At once Sampson draws his weapon out for a fight and tells young Gregory to begin an argument between them and the Montague’s, while he covers his back. “Thou is well, thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou been poor John.” “Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of Montague’s.” At once Gregory replies, saying that he will only turn his back and run. Sampson denies this accusation but he has not gained Gregory’s trust and so decides to taunt the Montague’s so they will begin the fight. Abraham, “Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?” Sampson replying yes and Gregory replying no.
While the riot is taking place, officers of the watch (who dislike both of the households) try to gain back the peace by waving clubs in the air. An angry Prince Escales arrives after the entrance of old Capulet and Montague (plus wives) and stops the fighting between the groups. Capulet saying, “What noise is this? Give me my long sword?” Montague replying “Thou villain, Capulet, (to his wife) Hold me not; let me go.” The prince then begins to say his speech of Montague and Capulet.
The prince makes it very clear he is angry and what he is angry about. “Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace…” The prince thinks that the families are difficulty, make miserable, and act like animals.
“On pain of torture, from these bloody hands….” the prince is saying you must control yourself and your actions. Throw away your weapons and listen to what I have to say.
“Three civil brawl bred of an airy word…,” three fights because of something that was said by your relatives (predicted). Three times you have disturbed the City of Verona.
“If you ever disturb our streets again….,” if this happens again you shall pay for your lives. Capulet, I will speak to you now. Montague, I shall speak to you later. This city should be free of trouble, (end of speech).
This speech is important because it stays aloud throughout the play. This speech leads to the consequences later in the play.
Act 3, Scene 1 is the effects of which form the bases for the rest of the play. It’s when things start to transform for Romeo and Juliet and things start to get worse, putting a strain on their relationship and their families is the second part of the feud. I believe this scene is important because, the Montague’s seemed worried, they fear that maybe the Capulet are mad that they sneaked into the Capulet party, but it seems that is not the reason here Mercutio and Benvolio enter talking in the public square. Tybalt arrives looking for Romeo. “By my heel, I care not.” Mercutio invents his own swear word, punning on that used by Benvolio. It also suggests he intends to stay and fight, not run away (take to his heels). Mercutio be infective, not a bit and fuming. “Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make minstrels of us; look to hear nothing but discords. Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!” A consort meaning a group of musicians. Mercutio chooses to take offence at this because minstrels or musicians were servants, a fiddlestick (sword), Zounds (by god’s (or Christ’s) wounds (a strong swear word). Benvolio who is high quality, Peacemaker, calming and non-specific. “Or reasonly coldy of your grievances”. Speak sensibly or rationally. Mercutio stirs trouble with Tybalt, but Tybalt doesn’t really want to hurt Mercutio, as he knows he´ s not very serious, and Mercutio isn’t a Montague, but Tybalt however wants a word with Mercutio´ s good friend, Romeo. Tybalt settles the quarrel with Mercutio when Romeo turns up on the scene.
“Romeo arrives and Tybalt instigates trouble by calling him a villain. “ No better term than this; thou art a villain.” Romeo responds to Tybalt by saying that he loves Tybalt, for now they are cousins through Juliet’s marriage with Romeo. Tybalt insults Romeo. “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.” Tybalt belittling Romeo, he is insulting him. Romeo then replying back to Tybalt “I do protest I never injured thee.” Romeo saying “And so, good Capulet, which name I tender,” he respects their surname. Romeo tries to reason with Tybalt, Mercutio cannot believe this, “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Alla stoccato carries it away (he draws his sword) Tybalt you rat catcher, will you walk?” He calls it a vile submission, and so shows a little more hatred towards Tybalt. I think Mercutio is doing this because at the start of the scene, we read that he is bored, and restless, so I think that this may be a way of keeping him entertained and occupied for a while. Tybalt drawing his sword, as he is ready to fight. “I an for you”. Romeo doesn’t want to see anybody get hurt, so he reminds the two men of what the Prince said about fighting in the streets, “Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.” Romeo trying to stop the fight saying “Gentlemen, for sham, forbear this outrage! Romeo comes between them. Tybalt wounds Mercutio from behind Romeo then runs away followed by his men.
Mercutio, “Ay, ay, a scratch; marry, ‘t is enough. Where is my page? Go villain, fetch a surgeon.” Romeo thinking it is not much, “Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.
Tybalt, Romeo, and the rest of the characters think that Mercutio, being the joker that he is, is just pretending and faking his wound to try and teach the two families a lesson and we see that Mercutio may be playing when he tells us that his wound is nothing but a scratch. Romeo says that Mercutio should be a little more courageous, and that his wound cannot be much, but Mercutio knows himself that he is doomed. We know this because Mercutio says, 'Ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man´. As Mercutio is dying, he puts the blame upon Romeo, and asks why he came into the fight between him and Tybalt. Mercutio’s dying words “Help me into some house, Benvolio, or shall I faint. A plague o’ both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it, and soundly too, your houses! Benvolio shouting O Romeo, Romeo, and brave Mercutio is dead.
Romeo uses a sense of irony in his words when he says 'This days black fate on mo days doth depend´. He is telling us that he knew in the back of his mind he knew that something would go wrong.
Benvolio, “Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.” Tybalt returns after Benvolio helps Mercutio, but ends up dying. Tybalt, “Thou, wretched boy that did consort him here, Shalt with him hence. Tybalt used the word consort, the word that angered Mercutio. Romeo drawing his sword and adds in a comment, “this shall determine that.” They both end up fighting and Romeo kills Tybalt.
In Act 5 Scene 3, at the Capulets’ vault lies Juliet on the tomb, and Romeo enters. Romeo approaches the tomb and orders Balthasar to leave him on pain of death. He smashed at the gate with the crowbar that Balthasar had. “Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.” Violence is conflicted in this scene as well as the other two when Romeo kills Paris when he tries to stop him, believing that he is attempting some vandalism on the Capulet tomb. They both end up fighting and Romeo kills Paris, not knowing who he is. He is shocked when he recognises the dead man so Romeo lays his body next to Juliet’s as that was his dying wish.
“Here’s to my love. (Drinks the poison) O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” Romeo drinks the poison because he can’t bare living without Juliet being in his life all the time. Juliet awakes and finds Romeo lying there, “What’s here? A cup closed in my true love’s hand?” Juliet is a bit confused as to why there is a cup in Romeo’s hand and finds out he drank poison. “To help me after? I will kiss thy lips” Juliet kisses Romeo on the lips but there is no poison on Romeo’s lips. “Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die.” Juliet takes Romeo’s dagger and stabs herself, falls on Romeo’s body and dies.
The violence in Act 5 Scene 3 is very strong and the way Shakespeare has chose to end the characters of Romeo and Juliet. They are willing to die for one and each other. This just shows how strong the love and violence is in the play, Romeo had to kill people because of his love, first the feud with Tybalt with Mercutio, as Romeo wanted revenge for Mercutio’s death and when Romeo kills Paris in the churchyard.
My overall conclusion on this play is that this play contains more violence than love which is the whole purpose because it mentions at the beginning of the play an ancient grudge has passed between them. Love and violence were involved in most of Shakespeare’s play. This one was more a violent play over love but in this play, Shakespeare shows that there is love at first sight if we believe it. Both families had what was coming for acting so irresponsibly. It is love that leads to the substantial amount of violence in the play. The way Romeo and Juliet killed themselves was attention-grabbing and the readers wouldn’t expect them to die like that.
