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No Fear Shakespheare

Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare

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Act 3, Scene 1, Page 8

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PRINCE
Where are the vile beginners of this fray?
 PRINCE
Where are the evil men who started this fight?

105


 BENVOLIO
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.


110


 LADY CAPULET
Tybalt, my cousin! O my brother’s child!
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?


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130
 BENVOLIO
Tybalt here slain, whom Romeo’s hand did slay.
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
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
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
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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