Preview

Romeo and Juliet Essay

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
362 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Romeo and Juliet Essay
How did Shakespeare portray love in act 3 scene 1?
Shakespeare portrayed many views on love in the romantic tragedy play Romeo & Juliet. Shakespeare presents this idea as a force of nature, so strong that it transcends social conventions. Many of the friendships in the play are as sincere as Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other. Close relationships were formed between Juliet and her nurse, Romeo and Mercutio and Mercutio and Benvolio.
In Act 3 Scene 1 Mercutio and Tybalt are caught in an argument, Mercutio is stubborn and does not want to stop “Men’s eyes were made to see things, so let them watch. I won’t move to please anybody.” The love in this act is shown through brotherhood, Romeo and Mercutio love each other like siblings. In the scene of Mercutio’s death, he holds true to his understanding of love for his kinsmen. His involvement in the ordeal itself springs from his emotions to defend Romeo and his friends. Mercutio challenged Tybalt because his references to the Montague’s undermine their status. This is evident in the quote “Consort? What dost thou make us minstrels?” Mercutio continues to belittle Romeo when it was necessary out of true love. Tybalt however is viewed very differently by Mercutio, in the fight scene Mercutio believes that he is fighting for the honour of the Montague’s and his friends, however his intense emotions for love goes out of control and was therefore wounded by Tybalt out of pure rage. Romeo in turn then kills Tybalt which leads to exile and possible death. It is then that Romeo realises that the consequences of his love affair. Mercutio was right in his predictions the love between Romeo and Juliet resulted in tragedy for both families
In this act Romeo nonetheless did not want a quarrel between Mercutio and Tybalt as he didn’t want the feud between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s to grow worse and did not want to see both Tybalt and Mercutio wounded. “Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee. Doth much excuse the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mercutio and Tybalt have many differences that fuel their hatred for each other, even with these differences they are still extremely similar. Their differences and similarities contribute to the tragic ending. Their haste actions, the constant fighting, and their impacts on the play. Each of these components contribute to the tragedy. Mercutio and Tybalt’s death is their biggest contribution to the play; it causing a domino affect of events such as the banishment of Romeo.…

    • 75 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    am hurt. A plague o’ both houses! I am sped.” Mercutio says this after Romeo intervenes and…

    • 274 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In an interview with Benvolio Montague, an eyewitness at the scene says; “ Tybalt wanted to fight so he taunted Romeo to do so. Romeo refused to fight. I am unsure why Romeo didn’t fight with Tybalt, he was instead trying to be at peace with him. But Mercutio felt honour-bound to stand up for Romeo and fight. Romeo tried to stop the fight but failed, Tybalt stabbed Mercutio under Romeo’s arm and ran away from the scene."…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benvolio, who wanted everyone to be friends, warned the guys not to fight in public. Insults were exchanged, but Romeo remembered that Tybalt is his new wife's cousin, so he turned the other cheek. Mercutio found this totally shocking, actually dishonorable, so he offered to fight Tybalt instead. They fought and then Romeo tried to intervene, but Tybalt suddenly stabbed Mercutio. Romeo and Benvolio assumed that Mercutio has not been badly hurt because he started joking about his damage but it was no joke. He was dying. A minute later, he died. Romeo blamed himself for Mercutio's death. So, he decided to man up by challenging Tybalt to a duel. And then finished him by killed Tybalt. This quote showed that Tybalt is always looking for a fight and that he always thinks he is going to win anything no matter what. He is a coquie and a prideful person. If he had not started the fight there would not have been no death, because Tybalt killed Mercutio and with force Romeo killed Tybalt, Romeo got banished which changed everything in the story. Lastly, these are the reasons why Tybalt had a big responsibility of why the lovely teenagers…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    It began with Mercutio and Tybalt almost jokingly fighting. Romeo, though, was worried and tried to end the fight, but instead inflicted more damage. When Romeo comes in between the two, Tybalt’s sword pierced Mercutio from under Romeo’s arm, delivering the blow that would cause the deaths of all of them. Mercutio said, “Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.” (p. 231), and Romeo responded, “I thought all for the best”(p. 231). This incident, at least, was an accident. Tybalt had not intended to kill Mercutio, but Romeo messed them up by trying to pull Mercutio away. Romeo didn’t intend for him to be killed either, he was just attempting to stop the fighting. Because Mercutio died, Romeo was filled with anger, and in order to avenge Mercutio, decided to kill Tybalt, which led to his banishment. Romeo demanded that Tybalt duel him, saying “And fire-eyed fury be my conduct…

    • 1365 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo And Tybalt's Death

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages

    (act 3),(scene 1) Romeo is mad at tybalt because tybalt killed mercutio and romeo felt like he needed to do something. Tybalt becomes even angrier; he does not know Romeo cannot fight him because they are now relatives. ... Romeo tries to stop the combat by rushing between them, and Tybalt then stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Mercutio dies. Enraged, Romeo duels and kills tybalt in return, leading to his own exile by the prince.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mercutio is a very loyal for the people he cares about. “O calm, dishonorable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away. Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?” (III/I/70-73) Tybalt is there to fight Romeo, but Mercutio gets in between in order to protect Romeo. “Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch. Marry, ‘tis enough. Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon.”(III/I/90-91) Mercutio lost his life protecting Romeo. When Mercutio was fighting Tybalt Romeo got in between the two and Tybalt stabbed Mercutio under Romeo’s arm.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Romeo desires to be dedicated to the people he loves and is willing to do anything for them before thinking of the consequences of his actions. Romeo’s loyalty to his friends provokes him to take matters in his own hands. Mercutio is one of Romeo’s close friends he is crazy, out of control and never backs down from a fight. He is a lover of sword-fighting and believes that love is purely a sexual affair. Mercutio like Romeo is devoted to his friends and is willing to fight for them. When Tybalt Capulet, Juliet’s cousin, challenges Romeo to a fight he refuses to duel Tybalt due to being newly married to Juliet. Mercutio steps in for him and accepts his challenge for Romeo. As soon as they begin fighting Mercutio is stabbed by Tybalt and is killed by him. Romeo seeing his friend lying on the ground dying, impulsively reacts believing that it is his duty to reciprocate Mercutio’s death through killing Tybalt, “Alive in triumph—and Mercutio slain! / Away to heaven, respective lenity, / And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now” (3.1. 126-129). Romeo’s inability to control his emotions leads him to act in a reckless…

