Capulet and Montague both try and want to fight as Capulet says
‘What noise is this? Give me my long sword ho!’. And just after, Montague says ‘Thou villain Capulet; hold me not, let me go’ as lady Montague holds him back and says ‘Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek a foe’. This is typical of the grudge between the two families to throw insults to one another to try to cause a brawl.
Prince Escalus then enters, with trumpets being used to warn the people that the Prince is here also to break up the brawls. Then everybody stops fighting. The Prince then threatens them by saying ‘…on pain of torture, from these bloody hands, throw your distempered weapons to the ground and hear the sentence of your moved prince’.
The prince also expresses his anger by saying ‘...hear the sentence of your moved prince. He then says they have had ‘three civil brawls bred of an airy word’. The prince then says the ultimate threat ‘If I ever you disturb our streets again your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace’. As you can see from what the prince says he is very angry.
The audience then reacts to his words by being quiet in respect to the prince’s words of warning.
He’s also giving one more chance to the Capulet’s and the Montague’s as you can see in the speech, ‘If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives will pay the forfeit of the peace’.
In this scene there has been lots of conflict, anger and I feel excited to read on into the next acts to see what happens next.
Act three comes right after the wedding. There also has been a challenge by Tybalt sent to Romeo’s house. I think the audience are expecting another brawl, as the Capulet’s are sitting exposed to the Montague’s. When Tybalt comes over to the Capulet’s and asks for a word. Benvolio says ‘… lets retire; the day is hot, the Capels are abroad, and if we shall meet we shall never ‘scape a brawl…’. In Verona (Northern Italy) the climate is very hot and desert like.
Benvolio is very argumentative at the beginning of act three scene one. Mercutio accuses him of this ‘…and by the operation of the second cup draws him on the on the drawer, when there is no need’. In the quote he means, by the second drink he’s drawn his sword against the barman. Mercutio then tells us why he’s so easily annoyed ‘come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy; and as soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved’. He by this he means, when the mood takes you, you’re as hot blooded a’ character as anyone in Italy.
As Mercutio and Benvolio start to argue you can see how they are affected by the heat in the climate of Italy as they tell us in the earlier stages of act three, scene one.
The Capulet’s then enter the scene. Benvolio spots them then says ‘By my head, here come the Capulet’s’. He tells other Montague’s to looks out. Mercutio shows he doesn’t care by saying ‘By my heel I care not’.
Tybalt asks for an excuse to fight ‘You shall find me apt enough to that, and you will give me occasion’. Tybalt then ‘gives’ them timed insults and is trying to start a fight. Mercutio says do you need an excuse ‘could you take some consortest without giving’.
Mercutio gets angry and then Benvolio warns them that they are in public place and that they should go to ‘some private place’, as they are scared that the prince may catch them.
Mercutio replies stubbornly ‘Men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze. I will not budge for no mans pleasure, I’.
Romeo enters unaware of Tybalt’s presence. Tybalt says ‘well, peace be with you sir, here comes my man’. Romeo tells Tybalt that he loves him ‘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 art a villain’. Romeo cannot tell Tybalt why he hast to love him because he will kill him and the reason that Romeo loves him because he has married his cousin. Tybalt finds it offensive that Romeo is saying he loves his sworn enemy Tybalt then insults Romeo ‘Boy. This shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw’. As you can see in this quote Tybalt wants to fight with Romeo. Romeo answers ‘I do protest I never injured thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise till thou shalt know the reason of my love. And so, good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own be satisfied’. As you can see in the underlined text above this would have really insulted Mercutio. Mercutio gets offended and says ‘O calm, dishonourable, vile submission: Alla stoccata carries it away! [He Draws] Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk? ’. Mercutio insults Tybalt and challenges him to fight. Mercutio then insults Tybalt and says he will kill him ‘Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives that I mean to make bold withal, and as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere be out’.
Tybalt is a well known popular cats name when Romeo and Juliet were made that is why Mercutio insults Tybalt by calling him ‘the king of cats’.
