Romeo And Juliet Persuasive Essay Example
Romeo And Juliet Persuasive Essay Example

Romeo And Juliet Persuasive Essay Example

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Tybalt's fiery personality in the play Romeo and Juliet centers on the intense hostility between the Capulet and Montague families. The audience is captivated by his aggressive nature when he challenges Romeo to a duel, resulting in Mercutio's death, and ultimately leading to Tybalt's own tragic demise. This event then leads to the tragic end of both Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the play, Tybalt is passionate about three key themes - defending his family's honor, contrasting love with...

Throughout the play, Tybalt's character is defined by three main traits: his love for fighting, his deep hatred for the Montagues, and his unwavering loyalty. Despite only speaking less than 40 lines, Tybalt's authoritative presence makes him one of the most important characters in the play. We are first introduced to Tybalt in Act 1 Scene 1, where Shakespeare portr

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ays him as an arrogant and obnoxious individual. As he enters, his superiority complex is evident in his disdainful remark towards his servants, referring to them as "heartless hinds." This not only highlights his egotistical nature but also hints at his belief in a socially unequal society. Additionally, Tybalt's use of the term "heartless hinds" to mock Benvolio's leadership skills shows his disrespect towards his rival.

Tybalt takes offense and a fight ensues later in the play. He enjoys fighting as seen in his statement, 'Turn thee Benvolio, look upon thy death', displaying his violent and aggressive nature. Tybalt's pride in himself and his fighting is evident as he confidently tells Benvolio to face his death, which is actually Tybalt himself. This sudden change in mood illustrates Tybalt's impulsive nature and serves as only his second line in

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the play.

By uttering just one line, Tybalt's character suddenly becomes serious, indicating to the audience that he should not be trifled with. The subsequent lines in the scene demonstrate his intense animosity towards the Montague family: "Peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montague's and thee". In comparing the Montagues to hell, Tybalt's hatred for them becomes undeniably apparent to the audience. Tybalt despises the concept of peace, which may explain his violent relationship with Benvolio, who initially tried to establish peace at the start of the play. This further illustrates Tybalt's love for conflict.

In Act 1 Scene 1, Tybalt's violent nature is highlighted, bringing an important element to the play. The scene begins comically, but as soon as Tybalt enters, the audience is reminded that it is a tragedy. During Elizabethan times, entertainment was crucial, and the audience's reaction could determine the success of the play; if they were displeased, they would even throw rotten vegetables at the actors. In Act 1 Scene 5, Tybalt spots Romeo at a party and immediately desires to kill him, saying "Fetch me my rapier, boy." This impulsive behavior happens seconds after he sees Romeo; Tybalt finds it disgraceful that a Montague would dare enter a Capulet party. It's surprising how quickly he makes the decision to fight, suggesting it may be his natural response to such situations. Furthermore, Tybalt's superiority complex is evident when he calls his servant "boy," indicating his inferiority.

In Act 1 Scene 1, Tybalt mistreated his servants by calling them 'heartless hinds' because he believed they lacked the ability to stand up to him. Though he was arrogant, Tybalt had genuine

loyalty and respect for his family's honour, as seen in his quote, 'Now by the stock and honour of my kin, to strike him dead, I hold it not a sin'. This reveals a new aspect of Tybalt's personality wherein he perceives himself as superior to others yet retains a genuine respect for his family. Additionally, it highlights his passion for his family's honour and how he finds it offensive that Romeo, a Montague, has attended a Capulet party, similar to the previous scene.

In my opinion, Tybalt's willingness to kill in the name of his family shows his passion, but it also implies that he is vengeful, as he seeks to kill Romeo in retaliation. Moreover, Tybalt's respectfulness is quickly forgotten as he derogatorily refers to Romeo as a "villain", a term that was highly offensive in Elizabethan times. This further emphasizes Tybalt's loathing for the Montagues, as previously demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 1 when he says "I hate hell, all Montagues and thee". The quote specifically portrays Tybalt's intense hatred for Romeo. It appears that Tybalt intentionally offends people to provoke his opponent to fight him, confident that he will never lose. Overall, the mix of emotions and moods displayed by Tybalt throughout Act 1 Scene 5 is both unexpected and unnecessary.

In the play, Tybalt creates suspense and tension, as highlighted by the quote 'But this intrusion shall now seeming sweet, turn to bitterest gall'. This engages the audience and previews what's to come, which is crucial, as discussed earlier in this essay. Additionally, the quote reveals that Tybalt is a significant source of entertainment and conflict in the play, as

demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 1. Furthermore, Act 2 Scene 4 showcases Tybalt's fighting skills, as Benvolio and Mercutio discuss his plan to kill Romeo and his character overall on the morning after the party.

'More than a Prince of Cats', this praise implies that Tybalt's fighting technique is both nimble and savage, resembling that of a feline. It also suggests that he fights like a cat, exhibiting his unmatched abilities. By labeling Tybalt as a 'Prince,' it may insinuate his unrivaled combat skills. Additionally, the mention of 'cat' could indicate Tybalt's fearlessness, akin to a lion hunting its prey. Ultimately, this quote alludes to Tybalt's dominance and constant search for challenges.

