Hot-Headedness In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Hot-tempered, ill-minded, and fight prone. Also known as Tybalt Capulet. Evidence of Tybalt's temper and sharp personality are found within sayings, actions, and occasional thoughts throughout the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet. These pieces of evidence at found not only in Tybalt himself, but by the friends and family that surround him. Tybalt Capulet’s hot-headedness can be shown through the words, actions, and thoughts that occur throughout the play. In act three, scene one, Tybalt states “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.” He says this speaking to the enemy son of the Montague family, Romeo, even though Romeo has done nothing to harm Tybalt. This proves Tybalt's unforgivingness and habit of finding any excuse to fight. In act one, scene five, Tybalt vows that “Patience perforce with willful choler meeting makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. I will withdraw; but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitter gall.” This is another example of Tybalt's unforgivingness, but also his tendency to hold grudges that are the cause of many of his unreasonable fights.

Throughout the play, Tybalt gets into constant fights, having two major ones in act one, scene one, and act three, scene one. The fights occur over small interferences and show a great deal of Tybalt's willingness to fight over anything. In act three, scene one, Tybalt kills Romeo’s best friend in a foolish street fight. Doing so proves Tybalt's unwillingness to lose or follow the “no fighting or death” laws set up by the prince