Romeo & Juliet: Act II and Act III

First impressions

After reading the first act of Romeo and Juliet (the blog review for that is already up), the story is left off after Romeo and Juliet have met for the first time. Their love has been established and the story really starts to pick up. The action *cough cough* deaths finally start to happen and the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is elaborated on. The characters have already been established and now we can see and predict what they will do in the upcoming scenes. Although, I am a bit confused to how six people, minus Romeo and Juliet, are going to die in the span of a day or two. Lastly, the whole LAFS thing has not progressed much in terms of the relationship. To clarify, Romeo and Juliet getting married is a huge step, but relationship wise, they don’t know each other, which is something Juliet starts to realize in act III.

Benvolio

Benvolio is my favorite character in this play and is frankly, the most interesting part of the play, even more so than the actual plotline. His character just keeps getting better and better. In the first act Benvolio was seen as Romeo’s bro that could see right through his friend and offer the best advice to help Romeo. Also, he is almost always seen as trying to keep the peace between the Capulets and the Montagues. His passive nature is well represented and creates a character of great nobility.

In Act II and Act III, Benvolio is still trying to keep the peace, but is shown as more compassionate and caring towards his friends, Romeo and Mercutio. Benvolio is searching for Romeo in act II and is worried for his friend. IN act III, Benvolio is being a bro to Mercutio and tries to defuse the situation with him and Tybalt. In the same scene, Mercutio dies, but Benvolio still manages to comfort a mourning Romeo, who seeks revenge. Benvolio says to Romeo, “That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds” (123). Similarly, Benvolio will have to endure the death of another friend later in the book, Romeo. That is, unless Benvolio dies first.

The first deaths!

Mercutio and Tybalt are have fallen! Whats up with that? The death of Mercutio was seen as somewhat accidental, but triggered by Romeo’s attempt to diffuse the fight, which eneded up angering Tybalt even further. The death of Tybalt was an immediate effect from the death of Mercutio, combined with Romeo’s rage. There deaths seem to be used in order to show how one moment can change everything and the events unfolding can never be undone. Also, quick deaths show the immediate consequences of Romeo and Juliet’s actions, or maybe even the actions of everyone else in the play.

The Tragedy

One of the biggest question people ask themselves while reading Romeo and Juliet is what or who triggers the tragedy that will shape the ending of the story. I believe the tragedy is triggered by the priest, Friar Lawrence. This is because the priest agrees to marry off Romeo and Juliet in hopes of bringing the two families together, even though he knows the couple are not ready to make a serious commitment like marriage. The priest would be a person that held a lot of power and in high regard, especially in the 1500’s. Se the bad blood between the Capulets and the Montagues, but ended up triggering a series of events leading to the tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet. When the priest married Romeo and Juliet, that immediately leads to the vents of Mercutio and Tybalt’s death, which then lead to Romeo’s banishment and the new made it around Verona, triggering many people.

These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,

Which as they kiss consume: the sweetest honey

Is loathsome in his own deliciousness

And in the taste confounds the appetite:

Therefore love moderately; long love doth so;

Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow (109).

In this quote, the priest is foreshadowing the upcoming demise of Romeo and Juliet, along with many others, due to their so called “love at first sight”. The decisions and events leading to the demise of many people originate from the moment Romeo and Juliet get married, which was done through the approval of Friar Lawrence.