Sampson and Gregory start a brawl with the Montague’s but Benvolio (the peacemaker) who is a friend of Romeo, tries to stop it going any further, but Tybalt (a Capulet) see’s it as an opportunity to fight and carries on. A riot develops and both Montague’s and Capulets join in. A furious Prince turns up and rebukes both Montague and Capulet and he threatens death against the two families if they ever fight in public again.
Leading up to Act three Scene one in Act one Scene 5 this scene like act one scene one begins with the Capulets servants joking together this tells us that a conflict will be to follow, so it builds up tension for the audience. Romeo offends Tybalt by turning up at the Capulets party and Tybalt thought that he was mocking him. This relates to conflict because Tybalt wanted to start a fight but Capulet stopped him. This is the scene in which Romeo and Juliet meet, they meet at the Capulets party and fall in love, Romeo then learns from the nurse that Juliet is a Caplulet and Juliet also learns that Romeo is a Montague. Juliet asks Romeo for them to be married and Romeo seeks Friar Lawrence for his help. Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them but only because he believes their marriage will end the conflict between the two families. Romeo and Juliet are married later the next day by Friar Lawrence. Their marriage relates to the conflict because they both wanted to be with each other but the feud wouldn’t let them, this made the feud worse with anger. But in the end the love between them will solve the feud because of the death of their children. It will show them that their foolish feud killed them.
The fight in Act three Scene one takes place in Verona. The scene starts of with Banvolio and Mercutio. Benvolio see’s danger ahead “The day is hot, the Capels abroad”. This builds up tension for the audience because Benvolio is usually right, so a feud will be to follow. Benvolio fears meeting the Capulets, knowing a fight will surely follow, “and if we meet we shall not scape a brawl, for now, these hot days is the mad blood stirring”. Mercutio laughs at his fears, accusing Benvolio of being a quick-tempered quarreller. Tybalt and Petruchio who is Tybalts friend enter with other Capulets. Mercutio insults Tybalt but Tybalt ignores him because he wants to see Romeo as he believes Romeo mocked him by turning up at the Capulets party. Benvolio is a peacemaker he doesn’t like fighting. “We talk here in the public haunt of men” he is sensible as he saw danger ahead. “Either withdraw unto some private place”.
Romeo enters and refuses to fight him. During the scene of conflict Shakespeare has set the scene in the height of summer as the heat is supposed to create madness, this is why Shakespeare moved the action from spring to the summer.
Mercutio gets angry with Romeo because Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, Tybalt starts on Benvolio, Mercutio and Tybalt start to fight and Romeo tries to stop them by reminding them that the Prince will banish them from Verona if he see’s them fighting in public again. Mercutio gets wounded and Tybalt flees with his followers. Benvolio and Romeo think that he is joking but then Mercuto curses the Montague’s and Capulets alike, it is then fatal for Mercutio who is mortally wounded. Mercutio also tells them they have “made worms meat” of him and it was their foolish conflict that killed him.
Throughout the play Romeo has become more and more angry with the feud between the two families and especially since he has met Juliet, and also the Prince said that if they fight in public again they will be banished from Verona, Romeo said he would rather die that be banished as being banished would mean he would never see Juliet again.
After the death of Mercutio, Romeos feelings are left in turmoil at Mercutios death, so he kills Tybalt and then flee’s leaving Benvolio to explain.
After the death of Tybalt. Romeos Refusal to fight changes after the death of Tybalt. I think this is because Lady Capulet demand death but the Prince says that for the death of Tybalt Romeo should be banished from Verona. Friar Lawrence hears of this and tells Romeo of the prince’s sentence for him. This makes Romeo distraught, as he would rather die than be banished, as banishment will mean he can no longer be with Juliet. Romeo tries to stab himself but the nurse seizes his dagger and Friar Lawrence rebukes him for his suicide attempt.
Shakespeare shows the audience this when Romeo is weeping on the ground over his banishment and his refusal to be comforted by Friar Lawrence.
In the scene (Act 3 scene 2) there are many consequences that will lead to their deaths. Juliet is devastated by the thought of Romeos banishment. Capulet decides to tell Juliet that she will marry Paris in three days time, Lady Capulet tells Juliet and she refuses and Capulet hears of her refusal and threatens her if she does not marry him he will disown her. Juliet see’s the nurse who also persuades her to marry Paris, feeling betrayed by the nurse she goes and finds Friar Lawrence telling him she will kill herself if she is forced to marry Paris. Friar Lawrence tells Juliet he has a plan, he says he will give her a potion to make her seem dead although she will only be asleep, he will send a letter to Romeo explaining his plan. And when she awakens they can both go to Mantua together. Juliet seeks her father and tells him she will marry Paris. When she is alone in her room she drinks the potion and says that if it does not work she will stab herself, this tells us of what extreme length both Romeo and Juliet will go to, to be away from the feud. The next morning Juliet is found by the nurse and appears dead. Balthas finds Romeo and tells him of the news of Juliet’s death. Romeo goes to the apothecary to buy poison and decides he will drink it in the tomb with Juliet. Friar John then tells Friar Lawrence of the letter not reaching Romeo, but Romeo is already at the tomb where he is stopped by Paris who tries to arrest him, but he is killed by Romeo, who then lies next to Juliet and drinks the poison. Balthasar who is outside tells Friar Lawrence that Romeo is in the tomb. Friar Lawrence finds Romeo and Paris dead and Juliet awakening, he begs Juliet to come with him but she stabs herself telling him she would rather be with Romeo.
The two families come together to the tomb to see their children and make peace and agree to set up a golden statue of Romeo and Juliet.
The death of Romeo and Juliet relates to the theme of conflict because, they both couldn’t live without one another, so the only way to be with one another was to kill themselves. Many people were killed from the conflict and this tells the two families and the audience the foolishness of the conflict was. It was necessary for the death of Romeo and Juliet as this was the only way the family’s feud would stop as they realised their foolish conflict only ended in tragedy.
This play told the audience about hate, feuding and conflict, it tells them that it will always end in tragedy and that hate is foolish and conflict wont solve anything.
