Benvolio

• Act1, Scene 1 - Shakespeare switches from prose (Sampson + Gregory) to Blank verse (Benvolio) - sets him apart - blank verse is used for noble characters
• 'Part fools! Put up your sword, you know not what you do.' - contrasts Sampson and Gregory's sexual puns/insults with Benvolio religious language

  also shows Benvolio being aggressive as he insults the servants by calling them 'fools' and questions their intelligence
• Benvolio roughly translates to peacekeeper - Religious - Christ-like - Prophet - tells Romeo to 'examine other beauties' and forget about Rosaline in A1S1, which happens as Romeo meets Juliet
• Act 3 Scene 1 - 'either withdraw into some private place or reason coldly of your grievance or else depart' - peacekeeper
• he suggests to Romeo to go to the Capulet feast - 'Go thither' - in A1, S2
• Shakespeare uses Benvolio as a plot developer -

  A1,s3 - Benvolio is with Romeo and we learn about Rosaline

  A3,s1 - Benvolio talks to Mercutio

  A1,s2 - Benvolio tells Romeo to go to the Capulet feast

  A2,s4 - Benvolio tells Mercutio and audience that Tybalt has challenged Romeo

  A3,s1 - Benvolio tells Romeo and audience that Mercutio is dead
• Benvolio is used as a chorus (help the audience follow the play by summing up what has happened)

  A1,s1 - Benvolio tells Mercutio what has happened

  A3s1 - after Mercutio and Tybalt have died - Benvolio tells Prince Escalus

  why - what Benvolio says is inconsistent with what the audience has seen - to save Romo - Fate - A1,S1 , A3S3 - the fights still happen