Benvolio’s sensible, levelheaded characteristics are uncovered from the start when he declares, “…The Capel’s are abroad. For now these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” The impetuous nature of youth and the combination of ‘hot days’ can be viewed as a subtle indication of why the feud irrupted and was impossible to prevent. Benvolio realizes that the sweltering heat is the kind that triggers the ‘angry hot blood of youth’ to stir in the hotheaded members of the two families.
To start, the setting is of a heated public space out in the Mediterranean, Verona. A backdrop providing the illusion of sweltering, stifling heat to add atmosphere, in addition to red and yellow lighting across the stage. The distant shouts of market sellers as sound effects. Mercutio and Benvolio casually walk on stage form the left hand corner. Benvolio trying to persuade Mercutio to come out of the heat should seem concerned, while Mercutio takes no heed of his friend’s warnings. Mercutio appears to take pleasure in defying his friend’s persuasion, pretending to be astounded by Benvolio’s warnings, and sincere when he says that Benvolio is,
“As hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy”. This absurd persistence that it is Benvolio, and not Mercutio who is keen on ‘brawling’ will make the audience laugh, as it is the opposite of what is actually happening. At the same time it should make the audience aware of the danger Mercutio is knowingly encouraging.
Mercutio in front at all times to show his fiery mood and alertness isn’t perturbed when Tybalt, Petruchio and his men (about two), step on stage from the other side. Tybalt in front, with the men in a triangle shape behind. Tybalt in an unassuming, enquiring tone asks politely,“ Gentlemen, good den; a word with one of you.” Mercutio manages to twist Tybalt’s politeness into provocation, “but one word with us? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow.” Mercutio’s skill with words gives him an advantage over Tybalt, for Tybalt can only strike back with violence as we see from the fact that Tybalt ignores Mercutio’s insults, but ends up killing Mercutio. During the build up of tension between the two opposite characters, Mercutio circles Tybalt in a bullying fashion showing Tybalt to be the more defenceless out of the two.
Tybalt is undoubtedly still furious that Romeo came to the Capulet’s ball, so by shouting, “…thou art a villain…” as a pretext to fight, Tybalt expects Romeo to react. Due to Romeo’s genial mood, after just marrying Tybalt’s cousin, he does the complete opposite by answering with, “…But love thee better than thou canst devise. Till thou shall know the reason of my love…”
Instead of softening at Romeo’s gracious gestures, he carries on insulting him, not even inquiring after ‘the reason of Romeo’s love’. Romeo demonstrates his ‘courtly’ nature, displaying his lake of interest in the feud; he himself declaring that love has made him ‘effeminate’.
Romeo must have approached the stage from the same corner that Tybalt and his entourage appeared. Tybalt and Mercutio on the other side. When Romeo appears Tybalt must stride over to him in an aggressive manner. The lighting can be used as an indication to the audience that tension is building and soon to explode, shifting between the two characters when talking, while the others are in slight shadow. A large spotlight should follow Mercutio across the stage when he comes to defend Romeo, averting the audience away from the other characters.
The battle between Mercutio and Tybalt fight is performed in a comic, teasing fashion, the audience uncertain but aware that tension is coming to a climax. A raised platform where Mercutio is fencing with Tybalt, will enable the fatal blow from the sword wounding Mercutio, to be obscured; making it seem accidental. Romeo’s arm in a defensive gesture circling the sword moves back when he realizes what has happened. Tybalt is shocked when Mercutio falls, hesitating before his men carry him off to escape. The on lookers are devastated and in a state of shock as lying on the ground before them Mercutio stutters, “I am Hurt. A plague on both your houses, I am sped.” Mercutio is distraught while speaking, realizing the consequences of his dangerous humour, death.
Romeo leans over the injured Mercutio, as a spotlight on the two dims to red, signifying the change of mood. The audience is left to decide what they think of Mercutio now that he is dying, either viewing Mercutio as a foolish character who encouraged his death, therefore deserved it, or feeling empathy for the amusing character that couldn’t help his playfulness. It is rather ironic of Mercutio to say ‘a plague on both your houses’ when he himself caused the brawl! Owing to his own thoughtless actions he forced Romeo into yet another battle of honour, leading to further destructive consequences. Romeo’s dramatic change of mood loving and courtly is stripped off completely when he decides to murder Tybalt to defend his family/ Mercutio’s honour. Romeo is so blinded by his fury he forgets the effect killing Tybalt will have on Juliet and himself. He realizes this after killing Tybalt screaming “I am fortune’s fool!”