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, Lord Capulet says that there is no need for a quarrel. This leads to Tybalt being extremely angry, knowing that he is a violent character this is foreboding of the fact that this will torment Tybalt, eat him up in a way &he will want to do something to Romeo to give him pain. The quote, ‘I will withdraw’ foreshadows that a fight will break between Romeo &Tybalt later in the play. However, Shakespeare makes the audience think that Tybalt is going to kill Romeo but in fact later on in the play Romeo kills Tybalt. Romeo shows lack of conflict, even when he discovers that Juliet is a Capulet, it only takes him a few moments to get it in his head then he realises that it is not an issue to him. However, Juliet sees this as the main problem &it takes her longer to realise that it is not an issue. The main conflict in this scene is that both of the lover’s families hate each other and this is the beginning of the ‘Star-crossed’ love that is mentioned in the…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While in the streets of the city, Tybalt confronts Romeo because he was angry at his presence during the party. He then insults Romeo, who responds calmly, enraging Mercutio. “O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!/ Alla stoccata carries it away./ Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?” (3.1.70-72). The two engage in playful but dangerous fighting. Romeo tries to break the fight up, but Tybalt stabs Mercutio underneath Romeo’s arm. Mercutio dies, and an angry Romeo kills Tybalt in revenge. “But by and by comes back to Romeo,/ Who had but newly entertained revenge,” (3.1.166-167). If Mercutio had accepted the way Romeo was treating Tybalt, both men could be alive. But Mercutio’s temper got to the better of him and this outburst ended in his…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He is the one that initiated the fight between him and Tybalt; Mercutio taunts and provokes him,”And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something. Make it a word and a blow.” Mercutio draws his sword and fights Tybalt because Romeo will not fight him himself. Leading himself to be killed, an enraged Romeo declares his love for Juliet has made him effeminate, and that he should have fought Tybalt in Mercutio’s place,”O calm, dishonorable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away. Tybalt, you ratcatcher, will you walk?” When Tybalt, still angry, storms back onto the scene, Romeo draws his sword; they fight and Romeo kills Tybalt. This creates a bigger conflict for Rome resulting in him being banished from Verona and Juliet. ACT 3 Mercutio taunting Tybalt is one responsibility for the deaths of Romeo and…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo and Juliet

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare. “Hatred and violence breed only tragedy”, is a major theme in this play. The Montague and Capulet are two rival families. They were involved in a family feud that goes back years before anyone can remember. However, the grudge still continues, due to the fact that both families are not ready to forgive and forget the past. The families’ ongoing quarrels and feud, lead to the deaths of several characters including the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The characters who died first in Romeo and Juliet are Mercutio and Tybalt. They were associated in each other’s deaths. Tybalt, hot-tempered cousin of Juliet, vowed to get revenge on Romeo for sneaking in to the Capulet Ball without an invitation. The day Tybalt came seeking for Romeo, is the day he was wedded to young Juliet. Romeo wants to keep peace between him and his new relative but Tybalt keeps tantalizing him with rude insults and remarks. Romeo, not wanting to pick a fight, retrieves and soon Mercutio jumps in because he wants to defend his best friend. Tybalt and Mercutio challenge each other to a sword fight. Romeo tries to stop them because he does not want his best friend or his relative to get hurt so he intervenes. At that moment, Tybalt stabbed Mercutio “under Romeo’s arm”. In anger and guilt, Romeo retaliates and catches Tybalt, and because of his impulsiveness, Romeo kills Tybalt. Mercutio's death resulted in Tybalt's death when Romeo avenges the death of his friend.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mercutio vs Romeo

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mercutio and Romeo’s view on love are both similar in the sense that they involve desire for a girl and they are driven by their emotions. Both are fuelled by madness and this leads to them making rash decisions that result in a big loss and in Mercutio’s case, his life. Mercutio’s anger and feud with Tybalt leads him to go mad and be stabbed to death. Romeo’s anger gets the better of him which results in him stabbing Tybalt, after just having married Juliet. In the end, Romeo’s grief over Juliet’s ‘death’ overcomes his will to listen to reason and this poor decision ends up terminating his life too soon.…

    • 982 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Essay Romeo and Juliet

    • 1543 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Exploring the different ways that Shakespeare presents the theme of love in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’…

    • 1543 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Act 3, Scene 3 of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo’s reaction to the death of Mercutio and Tybalt and his banishment from Verona to Mantua show his selfishness and pessimism. Mercutio and Tybalt are enjoying themselves in a friendly brawl, until Romeo comes in between them and Mercutio is stabbed. Romeo is appalled, knowing that his best friend has died, so he takes his anger out on Tybalt and kills him. The Prince arrives to the scene of the fight, curious to see what all of the chaos is about, and comes to find that two people in his city have been murdered. He had earlier promised death penal to anyone who fought on his streets, but decides to give Romeo the benefit of the doubt. He decides to banish Romeo from the city of Verona, rather than killing him. Once Romeo is informed…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays