avoid the consequences. This tells us that Benvolio really doesn’t want to fight and would like to stop all arguments that lead into a fight. Benvolio is non-violent and against confliction.
When Romeo enters the scene, Tybalt strangely exclaims, “Well, peace be with you, sir: here comes my man.” I think this is because Tybalt has a grudge against Romeo and would like to fight him specifically.
Romeo responds by telling Tybalt he does not want to fight, for reasons that won’t be told to Tybalt right now.
The way Romeo responds to Tybalt angers Mercutio. Mercutio says, “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away.” This means that he thinks Romeo isn’t being loyal, so Mercutio challenges Tybalt to fight him instead.
The conflict that follows includes Mercutio’s death and Romeo getting angry which leads him to chase down Tybalt and kill him. “This gentleman, the prince's near ally, My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf; my reputation stain'd With Tybalt's slander, --Tybalt, that an hour Hath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate and in my temper soften'd valour's steel!” this quote is where Romeo starts to get angry and blames himself for becoming effeminate, so he decides to chase down Tybalt.
When Romeo realises the implications of what he has done, he cries, “Oh, I am fortune’s fool!” Romeo is saying here that his luck has been nothing but bad and it links in with the theme of fate because his fate is forever getting worse the more he gets involved. The irony is that whenever he tries to influence fate, it only gets worse.
The prince deals with the situation by exiling Romeo, so that if he comes back to the city where he lives, he will get killed. For Romeo, this is bad news as he won’t be able to se Juliet, infact he claims he’d rather be dead.
The audience is likely to feel sorry for Romeo in this scene.
After Act 3, Scene 1, the events in the play all lead up to the death of both Romeo and Juliet, which resolves the conflict between the families. This shows that the only thing that could resolve the feud between the two families is a tragedy, which shows the link between good and evil.
‘A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.’
The effect of these closing words by the Prince tidies up what has happened in the story/play. It tells us of fate and how some things are pardoned and something’s are punished. The Prince’s role throughout the play has been a role with big authority, the Prince has been able to decide what goes on, and has tried to keep peace within the two families.
I don’t think the message is relevant in today’s world because there is not a situation anymore where people do find themselves having to be secret about relations because of each other’s families hating each other. Times have moved on. People will just leave their place of home.
The theme of conflict is important in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ because the whole play revolves around the idea of this big feud between two families. Its almost a war throughout the story/play, this can be seen to overpower the theme of love because in the end conflict kills the relationship between the two main characters.
