Title: Romeo and Juliet
by Thomas from Scotland | in writing, non-fiction
Romeo and Juliet Essay Question
In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, there are many themes including family loyalties, death, conflict and love. The events up until Act III scene I mostly involve positive, light-hearted things like Romeo meeting Juliet and the introduction of Mercutio as a jovial character, being used as a humorous interlude from the titular charactersï'½ relationship. Act II scene VI reaches a climax when Romeo and Juliet go off with Friar Lawrence to get married.
At the beginning all that changes in scene I of Act III as Mercutio dies and newly-wed Romeo and Juliet get split up .In the outset of this scene Benvolio fears a clash with the Capulets as it is a hot day and tempers are high. Mercutio laughs this off saying
ï'½Thou art like one of these fellows that, when he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table, and says ï'½God send me no need of Thee!ï'½; and by the operation of the second cup draws him on the drawer, when indeed there is no need.ï'½
Essentially saying that Benvolio is hot-blooded and in search of a fight, this is an example of dramatic irony as it is Mercutio and Tybalt, not Benvolio that start the brawl.
Soon Romeo enters the frame, proclaiming his love for The Capulets as much as The Montagues
ï'½I do protest I never injured thee,
But love thee better than thou canst devise,
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love;
And so, good Capulet, which name I tender,
As dearly as mine own be satisfied.ï'½
This infuriates Mercutio as Romeo will not fight with Tybalt resulting in the death of Mercutio.
During the fight Romeo tries to break up the fight between them only resulting in Mercutioï'½s demise.
ï'½A plague aï'½both houses! I am sped.
Is he gone and hath nothing?ï'½
Mercutio blames both the Capulets and The Montagues for his death, but he also blames the person who tried to break up the conflict Romeo.
ï'½Why the devï'½l came you between us?
I was hurt under your arm.ï'½
This scene and in particular this event1 helped me to appreciate this play as a whole as Mercutio was my favourite character and his I can see why the author would want to kill him so as not to steal the limelight from the star characters Romeo and Juliet.
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