The
quickest answer: every scene with Tybalt.
Tybalt
is the Darth Vader of Romeo and Juliet.
He storms into every scene ready to stomp someone. He delights in killing. He
fights with a sword. He gets great one-liners. In a word, he’s a badass.
***
ACT I
SCENE I—Verona.
A public place.
[Sampson and Gregory of the Capulets have been
bragging about how eager they are to fight the Montagues. Abraham and Balthasar
of the Montagues enter. Sampson and Gregory taunt and provoke them. Benvolio, a
Montague, arrives as they are about to fight.]
SAMPSON Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember
thy swashing blow.
They fight
BENVOLIO Part, fools! [Beats down their swords] Put up your swords. You know not what you
do.
Enter Tybalt with sword drawn
TYBALT What, art thou drawn among these
heartless hinds?
Turn
thee Benvolio! Look upon thy death.
BENVOLIO I do but keep the peace. Put up thy
sword,
Or
manage it to part these men with me.
TYBALT What, drawn, and talk of peace? I
hate the word
As
I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have
at thee, coward! [They fight]
[Later Benvolio explains to the Lord Montague how the
fight happened.]
BENVOLIO Here were the servants of your adversary
And
yours, close fighting ere I did approach.
I
drew to part them. In the instant came
The
fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar’d;
Which,
as he breath’d defiance to my ears,
He
swung about his head and cut the winds,
Who,
nothing hurt withal, hiss’d him in scorn.
While
we were interchanging thrusts and blows,
Came
more and more, and fought on part and part,
Till
the Prince came, who part either part.
***
Need
I say more? Tybalt has two lines in that scene and they’re both awesome—well worthy
to be voiced by James Earl Jones.
***
SCENE V—Capulet’s
house.
[The Lord Capulet has thrown a masquerade party for
the town—no Montagues invited. Romeo and his friend Mercutio have snuck in,
hidden under their masks. Romeo has spotted Juliet.]
ROMEO Did my heart love till now? Forswear
it, sight!
For
I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
TYBALT This, by his voice, should be a
Montague.
[To a Page] Fetch me my rapier, boy.
What, dares the slave
Come
hither, cover’d with an antic face,
To
fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now,
by the stock and honour of my kin,
To
strike him dead I hold it not a sin.
CAPULET Why, how now, kinsman? Wherefore storm
you so?
TYBALT Uncle, this Montague, our foe;
A
villain, that is hither come in spite
To
scorn at our solemnity this night.
CAPULET Young Romeo is it?
TYBALT ‘Tis
he, that villain Romeo.
CAPULET Content thee, gentle coz, let him
alone. ...
It
is my will; the which if thou respect,
Show
a fair presence and put off these frowns,
An
ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
TYBALT It fits when such a villain is a
guest.
I’ll
not endure him.
CAPULET He
shall b endur’d. ...
Am
I the master here? Go to! ...
You’ll
make a mutiny among my guests! ...
TYBALT I will withdraw; but this intrusion
shall,
Now
seeming sweet, convert to bitt’rest gall.
***
Here
we see the Lord Capulet playing Tarkin to Tybalt’s Vader. “Governor Tarkin, I
should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash!”
Now
we reach the crowning moment of awesome and my favourite scene in the play. Romeo
has just married Juliet in a secret wedding. She has returned home; he is
coming to share his joy with his closest friend, Mercutio.
***
ACT III
SCENE I—A
public place.
Enter Mercutio, Benvolio, and Men
BENVOLIO I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire.
The
day is hot, the Capulets abroad.
And
if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl.
For
now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. ...
Enter Tybalt and others
BENVOLIO By my head, here come the Capulets.
MERCUTIO By my heel, I care not.
TYBALT [to
his companions] Follow me close, for I will speak to them.
Gentlement,
good e’en. A word with one of you. ...
Enter Romeo
TYBALT Well, peace be with you, Sir. Here
comes my man. ...
