Benvolio

• "Part fools! Put up your swords, you know not what you do" - Act 1 scene 1


  -Benvolio represents the adult world- voice of maturity/reason

  -trying to diffuse the fued before prince intervenes

  -asking them to think about the consequences of their actions

  -Benvolio is the only character who thinks about consequences

  -the rest are persuaded by hubris that the consequences will be in their favour
• "Take thou some new infection to thy eye, and the rank poison of the old will die" - Act 1 scene 2


  -He sees love as an infection as it alters the personality

  -"eye" shows they fall in love with the visible beauty of a woman not personality

  -"rank poison" - when love is unrequited

  - As Benvolio says it, it is presented as a mature perspective
• "We talk here in the public haunt of men. Either withdraw unto some private place, and reason coldly of your grievances or else depart; here all eyes gaze on us" - Act 3 scene 1


  -"haunt"- trying to prevent duel - hints at death and ghosts

  -tries to reason with Mercutio to do it somewhere private

  -Presents Benvolio as peacemaker - voice represents adult world so it is ignored by Mercutio and Tybalt