Pride is
one of the major reasons for the deaths ofand . In , Tybalt's pride is hurt whenstops him from
challengingat the party. Tybalt overhears Romeo, who is wearing a mask, talking about , and
becomes enraged, calling for his sword. Lord Capulet intercepts him and refuses to allow him to
engage Romeo and even says that Verona speaks of Romeo as a "well-governed youth."
This obviously does not satisfy Tybalt, who is not a patient man and believes that the
"intrusion" will only cause him to become angry again later:
Patience perforce with willful choler meeting
Makes my
flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw, but this intrusion
shall,
Now seeming sweet, convert to bittrest gall.
Later in Act II,reports that Tybalt has sent a letter to Romeo's house demanding
satisfaction and challenging Romeo. Meanwhile, Romeo is preparing to marry Juliet, Tybalt's
cousin, setting up the events of .In this scene
it is Mercutio whose pride works against him. Despite Benvolio's warnings, Mercutio remains in
the street when the Capulets enter. Tybalt asks about Romeo, which only draws insults from
Mercutio as he flourishes his sword. When Romeo shows up, because he has just been married, he
immediately backs down to Tybalt and even tells him that he loves him:
I do protest I never injured thee
But love
thee better than thou canst devise
Till thou shalt know the reason of my
love.
And so, good Capulet, which name I tender
As dearly as mine own, be
satisfied.Mercutio cannot
take it. His pride is hurt as he believes that his best friend is backing down to a hated
Capulet. He promptly steps into the fray and, noting Romeo's seeming cowardice, challenges
Tybalt to a fight:O calm, dishonorable,
vile submission!
Alla stoccato carries it away. [He draws.]
Tybalt, you
ratcatcher, will you walk?
As the two fight, Romeo jumps into the middle and Mercutio is fatally wounded. Even
the wound, however, does not stop Mercutio from demonstrating his ability with words and his
pride as he condemns the Montagues and Capulets:
I am hurt.
A plague o both your houses! I am sped.
Following the stabbing, Tybalt flees, but pride
seemingly brings him back to the scene and he and Romeo fight, with Tybalt falling. Had Mercutio
and Tybalt listened to Benvolio's warning to either withdraw or "reason coldly," they
would have survived. Instead, they let their masculine pride overcome common sense.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment