PRINCE           Benvolio, who began this bloody fray? BENVOLIO      Tybalt, here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay.                         Romeo, that spoke him fair, bid him bethink                         How nice the quarrel was, and urged withal                         Your high displeasure; all this, utterèd                         With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed,                         Could not take truce […]

LADY CAPULET         Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother’s child!                                     O Prince! O husband! O, the blood is spilled                                     Of my dear kinsman. Prince, as thou art true,                                     For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague.                                     O cousin, cousin! (3.1.137-141) And this already chaotic scene explodes, as Lady Capulet pushes her way, […]

Enter Citizens [as OFFICERS of the Watch]. OFFICER         Which way ran he that killed Mercutio?                         Tybalt, that murderer, which way ran he? BENVOLIO      There lies that Tybalt. OFFICER                                             Up, sir, go with me;                         I charge thee in the Prince’s name obey. Enter PRINCE, old MONTAGUE, CAPULET, their WIVES, and all. PRINCE           Where are the vile beginners of this […]

TYBALT          Thou wretched boy, that didst consort him here,                         Shalt with him hence. ROMEO                                               This shall determine that.                                     They fight; Tybalt falls. BENVOLIO      Romeo, away, be gone!                         The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.                         Stand not amazed, the Prince will doom thee death                         If thou art taken. Hence be gone, […]

[Enter Tybalt.] BENVOLIO      Here comes the furious Tybalt back again. ROMEO           Again, in triumph, and Mercutio slain?                         Away to heaven, respective lenity,                         And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!                         Now, Tybalt, take the ‘villain’ back again                         That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul                         Is but a little way above […]

Enter Benvolio. BENVOLIO      O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead                         That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds,                         Which too untimely here did scorn the earth. ROMEO           This day’s black fate on moe days doth depend,                         This but begins the woe others must end. (3.1.107-111) Benvolio at least addresses Romeo by name – the […]

ROMEO           This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally,                         My very friend, hath got this mortal hurt                         In my behalf; my reputation stained                         With Tybalt’s slander – Tybalt, that an hour                         Hath been my cousin. O sweet Juliet,                         Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,                         And in my temper softened valour’s steel! […]

MERCUTIO     Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall faint. A plague a’both your houses! They have made worms’ meat of me. I have it, And soundly too. Your houses! Exit [with Benvolio] (3.1.96-99) Exit Mercutio, with no friendly word of reassurance to the conscience-stricken, appalled Romeo, no affectionate farewells, but instead bitter curses. It’s […]

ROMEO           Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much. MERCUTIO     No, ’tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church-door, but ’tis enough, ’twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague a’both your houses! ’Zounds, a […]

MERCUTIO                                         I am hurt.                         A plague a’both houses! I am sped.                         Is he gone and hath nothing? BENVOLIO                                                      What, art thou hurt? MERCUTIO     Ay, ay, a scratch, a scratch, marry, ’tis enough.                         Where is my page? Go, villain, fetch a surgeon. [Exit Page] (3.1.82-86) It’s just so fast. Tybalt’s off, with his […]