Influence Of Tybalt In Romeo And Juliet

Nancy Orogun

Miss Keeney

English 9 Honors

9 May 2023

Tybalt’s Influence in Romeo and Juliet Seemingly small events can cause a chain of reactions that create meaningful impacts. People, things, and situations can all alter the course of one's life, even if they are only small interactions. This concept is known as the butterfly effect and can be seen in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet where small side characters like Tybalt have a significance that many overlook. Tybalt’s brief appearances in the play allow him to act as a plot catalyst, a symbol of the strife between the Capulets and the Montagues, and lastly, a foil to Benvolio.

To begin it is important to realize that not only was Tybalt’s character used in multiple ways during his life,

Tybalt’s burning need for what he thinks is justified revenge is needed for all the subsequent conflicts to occur. These conflicts, such as Romeo’s exile, then create such turmoil that Romeo would rather die than be without his lover, Juliet, which shows the passion and love the two of them share. This makes the unfortunate demise of the two main characters powerful thus creating the plot of the story. None of this would have happened without Tybalt’s death acting as the starting domino that set everything in motion. Another resulting conflict caused by Tybalt occurs when Juliet’s parents try to help her get over her sadness which they presume is about Tybalt’s death and plan a wedding to a friend of the Capulets, Paris. Juliet refuses to marry Paris igniting outrage in her father, who yells at Juliet saying, “I tell thee what-get thee to

When Tybalt sees Romeo at a Capulet party he says, “Fetch me my rapier, boy… Now by the stock and honour of my kin, To strike him dead I hold it not a sin” (1.5.57-61). Romeo is at the Capulet’s party, but he hasn’t caused any trouble and has barely spoken a word since he entered, and yet Tybalt seems ready to fight him for just simply being. Tybalt claims that he must fight Romeo because he is duty-bound to do so to honor the Capulets which shows that this is a belief deeply imbedded into the minds of all Capulets. He then says that murdering a Montague in cold blood doesn’t make him guilty because all Montagues like Romeo deserve it. Tybalt’s quick temper and no remorse show just how deeply the hatred between the Montagues and Capulets truly stands. It shows that just the existence of the opposite family can cause fighting and further strife. Tybalt’s unprecedented hatred towards Romeo continues when he tells Romeo that “Thou art a villain” (3.1.60). Based on what is revealed in the play, Romeo and Tybalt have never talked or interacted face-to-face before this meeting with each other. However, despite this Tybalt has no problem calling Romeo a villain, even after Romeo claims he doesn’t want to fight him and instead loves him. Tybalt, like all Montagues and Capulets, automatically assumes that the opposite house is evil and instead of