It dawns on Romeo the extent of what Tybalt has done, also recognizing he is about to confirm his prophesy, “This day’s black fate on moe days doth depend…” Understanding that something devastating is about to ensue, but cannot be stopped. Romeo performs these lines with great graveness and sincerity, looking into the distance seemingly over the horizon, preparing himself for battle. Before the play is even performed however the audience are already aware that it is inevitable that Romeo and Juliet cannot be together, so aren’t supposed to be shocked.
Romeo should gesticulate that he is about to go chasing after Tybalt, when Tybalt appears from the opposite corner. Romeo totally enraged, yells “And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now…”. The thoughtlessness of Romeo can be viewed as partly being the responsibility of Youth. Romeo isn’t regretful for killing Tybalt, but for losing Juliet because of it. Romeo should scream Fortune’s Fool up to the heavens, like he is beseeching God, asking why?
When the Prince is summoned to the fray, trumpet music is sounded to indicate someone of authority is approaching. Three guards stand behind the Prince reinforcing his power. The lighting is fierce red and yellow to enhance the friction in the scene. All the town’s people are present while the two families stand apart, Benvolio in the middle of the two families. Lady Capulet is furious and is the person who pushes for Romeo to be executed.
The Prince summons Benvolio to explain the fray. Benvolio explains the whole wretched tale with much wringing of his clothes and signs of distress. Lady Capulet shows her devotion to the feud by exclaiming, “Blood of theirs sheds blood of Montague’s”. Lady Capulet’s callous words denote Benvolio’s definition of events are biased because he’s a Montague. She displays no kind of remorse for the death of a kinsman, nor thinks of the amount of bloodshed because of the pathetic dispute. In fact she shows quite the reverse, by suggesting she wants more Montague’s dead. She being a women and the wife of a very influential man, when she ‘ begs for justice’, her plea is more significant than Benvolio’s.
The Prince is in a predicament here. For Montague also argues that when Tybalt killed Mercutio the law would have commended Romeo for killing Tybalt for that was the penalty for murder. The Prince realizes both sides have a poignant argument. Yet he understands if he judges on Montague’s part the families will continue fighting with even more vengeance. The Prince hints in his verdict, that he has a connection with Mercutio through family. I suspect the Prince used this connection to appear as if he was suffering as much loss and anger as they, forcing the families to rethink before opposing his judgement. The verdict has to be quickly thought out by the Prince for he knows the two families are near breaking point. To satisfy both parties the Prince declares that if Romeo is found he will be executed. A look of anger and disgust are clear on the two families expressions, but not opposing. The Montague’s are at least assured that Romeo may never be captured if he flies the country, while the Capulet’s still have a chance of him being murdered if he doesn’t escape on time. The speech is all rhyming, which gives the effect of certainty and conviction. When the Prince has delivered his verdict and departed a church bell sounds, increasing the audience’s awareness of the damning words the Prince has just declared. The two families give each other a disdainful look signalling the feud is far from over, and more blood shed is on the way.
By the end of this scene the atmosphere has completely changed; an air of death and foreboding has replaced the love and optimism at the end of Act 2. Romeo’s words, “This days black fate on moe days doth depend”, carries the expectation of further tragedy. The end of the scene should leave the audience stunned by the implacable fury of the Prince at this new outbreak of the feud. The dreadful predicament Romeo is in should leave an imprint in the audience’s minds wondering the future of Juliet, although they have already been told. The implications for the newly married Juliet, and what she’s going to do now that Romeo has been banished.
The audience should be able to realize the difficulty the Prince is in. The breakdown of Civic Order would lead to chaos. The individual aspirations of the people would lead to a total corruption of all order. He has to be the keeper of the peace. In order to do this the Prince must be stricter with the rules and judge Romeo harsher than he typically would.
By Devon Kennard
