This play is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies.
The character of Romeo changes quite dramatically over the play. He starts off as a teen who suffers with unrequited love for Rosaline, and mopes around all night at the beach, causing his mother to worry: ”Oh where is Romeo, saw you him today?”. In an attempt to cheer him up his cousin and close friend, Mercutio and Benvolio, pursuade him to gate crash the Capulets party thrown for Paris to woo Juliet. When Romeo meets Juliet he falls head-over-heels in love with her and all thoughts of Rosaline are forgotten.
Tybalt saw Romeo at the party and wishes to fight him. Romeo does not want a fight, as unbeknown to all other characters he has married into the Capulet family. Mercutio cannot believe that Romeo does not want to fight the Capulets, sworn enemies of the Montagues, Says: ”On calm dishonourable, vile submission! ‘Alla atoccata’ carries it away. Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk?” Mercutio is angry at Romeo and finds him dishonourable not to fight for his family, so decides to fight Tybalt himself. Tybalt and Mercutio Fight, and Romeo tries to stop the fight but whilst standing between them, Mercutio is murdered under Romeo’s arm.
A dying Mercutio then, blaming both families for his death, Curses both families, Romeo’s and Tybalt's. “A plague on both your houses!” These words are very dramatic, he is wishing death and destruction on both his friends and enemies. He realises how stupid the feud is and how it has shed so much blood and brought about so much death on both sides. Romeo then “sees red” as Tybalt has murdered his best friend. He is angry and wishes to avenge his dear friend “This days black fate on moe days doth depend; This but begins the woe others must end” He sees that the future will depend on this day and that others must end this feud.
Tybalt returns to where Romeo and Benvolio still stand, Romeo is angry now and wants vengeance “Alive in triumph and Mercutio slain!…Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” meaning that either Romeo or Tybalt, or them both must die and join Mercutio in death. Tybalt replies to this by saying: “thou wretched boy that didst consort him, Shalt with him hence.” Meaning Romeo shall also die today along with Mercutio. Romeo and Tybalt do battle and it ends with Tybalt’s death.
Benvolio begs: “Romeo, away, be gone. The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. Stand not amaz’d. the prince will doom thee to death if thou art taken, hence, be gone, away!” He pleads with Romeo to leave as if caught, he will be executed along with the princes ruling. Romeo is in shock, he realises what he has done, and how he has messed everything up, “O, I am fortunes fool”. The prince and families enter and argue for and against the death of Romeo. The prince replies: “And for that offence immediately we do exile him hence…Else when he is found, that hour is his last.” Meaning that Romeo is to leave and never return or else he will be executed.
Romeo’s slaying of Tybalt has many consequences, one leading to another. His exile meant that though he had only just wed Juliet, he must already split with her. Juliet is deeply grieved at this, so to cheer her up from Tybalt's death (which is what her family think is wrong with her) her father arranges for her to marry Paris. Friar Lawrence gives Juliet a drug that will help her escape by making her family think she has died, the only problem being that Romeo does not hear this and believes she is dead. He buys poison goes to her deathbed and kills himself, where Juliet finds him once she has woken up. Distraught at finging her true love dead by her side, she then takes Romeo’s sword and stabs herself. The best thing that comes out of the death of the two young lovers, both families are able to see the futility of their feud and are able to set aside their differences to live peacebly along side each otherto prevent any further blood shed.
