Summary
Act 3 of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet debuts with an argument between Mercutio and Benvolio about Benvolio’s urge to fight. The two Montagues are walking around the city when Benvolio makes the suggestion to return home mainly to avoid running into the Capulets and they do not want a fight. Mercutio then advises Benvolio that he is usually the one in search for fights without viable reasons, to which Benvolio immediately disagrees with. During their small argument, Tybalt and other Capulets enter which leads into Mercutio and Tybalt entering into a verbal fight until Romeo enters and attempts to break it up. However, Romeo’s attempt fails and the two only draw their swords and threaten one another’s lives, despite the earlier Prince’s warning. Romeo stands between the two, but Tybalt only reaches under his arm and stabs Mercutio. Tybalt and the other Capulets flee. Mercutio is seriously wounded and asserts this in his dramatic manner. Benvolio brings him away to find help. He returns shortly after bearing the news of his death to Romeo. Tybalt enters again, to which Romeo furiously demands a fight in revenge for Mercutio’s life. Tybalt is killed and Romeo flees through the advice of Benvolio, as there are many witnesses and the Prince will not allow Romeo to walk away free of charge if he is caught. After Romeo leaves, the Prince, Lord and Lady Montague, and Lord and Lady Capulet enter the scene. Benvolio informs the Prince of what had just recently occurred and the Prince decides, much to Lady Capulet’s disdain for she wants the killer dead, that Romeo is now banished from Verona.
Analysis
Shakespeare also expresses some character’s full potential in this scene. Romeo is contrasted as acting feminine and masculine. Romeo says “O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty has made me effeminate. . .” This means that he has become weak from love and Juliet. As Romeo is contrasted as feminine and weak, Tybalt is seen as an enraged and furious with Romeo. From the minute Romeo stepped foot into the Capulet’s part, Tybalt has been out for revenge. When Tybalt first enters the scene, he is in search of Romeo and after he flees from killing Mercutio, he returns to finalize his resentment and vengeance for Romeo. Unlike Mercutio, Benvolio is at ease in this scene. As seen in previous scenes from the story, Benvolio is known to be a character who loves fights. Although this scene compares how Benvolio can be against fighting. Benvolio advises both him and Mercutio to return home so they do not run into the Capulets which would cause hostility. When Benvolio and Mercutio do come about to see the Capulets, Mercutio is read to defend himself as well as Romeo for he is not in a stable mood to distinguish whether he should or should not fight with Tybalt.