Shakespeare portrays Tybalt as both a skilled fighter and a perfectionist, earning him the nickname 'the very butcher of a silk button.' This metaphor highlights Tybalt's swift and precise fighting style, as well as his pride in his abilities. His approach to fighting is compared to that of a butcher, treating it like a routine job without much thought. By using figurative language, Shakespeare emphasizes Tybalt's exceptional quality as a fighter, allowing the audience to fully grasp his prowess on the battlefield.

Despite Tybalt's arrogance and insults, Mercutio surprisingly considers him to be a gentleman of the highest caliber, or "of the very first house". This implies that Tybalt is a fair fighter who follows the rules, which is demonstrated in Act 1 Scene 1 when he warns Benvolio before attacking him. This is exactly what Mercutio is referring to, and it is significant that Mercutio, a Montague, would compliment a Capulet like Tybalt. Overall, Tybalt must be an exceptional fighter for people to

admire him despite his unpleasant demeanor. Act 3 Scene 1 of the play takes unexpected turns that leave the audience disoriented and awestruck.

In Act 3 Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt's attitude towards his surroundings and Mercutio is initially polite and gentlemanly when he says "Gentlemen, good den, a word with one of you". Tybalt's respect towards others is reminiscent of Act 1 Scene 5. However, when Romeo enters the scene, Tybalt's demeanor changes dramatically as he declares "Well, peace be with you sir, here comes my man", indicating that he is only interested in fighting Romeo. Despite his intense hatred for Romeo, Tybalt manages to remain polite towards Mercutio, showcasing his ability to control his emotions. It is important to note that Tybalt's earlier claim that he hates peace goes unnoticed by Mercutio due to the events that ensue.

After all Mercutio's beliefs about Tybalt were proven wrong, an ironic and unexpected death occurs in the play. Despite Tybalt's determination to fight Romeo, it is Mercutio who steps up to defend his fellow Montague and engage in the fight. Unfortunately, Romeo attempts to stop the fight and tragedy strikes with Mercutio being murdered by Tybalt's un-gentlemanlike thrust under Romeo's arm, resulting in his untimely death.

The death of Mercutio reveals that Tybalt can be easily distracted from his main goal of killing Romeo. He says, 'I am for you' to Mercutio, indicating that he is willing to fight him instead. This demonstrates Tybalt's love for fighting has overtaken his initial aspiration. Unfortunately, this lack of focus causes Mercutio's death and leaves Romeo unharmed. Despite this, Tybalt later returns to fulfill his motive and

kill Romeo, revealing his remorselessness. He insults Romeo when he returns to the scene, saying 'Thou wretched boy, that didst consort him here shall with him hence,' blaming him for Mercutio's death when he himself was the one who committed the murder.

In Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt's words are meant to provoke Romeo into fighting him. This behavior is similar to his actions in Act 1 Scene 1, where Tybalt appears to be looking for a fight. However, when Tybalt murder's Mercutio in a brutal manner, it damages his reputation as a fair fighter. This is in contrast to what Mercutio said about Tybalt's fighting abilities in Act 2 Scene 4. The loyalty that Tybalt shows to his family is illustrated through Mercutio's death. In Act 1 Scene 5, Tybalt refrains from fighting Romeo as his uncle advises him against it. The irony of Mercutio's death lies in the fact that he praised Tybalt's fighting abilities before being killed by him. The scene culminates with a duel between Tybalt and Romeo, and fittingly, Romeo defeats Tybalt, the man who was so confident he could kill him. Overall, this scene serves as a crucial turning point in the play, where unexpected events shock the audience.

After analyzing Tybalt's character, it becomes apparent that he is complex and perplexing due to his conflicting emotions and perspectives towards others. Nevertheless, despite these complexities, I have gained a clear understanding of Tybalt's contribution to the play in just three acts and whether his removal was the right choice. Firstly, Tybalt was vital in keeping the audience engaged with his fiery outbursts that created suspense and

entertainment. However, as we all know, his presence did not always bring enjoyment. The controversial issue of whether Tybalt's death was justified in the play raises questions about Shakespeare's motive for doing so. Although some argue that Tybalt was an important character who brought excitement to the audience and should not have been removed halfway through the play.

Although Tybalt's absence may have been thought to lessen the play's entertainment value, there were actually advantages to his demise. Prior to his unexpected death, Tybalt had been the primary center of attention; however, following it, focus shifted towards Romeo and Juliet, the play's key figures. The audience was reminded of the tragedy as they mourned his loss. Eliminating Tybalt prevented a repetitive plot and brought in fresh perspectives. Furthermore, since Tybalt killed Mercutio through unfair means, viewers were satisfied by his ultimate fate and could watch the remainder of the play contentedly. It is noteworthy that despite Tybalt passing away, its impact contributed significantly to the story's progression.

My perspective is that the death of Tybalt was necessary for the progression of Romeo and Juliet's plot, and was also justifiable in avoiding any potential turmoil that Tybalt may have caused if he had survived. Moreover, Shakespeare's choice to exclude Tybalt from the play highlights its sorrowful theme.

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