“Nay, and there were two such, we should have none shortly, for one would kill the other. Thou? Why thou wilt quarrel with a man that hath a hair more or a hair less in this beard than though hast…”
This is quite a hypocritical comment as he himself is very easily provoked and short tempered. If this were any other character then we would think that this behaviour is unusual but this is typical of a character like Mercutio who is arrogant and sometimes strange. We have seen another passage of speech which has some common characteristics as this in the ‘Queen Mab’ speech, which although was more poetic and fantastical it is more typical of Mercutio because it was an unexpected and bizarre. However this time the speech has a much lower tone because it’s written in prose, rather than the poem structure of the ‘Queen Mab’ speech.
Up till this point the tension has been quite low since there were no real disputes or violence. However from this moment on the tension starts to build ready to explode. Here the Capulets enter and the audience can feel that something is going to happen with Mercutio in the state of mind he’s in.
The scene doesn’t explode straight away though, Shakespeare builds up the tension and atmosphere for a while. The tension starts with childish insults from Mercutio.
“And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something, and make it a word and a blow.”
Clearly he wants an argument but Tybalt does not want to seek a fight with him, he wants Romeo. So it just happens that Romeo is about and enters the scene. Maybe this is just bad luck or could it be fate intervening?
At this point the audience knows the difficulty Romeo will have defusing the hostile Tybalt. Since he is married to Juliet, he shouldn’t seek a fight with him or accept a challenge. Tybalt starts the argument with a tactless insult:
“Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford no better term than this: thou art a villain.”
More often than not Romeo would have countered this with his own insult but the marriage between he and Juliet has made him peaceful and gives a serene response to Tybalt’s comment. Again the audience can understand the reason he gives such a composed reply.
“Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee
Doth much excuse the appertaining rage
To such a greeting: villain am I none,
Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not.”
Now it has come apparent that Tybalt is now the aggressor but yet again Romeo counters with a peaceful answer. It is here that the tension of the scene peaks when Mercutio misunderstands the answers as cowardice and challenges Tybalt to a fight.
“O calm, dishonourable vile submission:
Alla stoccata carries it away!
Tybalt you rat-catcher,will you walk?”
Romeo tries to part the two men but ironically it is this that allows Tybalt to make the final thrust into Mercutio. Here the reactions of the audience are based on the reactions of the characters. At first the wound seems futile and the characters joke about the insignificance.
“Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch.”
Mercutio is still filled with anger and will not be seen as beaten hence this is the way he deals with the injury. But he soon realises what damage it has done, and curses Romeo for getting in his way. He says this privately to Romeo and the audience knows now that he is mortally wounded.
“A plague o’ both your houses,
They have made worms’ meat of me.
I have it, and soundly too. Your houses!”
This is a critical warning coming from him. Only when he is dying does he realise that the ridiculous ancient feud has killed him. With Romeo seeing red, it’s clear what he is going to do and the tranquil Romeo we saw before has changed and now ‘rude will’ dominates ‘grace’.
“In man as well as herbs – grace and rude will,
And where the worser is predominant
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant”
Moments later Tybalt is slain and the dramatic tension has reached its peak.
From here the only thing left is to tie the loose ends and this happens when the Prince arrives at the scene. After Benvolio’s account of the events is told, albeit slightly biased the Prince delivers the final sentence: Romeo is exiled.
“And for that offence, we banish him immediately.
Let Romeo go with all speed: if we find him, that hour will be his last.”
It’s this sentence that changes everything to happen in the scenes after. This makes the scene pivotal; because Romeo is exiled this changes the circumstances of the characters situations completely.