Tybalt then accepts Mercutio’s challenge – ‘I am for you’. Then they fight. Romeo then tries to stop the fight – ‘Draw, Benvolio, beat down their weapons. Gentlemen for shame, forbear this outrage. Tybalt! Mercutio! The prince expressly hath forbid this bandying in Verona streets. Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!’. Tybalt then stabs Mercutio from under Romeo’s arm. Tybalt then leaves with his men. Mercutio knows he is dieing, but the fellow Montague’s don’t realise as Mercutio carries on making jokes.
Romeo then interferes but he doesn’t realise the full extent of the wound ‘Courage man, the hurt cannot be much.’ Mercutio then says ‘No, ‘tis not deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but ‘tis enough, ‘twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.
In the Zeffirelli version Mercutio is trying to tell his friends that he is seriously hurt and dieing but they thought he was joking as he normally does. Mercutio then dies and Romeo learns of his death – ‘This day’s black fate on more ways doth depend: This but begins the woe others must read’. Tybalt enters again and Benvolio warns Romeo - ‘Here comes the furious Tybalt back again’. Romeo sees him and says – ‘Alive, in triumph, and Mercutio slain. Away to heaven respective lenity and fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!
Now Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back again that late thou gav’ st for Mercutio’s soul is but a little way above our heads, staying for thine him company. Either thou, or I, or both must go with him’. Here Romeo says that one of us must die of both of us to Tybalt.
Tybalt then accepts his challenge – Thou wretched boy, that didst consort him here, shalt with him hence’. Tybalt says you will join him.
Romeo says – This shall determine that. After this they fight, then Tybalt falls.
Benvolio then tries to get Romeo to go from the scene because the prince will find out what he’s done by saying ‘Romeo, come away, be gone, the citizens are up, and Tybalt slain! Stand out amazed. The prince will doom thee death if thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away!’ Romeo then replies ‘O, I am fortunes fool’. The prince arrives to find Tybalt dead. He says ‘Where are the vile beginners of this fray?’ Benvolio then answers, ‘O noble Prince, I can discover all the unlucky manage of this fatal brawl. There lies the man, slain by young Romeo, That slew thy kinsman brave Mercutio’.
The prince asks Benvolio ‘who started this bloody fray?’ Benvolio then explains what happen. Lady Capulet accuses Benvolio that he hasn’t told the truth and this is because be is a kinsman to the Montague and that affection makes him false – ‘He is a kinsman to the Montague. This makes hi m false. He speaks not true. Some twenty of them fought in this black strife and all those twenty could but kill one life. I beg for justice, which, which thou, Prince, must give. Romeo slew. Romeo must not live’. Montague then answers – ‘Not Romeo, Prince, he was Mercutio’s friend. His fault concludes but what the law should end, the life of Tybalt’. The prince then banishes Romeo and when he is found that hour is his last ‘Let Romeo hence in haste, else, when he is found, that hour is his last.
This brawl is very different from the previous ones that the audience have witnessed because two main characters have died, and all the times before the king has given them a warning, but this time he is going to punish the guilty. Now Romeo hast to pay for all the consequences. This is also has a vital key element to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths because Romeo hast to leave Verona, and doesn’t hear of Juliet’s plans to fake her death.
Lady Capulet then enters to tell Juliet the marriage that’s been previously arranged for Juliet and County Paris that the audience has just witnessed. The audience saw Romeo and Juliet spend the night together and so they are expecting an argument between Juliet and her father.
Lady Capulet then breaks the news of marriage to Juliet, and as you can see from Juliet’s reaction to this she isn’t happy. She proves this by saying ‘Now by Saint Peter’s Church, and peter too, He shall not make me there a joyful bride…I pray you tell my lord and father I will not marry yet’. She also says to Lady Capulet about Romeo and her love for him here ‘I will not marry yet and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris’. Lady Capulet responds ‘Here comes your father, tell him yourself and see how he will take it at your hands’. Capulet enters the room in a seemingly good mood and the nurse also enters and Capulet notices Juliet in tears then says ‘When the sun sets the earth doth drizzle dew, but for the sunset of my brothers son it rains now, a conduit, girl? What, still in tears?’. He says this and the audience then know that he doesn’t know that she refuses to marry County Paris.
