Mercutio's Impetuousness

In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, two young lovers take their lives after their family feud reignites . A variety of decisions along with circumstance no one person could account for set the story of Romeo and Juliet up to be a tragedy. Many of the decisions in the play are made quickly and while emotions are running high, so frequently they result in bad outcomes. So, the rash and impulsive decisions made by men in Romeo and Juliet create the problems within the play.

Even though he was defending Romeos honour, he should have not fought in the streets then he wouldn’t be dead and then Romeo would have not gone after Tybalt and slain him. For Mercutio he was innocent but he still had rage over Tybalt that he couldn’t have let go off: “Good king of cats nothing but one of your nine lives” (Act3, Scene 1, Line 45). He should have left Tybalt alone instead he drew out his sword, after Tybalt drew his to Romeo. Since Mercutio was the princes’ cousin he could have told the Prince and could have got Tybalt banished or worse executed. Another mistake Mercutio made was when he brought Romeo to a Capulets party to look at other women and forget about Rosaline. This plan backfires; Romeo does forget about Rosaline but has fallen in love with the Capulets daughter Juliet. Therefore, even though Mercutio is not irresponsible but showed rash and premature

When Tybalt comes to the square, Mercutio tells Tybalt to “pluck your sword out of your pilcher” (3.1.77). Mercutio, out of pity for Romeo, challenges Tybalt to a duel because when Romeo doesn't fight it taints his pride and his brand as a man. Mercutio is fighting Tybalt, but Romeo doesn't want his future cousin in law to get hurt so he and benvolio step in to stop the fight. While Mercutio is fighting Tybalt, Mercutio falls saying “I was hurt under your arm” (3.1.100-101). This makes Romeo furious, so mad that he says he is acting on his emotions not on common sense. Out of grief and out of revenge Romeo slays Tybalt, and when the Prince comes Romeo gets banished. As you can see Mercutio sacrificing his own life for Romeos pride adds to the tension in between these two families and leads to the deaths of Romeo, Juliet and

Capulet, as a gracious host, praises Romeo 'virtuous and well-governed youth' and asks Tybalt to 'endure' him. This is a well-intentioned act by Capulet but it arouses the anger of Tybalt 'convert to bitterest gall'. Tybalt later issues a challenge to Romeo and it results in the death of Mercutio, Tybalt and the banishment of Romeo, which darkens the plays atmosphere. Romeo's use of language changes from his earlier speeches, before he was agonising over Rosaline using oxymoron's to portray how tormented and confused he felt. He was only thinking of himself and claiming how 'lovesick' he was: 'A madness most discreet, A choking gall and a preserving sweet.'

First, Romeo’s kind and calm personalities act as an advantage for many of the possible problems he could have had, such as Capulet hatred towards him and his increase in violence. After Romeo was depressed because he liked Rosaline and she didn’t like him back, his cousin Benvolio helped Romeo sneak into a Capulet party so he could get over Rosaline and pick another woman that he might want. As Romeo was describing how Juliet looked to his cousin, Tybalt, Capulet’s nephew, figured out that Romeo was at the party by his voice. He then confronted Capulet and asked him if he could kill him, but surprisingly Capulet lets him stay at the party and calls Romeo a gentleman and a good man (Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 1 Line 64). Capulet could have captured him or even killed him, but he did not. Capulet stated that Romeo is a well-governed youth and that Romeo is a good man, which shows that Romeo isn’t a person who would cause a commotion and that he causes no threat to the Capulet family. Later on, as Mercutio, the prince's kinsman, is arguing and fighting with Tybalt about him being one of his villain Romeo’s friends, Romeo comes in and says, “Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such greeting. Villain am I none.Therefore farewell. I see thou knowest me not” (Shakespeare Act 3 Scene 1 Line 58). As Tybalt wants to fight Romeo and bring in violence,

This example only gives the audience a teasing taste for what is about to happen as a result of Tybalt’s short temper. Fast forwarding to act three, Tybalt’s impulsive behavior is far more drastic and impactful to the play this time around. At the town square of Verona, Tybalt and his compatriots run into Mercutio and Romeo. Still infuriated by Romeo’s presence at his family’s ball, Tybalt decides to vent his anger by challenging Romeo to battle him. When Romeo backs away, Mercutio steps in and fights with Tybalt. After a while of fighting, the distressed Romeo steps in to break it up, but, “Tybalt, reaching under Romeo’s arm, stabs Mercutio and flees” (3.1.82). Mercutio announces that, “I am hurt” (3.1.83), and eventually dies. After witnessing his friend be slaughtered, Romeo seeks revenge on Tybalt, and subsequently slays the murderer of his best friend. As a result of Romeo’s actions, the inamorato is banished to Mantua. When putting the pieces together, the audience watching the play can see how Tybalt, and not Romeo, is responsible for the banishment. Romeo was simply seeking to avenge the life of his friend, while Tybalt’s actions were a direct result of violent thinking. Tybalt’s choice to fight and kill one of the play’s main characters highlights the high degree of his vicious personality. Tybalt’s actions end up dooming the peaceful partnership of Romeo and Juliet and thus the outcome of the play takes a turn for the

