Romeo then confronts Tybalt; he struggled with resisting the urge to fight but then acts on impulse and kills Tybalt. Romeo is the exiled from Verona from the Prince.
The setting of the play is created through the language of the characters, e.g. “For these hot days, is the mad blood stirring”, the audience was highly sophisticated of the time of Shakespeare and they needed a line as this to understand or to get an image of the setting because there was no props. The plays were set during the day so explanation of words were needed if it were to be dark.
Suspense and tension is developed through the scene by the things leading up to it. Throughout the scene tension is sustained. At the beginning when Benvolio and Mercutio are in dispute about who wishes a quarrel, suspense has already began, “An I were so apt to quarrel as thou” they were accusing each other of starting fights but however suspense eases until Tybalt enters the scene. As soon as Tybalt enters the scene the tension is cranked up once again, he wishes to battle with Romeo but Romeo refuses as they are cousins, Tybalt says to Romeo “thou art a villain” that comment is a gesture to fight but Romeo doesn’t, tension is eased, until Mercutio and Tybalt fight, Mercutio fights for Romeo’s honour. Mercutio dies in the battle and says “A plague o' both your houses!” more suspense is created here also. And then Romeo battles Tybalt and kills him for revenge for Mercutio, the outcome of this is that Romeo is exiled from the Verona walls.
The characters of Mercutio and Tybalt create tension between them much earlier in the play. For example Tybalt clearly states that, “I hate all Montague’s as I hate hell”, at the beginning this has already created tension as they will come in to conflict and Mercutio is a Montague. Also at the ball Tybalt will get his revenge on Romeo “Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting” this means that Tybalt will get his revenge on Romeo and the Montague’s as a whole.
Mercutio also creates tension early on, the language used by Mercutio is called the queen mab speech, this means that Mercutio is a character on the edge “Alla stoccata carries it away”. This means that Mercutio is prepared to fight. And also Mercutio is a bit of a comic so you don’t whether or not he is joking so this also creates tension. When he is dieing people think he is still joking and he is ok. “Tomorrow find me a grave”.
The events of this scene relate to the themes because there are a lot of opposites within the scene. The first theme hate is used a lot in this scene, Mercutio hates Tybalt and Tybalt hates Romeo however, Romeo doesn’t hate Tybalt, as he loves Juliet so he feels loyal to her. “I love thee more than thou can devise”.
However when Tybalt kills Mercutio 2 themes are dealt with here, Romeo feels loyalty to Mercutio as he seeks revenge against Tybalt, it was Tybalt’s fate to die.
Also there is a great tragedy as Mercutio dies and Romeo is exiled from the Verona walls.
At the beginning Romeo is happy man as he has fallen in love with Juliet, the love of his love. However this all begins to fall apart as his best friend dies and he has killed Juliet’s cousin and he is banished from the Verona walls.
As these three happenings un-fold you know this will lead to a great tragedy, Romeo and Juliet’s death.
At the end of this scene Romeo is an unhappy man as he has lost his wife, Juliet, and he has seen his best friend die in front of him just because of the two families. Mercutio curses both of the houses, “A plague o’ both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me: I have it, and soundly too: your houses!”
There is irony in the scene as Tybalt and Romeo fight in the scene, but the irony is that Tybalt doesn’t know that he is related to Romeo and so does know one else.
This scene is so tragic as Romeo is exiled from the Verona walls “Romeo is banished” also Mercutio dies as for Tybalt so there is more tragedy there.
The two versions of Romeo and Juliet were successful, in the Bas Lurman version the setting is set with lighting and in the background the sea is wavy, this sets the scene. Also in this version the swords are replaced by guns and Romeo kills Tybalt in a car chase. In the older version of this scene swords are used and the setting of the play is also effective as it goes from a quiet setting to a loud fight between Mercutio and Tybalt. However in the older version Romeo looks innocent but in the Bas Lurman version Romeo doesn’t.
The scene is important to the play as a whole as it sets the story for what happens next, for example, when Romeo is banished, the consequence of this is that it immediately leads to Juliet’s and Romeo’s death.
And when Romeo kills Tybalt this leads to Romeo’s banishment.
By Ibrahim Ahmet 11R
