Shakespeare Compare And Contrast Tybalt And Benvolio

Literary Analysis: Contrast of Tybalt and Benvolio
In Shakespeare’s works, we see a variety of literary techniques used that are still prevalent today. Whether it be monologues, use of plot progression, or even tragic flaws we see these still used in his works and others. One of Shakespeare’s most notable techniques was the use of foil characters to emphasize certain traits of other characters; we see this well demonstrated with the characters Benvolio and Tybalt. These two characters appear to be everything the other isn’t and highlight the morality or lack of in each other. When we first are introduced to Benvolio he is calling for peace between the two families while Tybalt’s introduction shows him wanting to continue the feud. Benvolio

enters the play saying, “Part Fools!/ Put up your swords.

You know not what you do.” (1.1. 64-65). Benvolio’s message for peace and to end the violence by calling for the men’s’ swords to be put away stands in stark contrast to Tybalt’s entrance. After seeing Benvolio, a Montague, he challenges him and says, “Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death.” (1.1 67). Without an active reason, we see Tybalt looking to start a fight and join in on the family feud. We see that later in the play, Tybalt’s urge to fight extends past that and into the hopeful death of Montagues while Benvolio remains calm. Later in Act I Tybalt proclaims, “As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” (1.1. 71), expressing his hatred for anyone names Montague. When Tybalt spots Romeo at the Capulet party he says, “It fits when such a villain is a guest.” (1.5. 77), but at the time Romeo has done nothing to harm the Capulets. This and his challenge to duel Romeo without a reason furthers the idea that Tybalt holds an unwarranted rage against Montagues and will see it to the end. Benvolio, on the other hand, had never challenged anyone in the play or shown aggression towards Capulets. He remains peaceful while Tybalt is hot-headed. Throughout the play we have the idea that Benvolio is peaceful and that Tybalt

is bloodthirsty get reinforced time and time again. It’s shown that these two traits are what keeps one alive while the other is dead. In Act III, Scene I Benvolio sees Tybalt and knows that Tybalt is looking to duel Romeo. Knowing that a duel will only worsen the current situation, Benvolio stands down and refuses to fight. Enraged, Tybalt engages in a fight with Mercutio and wins. This sparks the duel that would kill Tybalt. Romeo, being Mercutio’s friend, retaliates and kills Romeo. What is key to recognize here is that the one who remains calm and doesn’t fight, Benvolio, lives while the one who seeks a fight, Tybalt, ends up dead. This is further seem when the respectful Benvolio, who avoids engaging in a fight, is one of the few people to live while those who let their name separate them and their thirst for blood, like Tybalt, end up dead. Shakespeare throughout this play used foil characters like Benvolio and Tybalt to show how these qualities that they have lead them down a very different path and to highlight the morality of one character when in comparison to another.