Preview

Benvolio As Foils In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
461 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Benvolio As Foils In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet
In the play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet fall in love. But their love unfortunately brought tragedy, due to the fact that Juliet was a Capulet and Romeo was a Montague. Juliet and Romeo first met at the Capulet’s ball, and they instantly fell in love with each other. They married without the consent of their parents, but died together. In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio serves as a foil to Tybalt, and the nurse to the Lady Capulet.
Firstly, Benvolio serves as a foil to Tybalt. To begin with, Tybalt wanted to start a fight, but Benvolio tried to stop it. The following quote shows how Tybalt wanted to fight but Benvolio didn’t “I do but keep the peace.”/ “ I hate the word as I hate hell,all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Unlike Mercutio and Tybalt, Benvolio extracts Romeo 's bad side. Although Romeo is peaceful, calm, and lawful, Benvolio proves Romeo is still capable of rage, anger, and ignores the law. He dose this by giving emphasis to Romeo 's bad characteristics through his extra peaceful, extra calm, and law obedient character. First, Benvolio accents Romeo 's rage through his extra peaceful character. For instance, Mercutio was an equal friend to Romeo as he was to Benvolio; Although, Benvolio did not fill with rage towards Tybalt, when he killed Mercutio, as Romeo did. By this Benvolio highlights Romeo 's rage with his extremely peaceful character. Likewise, Benvolio 's calm character brings out Romeo 's anger filled character. After killing Mercutio and disappearing, Tybalt comes back. In the time he was gone Romeo built up anger towards Tybalt. Upon seeing Tybalt he says: "Alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain! Away to heaven, respective lenity, And fire-ey 'd fury be my conduct now!"� (III, i, 122-4) This would be considered a normal reaction; however, Benvolio did not react so strongly. By this he magnifies Romeo 's anger. Finally, Benvolio 's lawful character amplifies Romeo 's law breaking character. An example of this is when Benvolio says: "We talk here in public haunt of men: Either with draw unto some private place, Or reason coldly of your grievances, Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us."� (III, i, 49-52) Benvolio remembers the prince 's words and warns that they should not fight in public. Even though he knows and was reminded of the new law, Romeo fights Tybalt anyway. Consequently Romeo 's action is magnified because Benvolio warned and obeyed the law. Hence, through his peaceful, calm, and lawful character, Benvolio magnifies rage, anger, and ignorance of law in Romeo 's…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Benvolio and Mercutio are complete opposites. Though they may be opposites, they are great friends in The Tragedy Romeo and Juliet. They compliment each other like cookies and milk. For example, Mercutio loves to live in the moment while Benvolio likes to be more logical and passive. When Mercutio gets out of hand, Benvolio at least tries to keep him in check. While Mercutio loves being the center of attention, Benvolio is more than happy to stay out of the limelight. They weren’t complete opposites though. One thing they had in common was Romeo. They were his best friends. They played different, but complementary, roles in Romeo’s life. While Benvolio is more understanding and listens to Romeo, Mercutio isn’t very understanding. His way of…

    • 153 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare is very intentional about character choices and their personalities. Each character plays an important role in setting the tragedy in motion. For this essay, I have chosen to analyze Tybalt, the Friar, and Benvolio’s personalities and explain how they contributed to the tragedies.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In tough situations, Tybalt proves to be heated and impetuous. When Benvolio is trying to stop Gregory, Sampson, and Abraham from fighting, Tybalt yells, “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word, / As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. / Have at thee, coward!” (1.1.71-73).…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is love even a real thing, Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare. The story is about two star cross’d lovers that end up killing themselves over what they call “love”. (Document: A) In the story the Capulets and Montagues already hate each other, the families start fighting which escalates the hatred between them. Two teenagers Romeo and Juliet meet at a party and instantly fall in love, not knowing that they are enemies at first but they soon come to find out. They exchange vows so Romeo goes to Friar Lawrence who is a monk that lives in the church. He asks Friar to marry them, and Friar ends up marrying them. Everything was going fine until Tybalt Juliet's cousin wants to fight Romeo, Romeo insist on not fighting him because he is Juliet's cousin. So Mercutio who is Romeo’s best friend decides to fight Tybalt, Tybalt stabs Mercutio and he dies so Romeo wants revenge. Romeo finds Tybalt and begins fighting him and kills him. For Romeo’s punishment he is exiled, which means he has to get out of Verona. Things tend to happen which leads to Romeo and Juliet’s death. At the end of the story the Prince wants to know who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death, the Montagues and Capulets are…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “These violent delights have violent ends,/ And their triumph die, like fire and powder./ Which as they kiss consume”(II, ⅵ, 9-11). “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare is a romantic love story about two people from families that have a long time hatred for eachother. The main Characters are Romeo from the Montague family and Juliet from the Capulet family. Their first encounter was at a masquerade ball and they instantly fell in love at first sight. They quickly got married, then soon after, their relationship started to go downhill after some unfortunate events, which ultimately led to the death of both Romeo and Juliet. There were many factors that caused the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet including Friar Lawrence, Romeo, and Romeo and…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Benvolio is more civilized than Tybalt. To begin, Benvolio is respectful towards his kin. In a conversation with Montague, Benvolio wishes that “[his] noble uncle…so please [himself], step aside” (Shakespeare 1.1.140-153). Benvolio addresses his uncle with the utmost respect and politeness, depicting his civilized nature. Next, Benvolio tries to avoid violence. Upon seeing a fight, Benvolio intervenes to try and “put up [their] swords” (1.1.63). Benvolio’s trying to avoid a conflict demonstrates his civil actions. Unlike Benvolio, Tybalt is uncivilized. First, Tybalt does not respect the wishes of his uncle. Instead of doing as Capulet bids, Tybalt expresses to his “uncle, ’tis a shame” (1.5.82). Rather than politely doing as he is told, Tybalt snaps back rudely to his elder, illustrating his uncivil side. Whereas Benvolio asks his respected uncle to step aside politely, Tybalt disregards Capulet’s wishes and even retorts with a saucy comment, hence displaying his lack of civility in comparison to Benvolio. Moreover, Tybalt welcomes a fight. When given the chance to avoid using violence, Tybalt does not “excuse the injuries/that [Romeo] has done [him]; therefore [turns] and [draws]” (3.1.65-66). Instead of calmly forgiving and forgetting past offences, Tybalt intends to fight with Romeo. Tybalt is being uncivil towards Romeo, as he is trying to start a conflict with him when unnecessary. In contrast to Benvolio, who does his best to avoid fights, Tybalt strives for a conflict, hence proving him the less civil of the two. In conclusion, Benvolio is more respectful and peaceful than Tybalt, proving him to be the more civilized…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are a young couple with rivaling families that fall in love also known as the star-crossed lovers. They go through many challenges in their relationship but in the end, it leads those challenges to their deaths. They both express irresponsibility through their impulsive and rash actions that contribute to their deaths but there are a couple of characters throughout the play that helps lead Romeo and Juliet to their deaths. In the end, there are many characters to take fault for both Romeo and Juliet's Death. In William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet's death are to blame by Friar Laurence, The Rivalling families, and Tybalt Capulet.…

