Dramatic Irony: The Conflict Between Romeo And Juliet

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In the beginning of Act 3, a street fight breaks out between Mercutio and Tybalt due to the conflict between Romeo and Tybalt. Romeo attempts to halt Tybalt’s rage by claiming “But [I] love thee better than thou canst devise/Till thou shalt know the reason of my love” (3.1.70-71). Despite Romeo’s insistence of love, the eventual outcome appears as their battling and Tybalt’s death. The fact that Romeo knows that Tybalt became his cousin but Tybalt remains unaware exhibits dramatic irony – the audience realizes Romeo’s relation, but Tybalt proves his ignorance. The source of Tybalt’s rage towards Romeo occurred previously, when Romeo appeared to the party out of his love for Rosaline. Shakespeare conveys the theme of how love can turn sour,