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Comparing Benvolio In William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

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In Romeo and Juliet, the characters are hotheaded, dramatic civilians of Verona that are fighting an age-old feud between the Capulets and Montagues. However, Benvolio is different from all the other characters. He wants to keep peace between the members of the rival families. Shakespeare, the author of Romeo and Juliet, uses contrast, sarcasm, and fighting in the passage to show that, unlike the other teenagers in Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio tries to keep peace and calm.
In this passage provided, we can see that Mercutio and Benvolio are very different people. When they are together in this scene, their differing facets stand out tremendously. Mercutio is a hotheaded, witty character, while Benvolio is the calm, peacekeeper that tries to keep …show more content…

Shakespeare also writes that Benvolio will fight someone just because he is “cracking nuts” (3.1.20) or for “having no other reason but because thou hast hazel eyes.”(3.1.21-22). Written, the lines look to be saying that Benvolio quarrels with anyone and everyone. However, in context, it is sarcasm. Shakespeare can use this sarcasm because at this point in the story, Benvolio’s character is solidified as a peacemaker. In addition, the person that says it, Mercutio, is established as a witty, sarcastic character. Therefore, these witty lines are funny because the audience already knows that Benvolio is a calm …show more content…

Instead of watching from the side or cheering the fight on, Benvolio says that the men should “either withdraw unto some private place, or reason coldly of your grievances, or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us” (3.1.54-56) He says that they should either fight in private or walk away, which shows that Benvolio doesn’t want to disturb the public. But this also shows that, along with not wanting Mercutio and Tybalt to fight, he doesn’t want Prince to get upset. In Act 1, scene 1, Prince explains that there will be major consequences to another fight out in the streets of Verona between the Capulets and Montagues. Mindful of that, Benvolio warns the men to stop before they get into trouble. This one line from Benvolio shows that not only is he a peacekeeper between the Capulet and Montague families, but he is also a peacekeeper of the public

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In this extract Benvolio is presented as loyal, a peacemaker and mature. Benvolio is a foil character for Tybalt therefore he is known to be ‘benevolent’ as Shakespeare suggests in his name. Furthermore in this extract Benvolio is shown to give his recount of an earlier fight and the audience is shown his mature approach and his loyalty to his friends and family. Shakespeare shows Benvolio as loyal in this extract as only two lines Into his recount Benvolio establishes that his cousin is not to blame for the fight . He says “ Romeo that spoke him fair” highlighting to the prince and others who hadn’t witnessed the fight that Romeo too way vying for peace and hadn’t instigated the fight.

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Tybalt is a very hot-headed and violent character, in every scene he appears a fight breaks out or is about to break out, while Benvolio is peaceable and longs for an end to the fighting. When the audience first meets Tybalt, he instigates a fight between Capulet and Montague servants. In the same scene, Benvolio calls for Tybalt to “beat down” the swords and make a peace. Tybalt replies saying, “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word/ as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.

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Benvolio did whatever he could to stay away from trouble and getting into fights. He says “The day is hot; the Capulets abroad; / And if we meet we shall not ‘scape a brawl, / For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring (Shakespeare III. i. 2-4). This shows that he tried to stay away from fighting with the Capulets because he knows Romeo is in love with a Capulet.

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Act Three Scene One 1. About what is Benvolio worried in the opening lines of Act Three? That if they meet with the capulets they will have a battle to the death and they do not want to fight so they want to retire 2 . Quote, the words that reveal Mercutio draws his Sword against Tybalt first. ...

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In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio often chooses to make bad decisions knowing the consequences, as well as kill 4 people just because he failed to help make the right choices for his friends. Benvolio is accountable for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he often encourages Romeo to make rash decisions, knowing Romeo could get hurt. First of all, Benvolio was the one who introduced the idea of finding a new girl to love to Romeo, at the Capulet's feast. In act 1 scene 2, line 85, Benvolio is talking to Romeo about going to the Capulet's feast, Benvolio then says ¨at this same ancient feast of the Capulet's Sups fair Rosaline whom thou

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“Turn thee, Benvolio! Look upon thy death”. (1.1.60) This statement uttered by Tybalt is a threat to benvolio one of Romeo’s best and most trusted friends in Verona. And when you threaten someone's best friend you are hateful of them and all associates of this person.

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Mercurial and benevolent, which are complete antonyms of each other, are a driving force in Romeo and Juliet. These two adjectives sound suspiciously similar to the names of two lead roles from the play. These juxtaposing personalities in the characters Mercutio and Benvolio are utilized to show the fine line between running fast and stumbling. Benvolio is a thinker. With one conversation you can tell he has good intentions.

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Benvolios appears in the play in the very first act and scene where he is talking to Lord and Lady Montegue about Romeo and how he is feeling down and depressed. Immediately, Benvolio asks why that is and becomes concerned for his dear cousin. After hearing this, he goes to talk to Romeo and find out why he is depressed. This act and scene demonstrates that Benvolio is a caring and thoughtful character in the play and puts others before him. In Act 1 scene 4 when Mercutio and Tybalt are going to fight, the only person who is trying to be logical and have reasoning is Benvolio.

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Tybalt and Benvolio are polar opposite people. They are also from two different households. Those two households had so much hate for each other they would kill just to prove themselves correct. The households were the Montagues and the Capulets.

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Sometimes they help improve a reader's enjoyment because it is often used in a comical manner. There are a plethora of examples to be found in Romeo and Juliet. Such as the characters Benvolio and Mercutio. Benvolio is a calm and controlled person who despises resorting to fighting. In contrast, Mercutio is a hot headed brute who is often found making crude jokes, and snarky remarks.

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In a group of friends, if there is a trouble maker, then there is a peacekeeper. When these two characters interact, their distinguishable personality traits shine brightly. In Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” Mercutio is the troublemaker who Benvolio, the peacekeeper, tries to help through the problems he gets involved in. When attempting to convince Mercutio and when trying to the breakup the fight it is most evident how Benvolio is a rational and peace-loving person only trying to do what’s best for others around him.

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Romeo and Benvolio are two characters that think that they should keep peace and not fight Capulets anymore because that will bring a quiet peace instead of that dirty fight. I know this because it says: (Romeos speech” Why, such is love’s transgression. Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, which thou wilt propagate, to have it pressed. With more of thine. This love that thou hast shown.

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Here the reader finds Benvolio and Mercutio talking to each other, “Why you'd even quarrel with a man for having one hair more or less in his beard than you have.” (III.i.16-18) In this scene, Mercutio talks about Benvolio’s impulsive actions in terms of arguing explaining how he is very short-tempered. The author uses these characters like Benvolio and even Tybalt to teach a lesson to the reader. Shakespeare does not just show the reader characters fighting off impulse he even shows the reader characters taking love and marriage too fast, in fact this is seen in act IV.

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Little does he know that he will end up meeting Juliet at the party as well. Romeo says,“I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, but to rejoice in the splendor of mine own “ (1.2.102-103). This quote impacts the story by showing that even though Romeo isn't very interested in knowing what Benvolio was saying, he is willing to at least explore and see if the party will help him get over Rosaline. It’s also saying that Romeo is about to meet Juliet, which is the very first downfall of errors that happen throughout the story. On the streets of Verona, fighting is starting to break out once more.

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Benvolio doesn’t do anything wrong and all he does is good. Romeo and Juliet are two young people who are dumb because they think they fell in love after less than a day of knowing each other. The characters in this story are dumb because they try and get married after one

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