Mercutio is a violent person and an instinctive fighter, but is also a quite intelligent we can see this in Act 3, scene 1, “Thou art like one of these fellows that, when he enters the confine of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table, and says ‘God send me no need of thee!’; and by the operation of the second cup draws him on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.” Mercutio sounds as though he is talking about someone else, but really in irony he is talking about himself and in doing this he reveals his weakness. Mercutio is a fighter and responds to
Tybalt is a proud person and will always look for a fight in order to retain it, but he is not as good a fighter as Mercutio and nor is he as cleaver, “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries, that thou hast done me, therefore turn and draw.”(Boy: a term of contempt). He shows signs of cowardice when he applies a blow to Mercutio under his arm and exits the scene in a hurry to avoid retribution, knowing the trouble he is in. Later in the scene he is killed by Romeo.
Benvolio is honest peace loving man, he shows this in Act 1, scene 1, “I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me.”(Manage it: use it properly, part: separate). Benvolio does not change in Act 3, scene 1; he gives a completely honest account of events in the scene. “O noble prince, I can discover all, the unlucky manage of this fatal brawl; There lies the man, slain by young Romeo, That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.”(Discover: reveal, manage: conduct).
Dramatic effect and the Elizabethan audience
Dramatic effect is essential to the early part of Act 3, scene 1. It is also important to remember that the script is suited to the stage and an involved audience. “And but one word with on of us? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow”, Mercutio’s clever use of words get the audience laughing and create a pantomime as he ridicules Tybalt and sets up the fight. The audience are on Mercutio’s side which makes it all the more shocking when he dies. “Ay, ay, a scratch, marry, ‘tis enough. Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.” this is melodrama by Mercutio and because of his jokes earlier in the scene; the audience who have not seen the blow think he is joking.
The Elizabethan audience have an understanding of ‘macho’ culture and this comes across in Act 3, scene 1, when Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt. “O calm, dishonourable vile submission! ‘Alla stoccata’ carries it away. Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?” Tybalt having insulted Romeo it is assumed that he will fight Tybalt.
Conclusion
The most important part of this scene is the dramatic irony that Romeo is married to Juliet, but no one else knows this. This only taster for the final scene, but is still significant in the dialogue between Romeo and Tybalt. Romeo and the audience know that Romeo is married to Juliet and therefore cannot fight Tybalt, the other characters do not know this, and Romeo is expected to fight Tybalt in response to the insult. “No better term than this: though art a villain”. Romeo does not reveal his secret, but he tries to excuse his submission. ”Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee. Doth much excuse the appertaining rage.” In this essay I have analysed and explained the key themes of violence, ‘macho’ culture, dramatic irony, dramatic effect on the Elizabethan Audience and Shakespeare’s use of language. In terms of the play as a whole Act 3, scene 1 and it’s themes of violence dramatically change the course and theme of the play, from almost an almost comic love story to a tragic tale.
