Tybalt Loyalty In Romeo And Juliet

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt’s loyalty to the Capulet name is his most notable tragic flaw.

Tybalt is very quick to fight. He will draw his sword at the movement of a hand. Sampson and Gregory, servants of the house of Capulet, notice Abram and Balthasar, servants of the house of Montague, and decide to bicker. The servants of the Montagues do not retaliate when Sampson bites his thumb, but when Sampson and Gregory claim to be better fighters than Abram and Balthasar, a fray is sprung. Upon realizing that the servants are fighting and eyeing Benvolio, who is trying to break up the quarrel, Tybalt challenges Benvolio for no other reason than that he is a Montague, “What art thou drawn among these heartless hinds? / Turn thee, Benvolio;

On the day that followed the party, Tybalt sends Romeo a letter, challenging him to a duel. Mercutio launches into an extended description of Tybalt, expressing his fear and respect for him: “More than prince of cats. O, he’s the courageous / captain of compliments. He fights as you sing / prick-song, keeps time, distance, and proportion. … the very butcher of a silk button” (2.4.20-24). According to Mercutio, Tybalt is a formidable duelist, and a very tough man to fight. In other words - Romeo does not stand a chance. As foreshadowed in the prologue, there will be many deaths yet to come, and this deadly duel is just the beginning. When Tybalt comes looking for Romeo, he runs into Mercutio. Because of his big mouth, Mercutio gets himself killed. Romeo does not retaliate to Tybalt’s taunting, though when he identifies Mercutio’s death, Romeo is eager to find Mercutio some company, “Alive in triumph, and Mercutio slain? / Away to heaven respective lenity / And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now! / Now, Tybalt, take the ‘villian’ back again / That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio’s soul / Is but a little way above our heads, / Staying for thine to keep him company. / Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” (3.1.120-127). Romeo slays Tybalt and Tybalt falls. Tybalt was so eager and quick to get into a fray to slay a Montague that he did not think of the