At the start of the scene, Mercutio and Benvolio are walking in the streets of Verona when Benvolio suggests that the Capulets are nearby. Mercutio rejects the suggestion and says to Benvolio that it is ironic that he is suggesting away to get out of a fight when he is just as likely to get involved into a brawl as himself. Mercutio is actually describing his own feisty personality as is shown when Mercutio provokes Tybalt to fight. This is aimed at imposing dramatic tension as the audience will be able to sense that Benvolio is right in wanting to leave the area and therefore will be able to predict what will happen now that Mercutio has used his quarrelling skills to convince Benvolio that there is no risk of an encounter with the Capulets. As the scene progresses, Benvolio prediction comes to being and the Capulets arrive. This automatically creates dramatic tension as the audience realise the potential conflict between the two family names. However, since Mercutio is neither a Capulet nor a Montague, he is initially not bothered by the arrival of Tybalt: “By my heel, I care not” This quote basically shows that Mercutio doesn’t care at all. Soon Mercutio starts to turn up the tension as he uses his fondness for playing with words to provoke Tybalt: “And but one word with us? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow.” This remark would have angered Tybalt as Mercutio is mocking Tybalt’s request by basically saying “Just a word? What about a punch as well?” This is clear evidence that Mercutio is looking for Tybalt to react and the audience will be able to sense conflict, even at this early stage of the scene. To start with Tybalt resists the temptation to show his anger and replies sensibly by saying “You shall find me apt enough to that, sir, and you will give me occasion” which means that Tybalt is prepared to fight, but only if Mercutio gives him a reason to. Mercutio replies in an unconcerned manner which further suggests that Mercutio seeks to provoke Tybalt even more: “Could you not take some occasion without giving” which means “Can’t you make a reason up without me giving you one?” This shows the recklessness of Mercutio creating a rift Tybalt which by now a fight is inevitable.
The first dramatic peak of the scene is Romeo’s entrance. This part of the scene is full of dramatic irony as none of the other characters involved knows about the secret marriage between Romeo and Juliet which means Tybalt is now related to Romeo. However the audience knows this which is the basis of the dramatic irony involved. As Romeo enters, he is clearly is no fighting mood, mainly because his mind is deeply in love with Juliet and therefore doesn’t see that Mercutio and Tybalt are just about to fight. At this point in particular, the audience knows a lot more than the characters themselves. In this section of the play, there is a dramatic clash of love and hate - Romeo has been transformed by love and this has probably made him reckless since he is so full of love that he tasks heavy risks which other wise he wouldn’t have taken. On the other hand, we have Tybalt which is full of hatred as he doesn’t know that he is related to Romeo. This combination of Romeo’s love and Tybalt’s extreme hatred sparks the fuel on which the dramatic climax is built on. Yet there is also a clash of Tybalt’s loyalty and honour and Romeo’s “cowardice”. When Tybalt personally confronts Romeo, Romeo refuses to fight because of the relation he has now with 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 knowest me not” In this quote, Romeo is explaining that he has a reason for showing love towards Tybalt, which he and Mercutio is currently unaware of. Mercutio at this moment of time, doesn’t understand why Romeo is refusing to fight and consequently thinks that Romeo is a coward. This gives this part of the play a dramatic atmosphere since the dramatic irony from Romeo’s love for Juliet combines with the dramatic tension created from clashing personalities. As Mercutio explodes into anger from seeing Romeo “cowarding” out of a fight, he shouts “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission” This comment is directly aimed at Romeo’s cowardice and exclaims how he is “calm” but his actions are “dishonourable” This is also ironic since Mercutio seems to care about the honour of Romeo’s family name, yet he is neither Montague nor Capulet.
One dramatic peak flows into another when the heated brawl commences - sparks and flares fly aplenty in the presence of dramatic tension on which the conflict dangles lives about a bloody death. Romeo attempts to physically impede the anger and aggression locked within the head of Tybalt and Mercutio by acting as the peacemaker. However all goes wrong when he intervenes between the two and subsequently enables Tybalt to launch a fatal sword blow into Mercutio. At this pivotal point, confusion engulfs the characters and the audience, everyone is left to wonder whether Mercutio is in pain or not. Mercutio continues to clown about likes nothing has happened but still gives away clues to the truth about his actual suffering: “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man” Even dying, Mercutio is playing with words as he is saying that tomorrow he’ll be dead (in his grave), but also playing on the other definition of grave meaning serious. Mercutio then asks Romeo why he came between him and Tybalt which lead to the fatal blow. Romeo replies “I thought all for the best” which shows Romeo’s good intention ironically do more harm than good. By this point, the tension would have built up in the characters minds as they are still confused to whether Mercutio is wounded or not. All this confusion adds to the dramatic tension and dramatic atmosphere surrounding the aftermath of the brawl.
