Essay On Tybalt In Romeo And Juliet

In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s cousin Tybalt is portrayed as an aggressive character who despises all who belongs to the House of Montague. Both arrogant and hotheaded, Tybalt is proud of being a Capulet, and does not possess an ounce of countenance at the mere mention of the name Montague. Tybalt’s challenge to Romeo poses as the greater threat to the “well-being” of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship in comparison to Count Paris’s eagerness to marry Juliet in that his distaste and his impetuous behavior may lead to bloodshed. The Capulet is violent and short-tempered, a trait that is showcased frequently throughout the play: “This, by his voice, should be a Montague. Fetch me my rapier, boy. What, dares the slave. Come hither, cover'd with an antic face, to fleer and scorn at
Tybalt is belligerent, willing to fight no matter how petty or insignificant the reason to do so was: “What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio. Look upon thy death/ What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward!” (I.i.59-65). In the beginning of the play, Tybalt is shown to be willing to fight Benvolio simply because he is a Montague with his sword unsheathed, not caring for the reason as to why or the context. He is easily provoked and cannot see the Montagues as individual people or imagine them outside the context of the feud, causing his outbursts of violence:“Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, a villain that is hither come in spite to scorn at our solemnity this night” (I.v.69-71). If Tybalt was to discover that Romeo and Juliet have “romantic” feelings for one another, his rage may blind him of all reason. Not only would this threaten the relationship between the two star-crossed lovers, it would also endanger their