The play develops at a steady pace with the tiff developing somewhat, and by Act Two Scene Three Romeo has told Friar Lawrence, his friend and advisor that he has fallen in love with Juliet. Although Friar Lawrence doesn’t appear convinced that it is true love, and knowing of the implications of a relationship between the two families, he agrees with Romeo that it is true love in the hope that the couple may bring the quarrelling families back together.
The Friar is proved wrong in his belief that the families will make peace in Act Three Scene One. The hatred of these two families is displayed in a vicious and bloody fight. Benvolio and Mercutio are Montagues. Benvolio wants them to leave the street because he fears that the Capulets may be around; the last thing he wants is another argument. Mercutio refuses to leave and calls Benvolio a trouble maker. Mercutio is looking to cause a fight. Tybalt, an arrogant and cocky character turns up. He, like Mercutio is also looking to fight.
Romeo arrives shortly after, and the opportunity presents itself; Tybalt insults Romeo in the vain hope of a fight but instead Romeo reacts calmly. Seeing the way that he reacts to Tybalt’s insults infuriates Mercutio, and he is quick off the mark to fight. This shows the audience that both Tybalt and Mercutio are trouble makers, and they are the characters who are supporting the hatred between the two families. Benvolio on the other hand is a peace lover, and would rather see this all behind them. This is made near impossible when Romeo tries to stop the fight and in the confusion Tybalt stabs Mercutio. Realising what he has done he runs away. Mercutio is lead away but dies almost instantly. Romeo becomes angry, and when Tybalt returns Romeo kills him in a frenzied attack.
Tybalt insults towards Romeo were not just off the top of his head; he meant them. This is because in Act One Scene Five, Romeo kisses Juliet. Tybalt knows that Romeo is a Montague, but he is ordered to do nothing by Capulet and becomes very angry. All of this hatred he felt for Romeo was released in an attempt to provoke him, but it worked out that Romeo took revenge for this without even knowing.
Romeo is a character who is very much controlled by his feelings. In Act One Scene One he tells Benvolio he is in love with a girl, who we know is not Juliet. He tells him he is confused, and that it is true love, “Why such is love’s transgression. Grief’s of mine own lie heavy in my breast, which thou wilt propagate to have it pressed with more of thine. This love that thou hast shown doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes, being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers’ tears, what is it else? A madness most discreet, a chocking gall, and a preserving sweet. Farewell my coz.” From this we can tell that Romeo is emotionally confused and unstable. He feels that he is in love but he is still confused; he doesn’t understand why. Act One Scene Four, Romeo is at the party, feeling unhappy about his love for this woman, when he meets Juliet. He instantly falls in love with her too. Act Two Scene Two, Romeo has found her home, he watches Juliet on her balcony, “…What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun…”. Romeo is comparing Juliet to the sun because she looks so bright and beautiful to him. This shows that he allows his feeling to be noticed; he says what he feels.
Mercutio, a joker on the surface who conceals inner turmoil; he can dish it out but he can’t take it back. When Romeo ignores Tybalt’s insults he feels annoyed, and feels that he must defend the family’s honour. In Act One Scene Four, Mercutio makes fun of Romeo, “Tut, dun’s the mouse, the constable’s own word…”, Romeo does not take this seriously; however in Act Three Scene One when Tybalt mocks him he cannot take it back, and begins to fight.
Tybalt is arrogant. He makes fun of people without caring that he is upsetting or annoying them; he is a bully. He has a love of fighting and is overall very dangerous. In Act One Scene One Tybalt insults the servants, “What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?”, and in Act Three Scene One he provokes Mercutio to fight him resulting in Mercutio’s death. After killing, Tybalt does not have the sense to leave the scene but comes back; his stupidity results in his own death.
William Shakespeare would have wanted the audience to blame a certain character for the events which lead up to the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio. Romeo killed Tybalt because Tybalt killed Mercutio during a fight. In my opinion, both Tybalt and Mercutio are responsible for their own deaths because Tybalt was foolish enough to kill and then come back to the scene of the crime, and Mercutio was foolish enough to rise to Tybalt’s insults. Although Romeo was the one who actually killed Tybalt, Tybalt killed himself by killing Mercutio.
The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are partly caused by Tybalt, and partly by the Nurse and Juliet’s parents. If Tybalt had not killed then neither would Romeo and he wouldn’t have been banished. If Juliet’s parents hadn’t tried to make her marry Paris then she wouldn’t have taken the sleeping potion.
Act Three Scene One is very important because Romeo, a peace lover kills, the characters Mercutio and Tybalt are lost from the play, the hatred between the Capulets and the Montagues grows stronger, and Romeo is banished from Verona. Juliet realises what Romeo’s banishment means to her and she becomes depressed. Romeo visits Friar Lawrence, but rejects his advice and tries to kill himself. If Act Three Scene One had not happened the conclusion of the play could have been avoided because Romeo and Juliet would have been together and there would have been no need for Juliet to take a sleeping potion. Because Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead, he kills himself to be with her, but then she awakes and sees that he is dead; she kills herself to be with him for eternity.