Capulet quickly learns the reason of Juliet’s upset and looses his temper ‘Hang thee young baggage, disobedient wrench! I tell thee what – thee get thee to church on Thursday or never after look me in the face…we have a curse in having her…’.
The nurse then steps in and says to Lord Capulet ‘God in heaven bless her. You are to blame, my lord, to rate her so’. Lord Capulet replies ‘And why, my lady wisdom? Hold your tongue, good prudence! Smatter with your gossips, go’.
Lord Capulet puts the nurse down ‘May one not speak? Peace you mumbling fool! Utter your gravity o’er a gossips bowl, for here we need it not. Here you can see that the nurse was obviously shocked and tried to stick up for Juliet.
Lady Capulet then says ‘you are too hot’, and then Lord Capulet replies ‘Gods breath, it makes me mad! Day, night, work, play. Alone, in company, still my care hath been to have her matched…lay hand on heart. Advice. And you be mine, I’ll give you to my friend; And you be not, hang! Beg! Starve! Die in the streets! ... I’ll not be forsworn’.
After this, Lord Capulet leaves.
Juliet appeals to her mother for help ‘O sweet my mother, cast me not away, delay this marriage for a month, a week, or if you do not, make the bridal bed in that dim monument where Tybalt lies. Lady Capulet then rejects Juliet’s request for help, ‘Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee’.
Juliet then appeals for the nurse’s help and advice ‘O god, o nurse, how shall this be prevented?
My husband is on Earth, my faith in heaven…’
She also wants the nurse to tell her something comforting ‘Hast thou not a word of joy?
Some comfort nurse’.
The nurse, whilst looking sad says ‘faith, here it is. Romeo is banished, and all the world to nothing that he dares ne’er come back to challenge you…I think it is best you married with the County.
O, he’s a lovely gentleman. Romeo’s a dishclout to him’.
The nurse tries to convince Juliet to marry County Paris and Juliet, asking for reassurance says ‘Speakest thou from thy heart’. The nurse responds, ‘…and from my soul too, else beshrew them both’.
The nurse tells Juliet her advise as you can see above, but after the nurse leaves, Juliet says her thoughts, ‘Ancient damnation! O most wicked fiend, is it more sin to wish me thus forsworn,
Or to dispraise my lord with that some tongue which she hath praised him with above compare so many thousand times?’. As you can see, she’s unhappy with the nurse’s advice, and so, plans to go to see the ‘Friar to know his remedy’. She even says ‘If all else fail, myself have power to die’.
This scene is not as violent as the previous, but it’s just as dangerous because, as a result Romeo and Juliet die.
Conclusion
In Romeo and Juliet, each scene has a vital role, which eventually takes their lives and others along the way.
In the first scene, the Montague’s have a fight and the prince threatens to take one of their lives, and also threatens to banish someone if it continues. If this didn’t happen Romeo and Juliet could be alive.
In act three scene one, Mercutio and Tybalt fight for Mercutio to fall. This happens because Mercutio cannot cope with Romeo on his hands and knees, begging for Mercutio to be ‘satisfied’ and gets offended which then leads to him to fighting Tybalt.
The reason that Tybalt is irate with Romeo is because, he saw him at the party that Mercutio gave them tickets to. Romeo cannot tell Tybalt why he loves him, because he has married his cousin (Juliet). And if he found out, Tybalt would kill Romeo. Tybalt kills Mercutio, and Romeo then kills Tybalt in revenge. This leads to Romeo to be ‘banished’ from Verona. This would have been avoided if Romeo didn’t go to the Montague’s party, which he was talked into anyway.
In act three scene five, Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet arranges a wedding for Juliet and County Paris, which results in Juliet and the Friar planning Juliet’s counterfeit death which Romeo’s friend thinks she is really dead. This then results in his friend telling Romeo that Juliet is truly dead. The Friar planned to notify Romeo by letter, but it was delayed. He kills himself and because Juliet saw Romeo die, she killed herself as well.
As you can see, each scene is imperative to Romeo and Juliet’s death and could also be easily avoided.
From the start of the play, we know that Romeo and Juliet are destined to die, because of the prologue. Each tragedy helps this to happen. Without one of them, or a slight change, they both would still be alive.
