Essay On Tybalt In Romeo And Juliet

Hatred and violence can only breed destruction; Tybalt Capulet from Shakespeare’s famous tragedy ‘Romeo and Juliet is a prime example of this. Being born during violent times in troubled Verona, Tybalt is the epitome of the chaos and hatred that has resulted from a feud between two aristocratic families- the Capulets and Montagues. This essay will be portraying how Tybalt’s antagonistic characteristics lead to his death, contributing to his prominent role in the thematic scheme and overall scheme of the text. With his death, Tybalt instigates a chain of reactions which changes the course of the tragedy, sending it into a collision with fate. Therefore, Tybalt is the ultimate catalyst for tragedy. Tybalt's entrance in the play during Act …show more content…

“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.” Through this quote, it becomes evident here Tybalt is very sharp and aware of his surroundings at all times, being able to recognise Romeo solely by his voice. The audience is also provided with insight into Tybalt’s overzealous loyalty and questionable morals. To kill and believe it is righteous for the sake of your family’s honour is beyond being loyal, murder cannot be justified.Lord Capulet proceeds to respond to Tybalt saying '...God shall mend my soul, You'll make a mutiny among my guests? You will set cock-a-hoop, you'll be the man?' Lord Capulet and the fellow Capulets are all very well aware of Tybalt’s ‘macho’ nature; he is accusing Tybalt of wanting to pursue an opportunity to fight to improve his own reputation of being a man. “You are a princox,”. Lord Capulet further insults him, calling him impertinent and juvenile.'Why, uncle, 'tis a shame-' Till this scene Tybalt was portrayed to be all about respect for his family and the family’s reputation but here it is demonstrated that he is disrespectful to the leader of the family as he defies his authority.The way you treat the leader reflects the respect you have for your family on the whole.The conversation …show more content…

When the Montague boys arrive, Mercutio challenges Tybalt in place of Romeo and initially he doesn’t respond. Tybalt avoidance of Mercutio’s initial challenge and determination to duel honourably with Romeo are actions which arguably follow the code of honour, showing Tybalt to demonstrate better judgement than we expect. “Well peace be with you, sir, here comes my man’” Using words like Sir and treating Mercutio with respect because he is related to the prince illustrates Tybalt avoiding confrontation, perhaps because of the Prince’s decree, and emphasises the importance of social hierarchy in Verona. Shakespeare utilises Iambic blank verse whilst Tybalt is talking here. Although, Shakespeare often uses this technique to indicate a character’s higher social status, he is also illustrating that Tybalt approaches this conflict cautiously. “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.” Unfortunately though, Tybalt’s temperament outweighs his good judgement, acting irrational when Romeo appears. Romeo’s refusal to fight instigates a strong sense of rage within Tybalt and when Mercutio further riles him by questioning his masculinity, Tybalt is urged to regain it by drawing his sword.