As Mercutio curses “A plague a’both your houses!” for the third time, it becomes clear to everyone that Mercutio is dying and he is saying his final words. As Mercutio falls, the story spins into a dark sombre mood in which the tension is dropped in favour of a dramatic twist of fate as the joker of the pack is no longer alive, but dead.
Romeo’s calm and quiet personality spins into a vortex of extreme sadness shrouded in a desire for revenge and anger towards Tybalt: “Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now! Now Tybalt, take the “villain” back again That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.”
This is putting across to the audience that Romeo will not be gentle anymore and wants either Tybalt or himself to join Mercutio in death. He shows signs of recklessness and passion which is quite a contrast to Tybalt’s aggressive unforgiving stance. Romeo is also the first person to use rhyming couplets in this part of the play and this immediately suggests that things are changing: “This day’s black fate on moe days doth depend, This but begins the woe other must end.” This particular quote refers to the desire for revenge that Romeo feels he must take out on Tybalt. This injects a new bolt of dramatic tension as the audience sense a fresh burst of conflict between two warring rivals. The “Away to heaven, respective lenity” shows that Romeo is asking for the Gods to take away the mercy embedded within him and replace it with furious evil. This creates dramatic tension as the audience is left to wonder how far is this going to go. Romeo has lost all sense of normality as he goes in search of justice and the audience are left waiting to find the result on the fight.
Romeo launches an attack on Tybalt and they are thrown into a furious mêlée where Romeo emerges victorious and Tybalt falls. This in itself is dramatic and would build tension since the audience will be thinking about the consequences which will follow up the deaths – they will be wondering when the Prince finds out, whether he will stick to his word or alter his punishment after finding out that Tybalt has also done wrong. Soon after Tybalt dies, Benvolio expresses his concern for what Romeo has done and fears for his life: “Romeo, away, be gone! The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death, If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!” Benvolio urges Romeo to leave as the Prince will hear of the death of Mercutio and Tybalt which will lead to a search for Romeo. Benvolio’s quote brings Romeo back to his senses and quietens the atmosphere yet there is still a feeling of tension hanging around the audience who want to now what is going to happen to Romeo next – Will he die or will he live?
When Prince is notified that his relative, Mercutio, and his murderer, Tybalt have both been killed, he seeks Romeo. Lady Capulet is grieving for her nephew who has just been killed by a Capulet: “Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child! O prince! O cousin! husband! O, the blood is spilt
O my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true, For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague. O cousin, cousin!” Prince then moves on to question Benvolio about what happened but upon hearing, Lady Capulet brandishes his account “false” as he is a Montague: “He is a kinsman to the Montague; Affection makes him 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 thou, prince, must give; Romeo slew Tybalt, Romeo must not live.” Lady Capulet is not surprisingly claiming that Benvolio is lying because he is biased towards his own family name and expresses her wish to see Romeo dead because of his part in her nephew’s death. Lord Montague in reply defends his son by saying that he only did what the law should have done: “Not Romeo, Prince, he was Mercutio’s friend; His fault concludes but what the law should end, The life of Tybalt” This battle between the two families with conflicting arguments build the tension and eagerness to know what the Prince will decide. In response to the two arguments he decides Romeo should be banished from Verona: “And for that offence Immediately we do exile him hence. I have an interest in your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding; But i’ll amerce you with so strong a fine That you shall all repent the loss of mine. I will be deaf to pleading excuses. Nor tears nor prayers shall purchases out abuses. Therefore use none. Let Romeo hence in haste, Else when he is found, that hour is his last. Bear hence this body, and attend our will: Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill” He is presenting his view that both families should suffer as the Prince himself will suffer due to the death of his relative, Mercutio. He will also ignore all complaints and advises that Romeo should get out of Verona now if he doesn’t want to be killed. This dramatic conclusion draws up the dramatic tension in the audience and now everyone is waiting for what Romeo is going to do now and what will happen to Juliet.
After this scene, things change from a joyful atmosphere to one of tragedy. This part of the play is where the central characters fortune turns – Throughout the second act Romeo and Juliet’s fortunes had been improving as the exchange vows, gaining the agreement of the marriage through the Friar and the accomplishment of the marriage got both characters in high spirits. In an instant, the story flicks into a different mode as it moves towards heartbreak. It is sadly ironic that Romeo does his utmost to prolong his happiness with Juliet but his injudicious judgement of the honour he has for his friend Mercutio left him in the tragic situation in which he is in now.
This disheartening part of the play represents a combination of dramatic effects on which this eventful storyline is based on. It serves as an irreversible pivot on which the play turns on for the worse, until Romeo and Juliet reach their dreaded fate at the poignant end.