    • 1253 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tybalt is a man whose anger dominates his behavior. He would much rather fight than work problems with others out. He actually says he hates peace to Benvolio during the beginning of the play when Benvolio was trying to make peace between Montague and Capulet attendants; Tybalt exclaims,” What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo And Juliet is an amazing play written by the all knowing William Shakespeare. It is a love story/tragedy that includes the two lovebirds Romeo and Juliet. They are from two different households that are enemies; Romeo is of the Montague family and Juliet is a Capulet. This makes it close to impossible for them to be together especially since Romeo killed Juliet’s cousin Tybalt whom Juliet’s parents loved very much. In the end, the couple ends up killing themselves over their “suicidal love” for each other. Over the course of the play, Romeo was supposedly in love twice. Once with Rosaline and then again of course with Juliet. At the beginning of the play he was infatuated with Rosaline and claimed that he would never get over her and…

    • 1378 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo was in love with a girl, Rosaline, but rosaline decided she wanted to become a nun, which means she could not get married. This set off Romeo and could not forget the face of Rosaline . The sparks went off in benvolio's head as a Capulet servant approached and requested Romeo to help him. As the servant left benvolio ”At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s Sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves With all the admired beauties of Verona. Go thither, and with unattainted eye Compare her face with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow”(I.i.84-89). The consequence of this piece is not bad but good. This forces Romeo to forget about Rosaline and fall in love with a new girl, the daughter of his greatest enemy, Juliet. Lord Capulet made the biggest mistake of the all,”Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday, Or never after look me in the face. Speak not. Reply not. Do not answer me. My fingers itch.—Wife, we scarce thought us blest that God had lent us but this only child, But now I see this one is one too much And that we have a curse in having her. Out on her, hilding!”(III. v. 160-168). Lord Capulet should've thought about what he was saying. Juliet doesn't want to marry County Paris because she is already in love. This one thing set off a chain reaction, Juliet fakes her death, Romeo finds out she “died”, Romeo kills himself, Juliet wakes up, and then kills herself all because of lord Capulet arranging a marriage for Juliet and…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first place where it is other people's thoughts of Benvolio's peacefulness is in act 1 scene 1 lines 151-152 “I would thou wert so happy by thy stay to hear true shrift. Come, madam let's away” (1.1.151-152 ). This is montague thanking Benvolio for staying to listen to Romeo complain about his love life this shows Benvolio is a peaceful character because he is willing to listen to others the second way Benvolio how's his peacefulness is in act one scene one where Romeo and Benvolio are talking and Romeo says “oh teach me how I should forget to think”(1.1.219) what this shows is that Romeo is trusting of Benvolio to teach him how to forget Rosalina. This shows Benvolio is a peaceful person because people trust him enough to have his thought this is why Benvolio is a peaceful person.…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo And Juliet Changes

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet is a story about two lovers, and the forces that keep them from that love. In the story, Friar acts as a reoccurring figure for advice to the two lovers, however, his advice and actions did not prove worthy. Friar married the two lovers, gave Juliet the sleeping potion that lead to her, Paris, and Romeo's death, and despite faking her death with the sleeping potion he waited until the final day of the potions lifespan to inform Romeo; because of his late delivery, the letter never reached Romeo. Friar married Romeo and Juliet which made them fall into a deeper love than before, affecting how both acted towards others. This change is seen easily by how Romeo responds to Tybalt in Act III, Scene I, as Romeo states that his love for Juliet made him effeminate, and because of Romeo's attitude Tybalt fights Mercutio alone and Mercutio dies.…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story based in Verona in the 1500s. A feud between the Montagues and Capulets has waged on for generations and generations. There is only one child from both these houses; Romeo is the only child from the Montagues and Juliet is the only child from the Capulets. Ironically, Romeo and Juliet fall in love and, due to fear of their family’s hatred for each other, get married in secret. Their secret, forbidden love ends when Romeo and Juliet commit suicide. Romeo is the protagonist, heir to Montague and tragic hero in this play. He is a passionate and impulsive character that makes him perfect for his part.…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Benvolio confuses Romeo’s love for Rosaline as lust. Benvolio advises Romeo to give up on his unreturned love for Rosaline and seek another woman:…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays