Rome is age fourteen and does not appear till the second scene despite being the titular hero. Romeo is a characternym derived from the word romantic this tells us allot about him. Shakespeare’s reason for using characternyms was that it raises the audience’s expectation about the character. When the audience first sees him he is downcast and depressed and suffering from love sickness therefore he feels confused and this expressed in his speech which is filled with oxy-morons,-“Oh loving hate” and “Oh brawling love”. Romeo still feels depressed even before entering the in masked ball act I scene IV. He is immediately lifted when he sees Juliet. He calls her a snowy dove trooping amongst crows… this is love at first sight and emphasises Romeos starry eyed and fickle nature. This reminds me of his characternym which suggests his romantic nature and poetic language. He is still in infatuated with Rosaline. One moment Romeo is telling Benvolio that he cannot forget about Rosaline, and the next he cannot take his eyes of Juliet. “Did my heart love till now, forswear it sight, for I ne’er saw true beauty till this night…”. “He jests at scars that never felt a wound. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks”. “It is the east and Juliet is the sun. Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon” This is an excellent example of Shakespeare’s genius to write lyrical poetry. When Tybalt asks duel he declines his request, however they soon begin. Mercutio also gets involved and then is murdered. As he passes away, 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 in the back of his mind he knew that something would go wrong. Romeo is very emotional. Tybalt re-enters and both he and Romeo continue until Tybalt is murdered
Mercutio: This is another characternym derived from roman God Mercury. Mercury was a messenger from God; he is swift of foot. He is also very volatile which means he is quickly changeable. The audience feel very confused as Mercutio dies because they and the characters think that he is joking saying that his wound is nothing but a scratch, I think this is a way of teaching the two families a lesson for fighting. As Mercutio is dying, he puts the lame upon Romeo, and asks why he came into the fight between him and Tybalt. Mercutio is killed off by Shakespeare because he may be overshadowing Romeo and he should be back in the centre of attention. Mercutio is the type of person that always tries to do better than everyone else and his way of doing this is to play with words. He is very excitable at times. He says when the nurse arrives “Two, two I a shirt and a smock”. While Mercutio is unpredictable in his temperament he does care about his friends.
Tybalt is a violent and exuberant person. His name comes from the mythical king of the cats which suggests he may be, nimble, agile, cunning, and may have nine lives. He is not a major character in play as he has fewer lines than Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio but he is important. He is Juliet’s cousin and always defending the family honour. This is a perfect example-when he spots Romeo in the Capulet masked ball he says “Now, by the stock and honour of my kin to strike him dead I hold it not a sin”. In only his second speech he says to Romeo “What, drown and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell: all Montague’s and thee, have at thee coward!” He is the main starter of the fight as he hates all Montague’s, his anger stems from knowing that Romeo had entered the masked ball without him being invited. Romeo does not except to duel, “I do protest I never injure 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 does not yet know that Romeo is related to him. He is still very aggressive and starts to duel.
Benvolio is the nephew to Lord Montague and a good friend to Romeo. His name may be derived from Benevolent which means “tries to do good”. His very first line “part fools!” Part fools establishes him a sensible peace maker. He tries to stop the fight between the Capulet’s and Montague’s in the first scene in Act 1. “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire: the day is hot, the capels are abroad, and if we meet we shall not scape brawl” Benvolio is a close friend of Romeo’s and he responds to his problems with Rosaline with sympathy but he is also practical – “Forget to think of her by giving liberty unto thine eyes.” Here Benvolio is saying that Romeo should forget about Rosaline and look at other pretty girls, which is the advice Romeo takes. In Act III scene 1 Benvolio witnesses the duel between Romeo and Tybalt, he urges caution being very sensible, and the fight is won and lost. The Prince asks Benvolio exactly what happens, so he does. “Tybalt here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay. Romeo, that spoke him fair, bade him bethink...” In other words Romeo tried to avoid a fight by speaking calmly to Tybalt. He would not listen and fought with Mercutio. As Romeo tried to stop them, Tybalt killed Mercutio and fled. He came back and Romeo turned on him and killed him. This proves Benvolio is very truthful.
This scene is very dramatic as the play changes from one genre to another; it is also the middle of the play. The scene is very brutal and the most important. It has the most active in the play as Mercutio and Tybalt die, and Romeo is banished.
