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Home : Romeo And Juliet : Act 3, scene i : page 150 Read the Study Guide: Romeo And Juliet
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Romeo And Juliet
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 PRINCE
  Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
PRINCE
Where are the evil men who started this fight?
 BENVOLIO
105 O noble prince, I can discover all
  The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl.
  There lies the man, slain by young Romeo,
  That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.
BENVOLIO
Oh, noble prince, I can tell you everything about the unfortunate circumstances of this deadly fight. Over there Tybalt is lying dead. He killed your relative, brave Mercutio, and then young Romeo killed him.
 LADY CAPULET
  Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother's child!
110 O Prince! O cousin! Husband! Oh, the blood is spilled
  Of my dear kinsman! Prince, as thou art true,
  For blood of ours shed blood of Montague.
  O cousin, cousin!
LADY CAPULET
Tybalt was my nephew! He was my brother's son! Oh Prince, oh nephew, oh husband! Oh, my nephew is dead! Oh Prince, as you are a man of honor, take revenge for this murder by killing someone from the Montague family. Oh cousin, cousin!
 PRINCE
                          Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?
PRINCE
Benvolio, who started this fight?
 BENVOLIO
  Tybalt here slain, whom Romeo's hand did slay.
115 Romeo, that spoke him fair, bade him bethink
  How nice the quarrel was and urged withal
  Your high displeasure. All this uttered
  With gentle breath, calm look, knees humbly bowed,
  Could not take truce with the unruly spleen
120 Of Tybalt deaf to peace, but that he tilts
  With piercing steel at bold Mercutio's breast,
  Who, all as hot, turns deadly point to point,
  And, with a martial scorn, with one hand beats
  Cold death aside and with the other sends
125 It back to Tybalt, whose dexterity,
  Retorts it. Romeo, he cries aloud,
  “Hold, friends! Friends, part!” and, swifter than his tongue,
  His agile arm beats down their fatal points,
  And 'twixt them rushes—underneath whose arm
130 An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life
  Of stout Mercutio, and then Tybalt fled.
BENVOLIO
Tybalt started the fight before he was killed by Romeo. Romeo spoke to Tybalt politely and told him how silly this argument was. He mentioned that you would not approve of the fight. He said all of this gently and calmly, kneeling down out of respect. But he could not make peace with Tybalt, who was in an angry mood and wouldn't listen to talk about peace. Tybalt and Mercutio began to fight each other fiercely, lunging at one another and dodging each other's blows. Romeo cried out, “Stop, my friends. Break it up.” Then he jumped in between them and forced them to put their swords down. But Tybalt reached under Romeo's arm and thrust his sword into brave Mercutio. Then Tybalt fled the scene.

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