In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt was the enforcer of the story and always tried to stir up more chaos in the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. An example of this can be found in Act 1, when the Capulet’s party is going on, when Tybalt senses Romeo, he ends up getting very defensive and angry, “This, by his voice, should be a Montague, / Fetch me my rapier, boy. . . Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, / To strike him dead I hold it not a sin” (5.52-57). Tybalt’s quick and unthoughtful actions make him a hot-headed character who is very easy to dislike. With Tybalt’s previous actions, the story leaned toward the idea that he was going to cause a damaging and lethal event to happen, which he indeed did. After spotting Romeo at the Capulet party, Tybalt felt disrespected and was livid, due to this, he challenged Romeo to a duel. When they both meet up on the street, Romeo attempts to make peace with Tybalt and to end all disagreements between the two. However, Tybalt is there to cause drama and he declines, stating that Romeo’s request “shall not excuse the injuries / that thou hast done to me” (3.1.61-62). Tybalt’s rejection of Romeo’s request led to his own death as well as Mercutio’s. Another consequence of these actions was Romeo’s banishment from Verona, which ended up

It is clear that Tybalt takes the deep-dispute between two families more serious than any other characters in the play. His willingness to risk his life to defence the Capulet’s honour is clear when he declares “by the stock and honour of [his] kin, to strike [Romeo] dead [he] hold it not a sin.” Tybalt’s extreme loyalty to the Capulet’s house can be found as a source of his spiteful and arrogance, which all contributes to his death and deepens the hate between two

“And but one word with one of us? couple it with something, make it a word and a blow.” [III, i, 37-38] Tybalt was not willing to fight mercutio if mercutio had not escalated tybalt's anger. Moreover, Mercutio could have avoided this situation if he had showed respect in return.This comes to show how mercutio had made impulsive decisions instead of making rational decisions. As a result, we can see Mercutio's death occurs due to his rash and impulsive decisions. Mercutio’s impulsive acts result in his own passing. When Romeo refuses to participate in a duel with Tybalt, Mercutio challenges Tybalt himself. Using words which are highly intimidating and threatening, Mercutio gives Tybalt no choice but to engage in a duel. The following violent words are exchanged between the two characters.

Tybalt’s purpose in the play is to cause conflict by dragging on the long time, since dormant feud between the two households. This is shown at the Capulet’s party when he goes to start a quarrel with the Montagues and Lord Capulet’s family stops Tybalt from starting trouble and says this is a time for love not war. Tybalt sees Romeo and straight away thinks of him as a threat and thinks that Romeo is challenging him by just being at the party. He brings Romeo’s presence to the attention of Lord Capulet in order to cause conflict. This is an example of how Tybalt is a character that does not have the ability to just forget about the whole feud and find a way to settle it; he just seeks revenge on any member of the Montague family.

Tybalt spots Romeo at the gathering and is enraged by Romeo's actions. He states, "What dares the slave come hither, covered with an antic face, to fleer and scorn at our solemnity? Now by stock and honor of my kin, to strike him dead I hold it not a sin." (Act 1, Scene 5, 56-60) In this Tybalt is past the point of wanting to just protect the Capulets, he wants to kill Romeo.

Another major character that has contributed to the death of Romeo and Juliet is Tybalt Capulet, due to his ‘hot headed’ attitude and his short temper. Tybalt demonstrates a love of violence and is a loyal swordsmen who harbours pure hatred for the Montagues. At the beginning of the play, when Benvolio and Tybalt get into an argument, Tybalt says: “What? Drawn and you talk of peace? I hate the word/as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee./ Have at thee, coward!” (1.1.64-66). Tybalt has a thirst for violence and is always quick to draw his sword. He is a trouble maker who causes most of the friction between the two families. It could also be said that the Capulets in

Tybalt thinks it an honourable, righteous act to kill any Montague in order to protect the Capulet family name. He takes Romeo's presence as open-faced effrontery and a clear threat to the Capulet family. Lord Capulet orders him not to start a scandal: "I would not for the wealth of all this town here in my house do him disparagement. " Even this train of restraining and soothing comments do not succeed in calming Tybalt's petty and vengeful feelings of hatred for Romeo: "I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall" (Act 1, Scene 5, lines 92-93).

Mercutio, who was a strong believer that no man should back down from a fight and shouldn’t tolerate insults, fought with Tybalt instead of Romeo, getting killed in the end. Another reason why the Capulets were at fault, is that Tybalt entered the scene of the argument full of pride, anger and arrogance. He approached the other men, saying to his followers, “Follow me close, for I will speak to them” (3.1.34.) This quote displays how he told his entourage to look up to him and listen closely as he speaks, as if he were the president, and they were the news reporters. Tybalt then proceeded to mock Romeo and made it seem that he is above and better than all of the Montagues. Tybalt tried to start a fight with a Romeo, but ended up fighting Mercutio and killing him instead.