Benvolio does not wish to fight and offers peace to Tybalt
“I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me.”
Benvolio is not looking for a fight, like the Capulet’s, which coincides with his names meaning to keep peace. But Tybalt sees this as an act of weakness and challenges him to fight
“What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
As I hate hell, all Montague’s, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!”
They begin to fight and several members of each house rush to join the fray, and then enter citizens with clubs.
Old Capulet runs onto the stage and demands a sword so that he too may fight. His wife restrains him, even when Old Montague emerges with his sword drawn as well. The Citizens of the Watch have put up a cry, and manage to get Prince Escalus to arrive. The Prince chides them for three times causing the street of Verona to be unsafe. He orders all home and personally escorts the Capulet’s
“For this time, all the rest depart away:
You Capulet; shall go along with me:”
The prince threatens that if any disturbances are made by either of them, it will result in their death. The Montague’s and Benvolio remain on stage. They ask Benvolio why Romeo was not with him, and he tells them Romeo has been in a strange mood lately
“Where, underneath the grove of sycamore
That westward rooteth from the city's side,
So early walking did I see your son:”
It conveys the fact that Romeo is deeply in love with Rosaline and how troubled he is. When Romeo appears, the Montague’s ask Benvolio to find out what is wrong, and then depart. Romeo informs Benvolio that he is in love with a woman named Rosaline who wishes to remain chaste for the rest of her life, which is why he is so depressed.
“Out--
Of love?
Out of her favour, where I am in love”
He is beside himself with love but it seems Rosaline has little interest in Romeo which displeases him.
He as tried to win her love by offering her gold
“She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes,
Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:
O, she is rich in beauty, only poor”
It is quite crude because he is offering gold for her to “ope her lap” it seems a squalid way to win her heart, and still she refuses.
Benvolio tries to comfort Romeo, and tells him to forget Rosaline and think of other women
“Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.
O, teach me how I should forget to think.
By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
Examine other beauties.”
Romeo sees this as impossible but tries anyway because he cannot live like he has done anymore.
This scene is significant to the play because the disorder within the play is evidenced by inverted circumstances. Servants start the quarrel, but soon draw the noblemen into the brawl. The young men enter the fight, but soon the old men try to deny their age and fight as well. The fact that this whole scene takes place in broad daylight undermines the security that is supposed to exist during the day. Thus the play deals with conflicting images: servants leading noblemen, old age pretending to be youth, day overtaking night. It is also important because of the Prince’s warning as this is disobeyed later on in the play.
Second Scene
Act 3 Scene one is where Benvolio and Mercutio are on a street in Verona waiting for Romeo to arrive. While there, Tybalt and Petruccio see them and come over to provoke a quarrel. Tybalt is expressly looking to find Romeo, whom he wants to punish for sneaking into the masked party the previous day. In his anger he states:
“Romeo, the hate I bear thee can afford
No better term than this,--thou art a villain.”
Conversely Romeo wants peace with Tybalt as they are now related through Juliet, but Romeo will defend his friends if Tybalt pursues it
“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”
Tybalt has no idea that Romeo and Juliet are married, which makes it extremely difficult because if either of them kills one another it shall mean trauma for Juliet.
Tybalt is unsure how to deal with Romeo, but since Mercutio begins provoking him to a duel Tybalt attacks
“O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
Alla stoccata carries it away.
Draws
Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?”
Tybalt draws his sword and attacks Mercutio, Romeo draws his sword and intervenes but he is too late to prevent Tybalt from stabbing Mercutio.
Mercutio is falls and calls:
“Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch; marry, 'tis enough.”
An infuriated Mercutio curses:
“A plague o' both your houses!
They have made worms' meat of me: I have it,
And soundly too: your houses!”
Mercutio says this because Romeo did not help out and leaves the stage with Benvolio, who soon returns to tell Romeo that Mercutio has died.
“gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,”
Romeo is beside himself with guilt and anger and vows to avenge his friend’s death by killing Tybalt who soon reappears to fight with him:
“Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
Alive, in triumph! And Mercutio slain!”
In the duel, Romeo kills Tybalt, and Benvolio knows the penalty or Romeo’s actions and forces him to “be gone!
Benvolio knows that if Romeo is caught he will be killed and sends him away before the Prince, followed by the Montague and Capulet families, shows up at the scene.
Benvolio tries to explain that Romeo is innocent, that Tybalt murdered Mercutio but the Prince is in disbelief
“Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled;”
Instead of listening to what Benvolio has said he banishes Romeo from Verona, threatening to kill him should he return:
“Immediately we do exile him hence:
I have an interest in your hate's proceeding,
My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;”
This scene is important scenes because Mercutio leads the action in this most dramatic of the five acts. When wounded, he cries out "A plague o' both your houses” saying it three times to ensure that it becomes a curse. Indeed, it is the plague which causes the final death of both Romeo and Juliet. In killing Tybalt, Romeo has ensured that his and Juliet’s future forlorn. Romeo is incensed because if he had protected his friend in the beginning perhaps neither one would have died. In this case Juliet and he could have had a future together.
Third Scene
Act 3 scene 5 takes place very early Tuesday morning on day three. Romeo and Juliet have been together for the night and are discussing whether they hear the nightingale or the lark
“Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.
It was the lark, the herald of the morn,”
The nightingale sings at night, and the lark sings in early morning. The child in Juliet insists that it is the nightingale, while Romeo insists that it is the lark, and he must hurry from the city. Juliet persuades him that it is the nightingale to which Romeo replies:
“Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death;
I am content, so thou wilt have it so.
I'll say yon grey is not the morning's eye,”
Romeo is beside himself with love for Juliet and is willing to do whatever makes her happy so decides that he will stay longer, risking capture and even death. At this point, the more mature and fearful Juliet says:
“hie hence, be gone, away!
It is the lark that sings so out of tune,”
Now that she realises what danger Romeo could be in thus she wants him to leave. The nurse enters the stage informing Juliet that her mother is coming to speak with her. Romeo descends from the balcony to the ground and bids her goodbye
Lady Capulet thinks Juliet is still saddened by the death of Tybalt and begins to talk of Romeo which displeases her
“That same villain, Romeo.
[Aside] Villain and he be many miles asunder.--
God Pardon him! I do, with all my heart;”
She follows what her mother is saying and is ironic “To bear a poison, I would temper it;
That Romeo should, upon receipt thereof,
Soon sleep in quiet. O, how my heart abhors”
Lady Capulet believes that when Juliet says “temper” she means to stir it but what she is really saying is that she will water it down.
To cheer her up she tells her of the planned wedding with Paris
“The County Paris, at Saint Peter's Church,
Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.”
Juliet is stunned by the news and refuses with ironic language
“I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam,
I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I swear,
It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate,
Rather than Paris”
She is stating that if she marries it will be to Romeo, whom her mother believes she hates rather than Paris for she is adamant she will not marry.
Lady Capulet seems very insensitive towards Juliet
“Here comes your father; tell him so yourself,
And see how he will take it at your hands.”
It illustrates the fact that the Nurse has been more of a mother to Juliet than her real mother and displays the bond between the Nurse and Juliet.
Capulet himself enters and becomes furious when Juliet refuses to marry Paris and considers Juliet ungrateful:
“And yet 'not proud,' mistress minion, you,
Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds,”
He is livid with Juliet and believes her to be ungrateful and orders her to prepare for her and Paris’ marriage
“To go with Paris to Saint Peter's Church,
Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.”
He has become very aggressive toward Juliet and threatens to drag her on a cart through the streets to publicly humiliate her.
Yet again we see a more violent side of Capulet and is becoming hostile towards Juliet
“Hang thee, young baggage! disobedient wretch!
I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,
Or never after look me in the face:”
Lady Capulet refuses to help Juliet
“Talk not to me, for I'll not speak a word:
Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.”
Lady Capulet left Juliet in despair in such an un-motherly way, and is refusing to speak to her. She tries to turn to her motherly figure, the Nurse, but even she tells her that
Paris is a fine gentleman whom she should marry
“Then, since the case so stands as now it doth,
I think it best you married with the county.
O, he's a lovely gentleman!”
Juliet is enraged by this and kicks out her Nurse and prepares to visit Friar Laurence. As the Nurse leaves, Juliet calls her, "Ancient damnation!" this suggest that she now feels hatred towards the nurse for siding with her father.
Conclusion
In my opinion this play is violent because it shows the conflicts of families, when the reason is unknown. How proud they shall be in not wanting peace amongst Verona, the way the houses treat each other, the spite and cruelty they speak.
I feel that overall it illustrates love and hatred because two members of the rivalry houses grew to love each other when their family’s displayed such venom. It is sad to think that the Capulet’s and Montague’s hated each other so much that they were willing to sacrifice their children for their own pride.
