In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet violence plays a major role and causes the deaths of many characters. At the beginning of the play the chorus states "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." This meaning that there has been a feud or grudge going on. There are many instances of this theme including the fight in the piazza, Tybalt killing Mercutio then Romeo killing Tybalt, and the fighting at the sepulcher.
The first brawl takes place in the piazza where Samsun and Gregory the Capulet’s start the brawl. They have a tete-a-tete, and then they draw their swords. Benvolio then arrives and tries to stop the fight but when that doesn’t work he draws his sword to try and stop the fight. Then citizens join in and even town officers fight. Then the prince enters and says,” Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet and Montague, Have Thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate. If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”.
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Romeo doesn’t want to fight him because he is Juliet’s cousin. So Tybalt challenges Romeo to a dual. He beats up Romeo and Romeo doesn’t even fight back. So Mercutio jumps in and is killed by Tybalt. When Mercutio is lying on the ground dyeing he says,”…a plague o’ both your houses”. Since Mercutio is Romeos best friend Romeo gets enraged and kills Tybalt. This leads to Romeo getting banished by Prince Escalus the leader of Verona. The theme of violence begets violence is very vivid here, if Tybalt wouldn’t of fought Romeo then none of this violence would of