Tybalt - C

• "have at thee coward!' - Act 1 - violence

  • using provocative language, insulting Benvolio with the adjective coward
  • He is established as quick to anger as it took hin less than two lines to offer up a fight upon his entrance - impulsive
• "thou art a villain" - Act 3

  • Shakespeare uses direct address to show that he doesn't shy away from the confrontation and is direct and almost violent in the way he expresses himself
  • also uses fairly simple language showing that he lacks the wit and intelligence of a character like Mercutio - he is all violence
• • In Shakespeare's time, honour was a concept that was highly valued and an honour that was jeopardised was the root of much violence
  • Tybalt is so violent in this scene because he believes his honour to be in jeopardy and believes he must respond to that with violence - male violence stemmed from the patriarchy which reinforced this notion.
• "wretched boy" - Act 3

  • One of his final lines of the play in reference to Romeo
  • Even his exit is coloured with violence, he shows no regret which is ultimately his hamartia (fatal flaw) and what leads to his death
  • It is also shown to be the folly of youth, not just because Tybalt is quick to anger, but because Mercutio, Benvolio and even Romeo is too
  • This underestimates Romeo, who, driven by grief and rage, ends up killing Tybalt - turning point in the play, as it leads to Romeo’s banishment
• "I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues..." - Act 1

  • simile - shows Tybalt’s aggressive and violent nature. He is full of anger and unwilling to compromise, which foreshadows his later actions that contribute to the tragedy
  • Tybalt sees Montagues as evil, almost like demons, and that his hatred for them is extreme and deeply ingrained
• • Tybalt is extremely loyal to the Capulet family and believes that fighting Montagues is his duty
  • Tybalt’s aggressive nature foreshadows the later fights in the play - deadly duel with Mercutio and Romeo
  • His unwillingness to make peace contributes to the tragic chain of events leading to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths
• "Fetch me my rapier, boy" - Act 1

  • This shows Tybalt’s impulsive and vengeful personality. It also highlights the deep-rooted feud between the families.
  • This moment sets up his later duel with Romeo and Mercutio