Romeo,
the love I bear thee can afford
No
better term than this: thou art a villain.
ROMEO Tybalt, the reason that I have to
love thee
Doth
much excuse the appertaining rage
To
such a greeting. Villain am I none.
Therefore
farewell. I see thou knowest me not.
TYBALT Boy, this shall not excuse the
injuries
That
thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.
ROMEO I do protest: I never injur’d thee,
But
love thee better than thou canst devise
Till
thou shalt know the reason of my love;
And
so good Capulet, which name I tender
As
dearly as mine own, be satisfied.
MERCUTIO O calm, dishonourable, vile submission!
... [He draws]
Tybalt,
you ratcatcher, will you walk? ...
Will
you pluck your sword out of his pitcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be
about your ears ere it be out.
TYBALT I am for you. [He draws] ... [They fight]
...
ROMEO Hold Tybalt! Good Mercutio!
Tybalt [under Romeo’s arm] thrusts into Mercutio
PETRUCHIO Away, Tybalt! [Exit
Tybalt and his followers]
MERCUTIO I am hurt.
A
plague o’ both your houses! I am sped. ...
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. ... Why the devil came you between us? I was
hurt under your arm.
ROMEO I thought all for the best.
MERCUTIO Help me into some house, Benvolio,
Or
I shall faint. A plague o’ both your houses!
They
have made worms’ meat of me. I have it,
And
soundly too. Your houses!
***
I
love this scene. It’s the “I will not fight you” scene from Return of the Jedi. What makes Tybalt,
like Vader, really great is he’s not only a badass himself, but he brings out
the badass in the other characters. He intends his insult (“thou art a villain”)
to provoke a duel, and by the code of honour Romeo ought to have demanded
satisfaction. But Romeo has just come from marrying Juliet, Tybalt’s cousin.
Therefore Tybalt is now an in-law: he
and Romeo are family.
I
love the legalism of this scene. A typical modern teacher, presenting the play
to a class, would surely use this scene to critique the code of honour that
demanded duelling, and make Romeo an enlightened pacifist. But that’s not it at
all. Romeo is stung and feels the shame of being insulted; I have no doubt that
he meant what he said about “the appertaining rage to such a greeting.” If
Tybalt had challenged him yesterday, he would have fought. But Tybalt is his
kinsman now, and Romeo will not kill his family; so he tries to withdraw in
peace. The crowning touch is that no one else knows about Romeo’s marriage to
Juliet, and so none of them understand Romeo’s retreat; Tybalt does not want
submission, he wants to fight, so he just pushes on—Mercutio is ashamed of
Romeo, thinking perhaps that he is a coward, and steps in to fight Tybalt. The multiple
wires of quasi-legal obligation that draw on the different characters make the
scene so enjoyable to contemplate.
And
in addition to being the “I will not fight you” scene, this is the death scene of
Obi-Wan Kenobi. But Mercutio does not go willingly, like Obi-Wan; and unlike
Luke, Romeo turns to the dark side...
***
BENVOLIO O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio’s dead!
...
ROMEO This day’s black fate on more days
doth depend;
This
but begins the woe others must end.
Enter Tybalt
BENVOLIO Here comes the furious Tybalt back again.
ROMEO He gad in triumph, and Mercutio
slain?
Away
to heaven, respective lenity,
And
fire-ey’d 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 our heads,
Staying
for thine to keep him company.
Either
thou or I, or both, must go with him.
TYBALT Thou, wretched boy, that didst
consort him here;
Shalt
with him hence.
ROMEO This
shall determine that.
They fight. Tybalt falls [and dies]
BENVOLIO Romeo, away, be gone!
The
citizens are up, and Tybalt slain.
Stand
not amaz’d. The Prince will doom thee death
If
thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away!
ROMEO O, I am fortune’s fool!
***
Farewell,
Tybalt. Thou art a spirit of fire,
Too
ardent but to burn thy mortal flesh.
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