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This term has other meanings, see Romeo and Juliet (meanings). Romeo and Juliet ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Romeo and Juliet (meanings). Romeo and Juliet Romeo And Juliet ... Wikipedia

- (Italian: Romeo Montecchi) main character William Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". The name Romeo became a household name for a young man in love, as well as a symbol of unhappy love. Contents 1 Origins of the image ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Romeo and Juliet (meanings). Romeo + Juliet Romeo + Juliet ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Romeo and Juliet (meanings). Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet ... Wikipedia

Mercutio is one of the main characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". Contents 1 Role in the plot 2 Evaluation of the image 3 ... Wikipedia

This classic hero famous work We all know William Shakespeare as an unhappy fifteen-year-old boy in love. “There is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet...” The names of these two lovers were first used by Luigi da Porto in 1524 in his play “The Story of Two Noble Lovers.” The events took place in Verona. This plot became so popular during the Renaissance that in 1554 Matteo Bandello would write a short story, in 1562 Arthur Brooke would write the poem “Romeo and Juliet,” and Shakespeare would take this story as a basis and create his world-famous tragedy.

Plot of the story

The main character appears on the scene immediately after a short fight between two servants of the warring noble families of Montague and Capulet in the city of Verona. Romeo Montague is sad and melancholy, he experiences feelings of unrequited love for Rosaline. In order to have some fun, Benvolio and Mercutio's friends persuade him to secretly go with them under masks to the Capulets' masquerade ball. As a result, Romeo is recognized and he leaves the ball, but during this time he manages to see the owner’s daughter, Juliet. They fall in love with each other at first sight, and only then find out that both belong to families that are mortal enemies.

And here, discussing the topic: “Romeo: characteristics of a hero,” it should be noted that the young man turned out to be very brave and persistent. One night he comes under Juliet's balcony and confesses his love to her. Young lovers take an oath of love and fidelity and want to get married secretly. They entrust this task to a friend, Friar Lorenzo. But then an unexpected event occurs: Romeo kills Tybalt, Juliet's brother. Romeo is expelled from Verona.

Death of Lovers

At this time, Juliet's parents are preparing her for her wedding to Paris. She is forced to ask for help from Friar Lorenzo, who offers her to drink a potion that will put her to sleep for two days, so that everyone will think that she has died. That’s exactly what happened, but the news explaining that Juliet’s death was imaginary did not reach Romeo.

Beside himself with grief, having learned about the death of his beloved, he returned to Verona and went to the Capulet crypt, where he met Paris and killed him. And after that he drank poison and died near Juliet. When she woke up, seeing Romeo dead, she immediately killed herself with a dagger. After this, the Montague and Capulet families stopped their senseless war, which led to the death of their beloved children.

Romeo: characteristics

At the very beginning of the work, the author depicts his hero as a completely inexperienced young man who is completely absorbed by love, or rather, a far-fetched passion for Rosalind, an unapproachable and very absurd beauty. Romeo understands his crazy behavior, but still, like a moth, he flies to the fire. Friends do not approve of his choice, because they understand that his passion is artificial, he is bored with the reality around him, and he deliberately invented all this for himself. His soul is still too pure and naive, and she can mistake an ordinary hobby for true love. It must be said that Romeo was an ardent dreamer; the characteristics of his nature indicate that he longs for love, but only in order to establish himself in it. He wants to become a winner over the indifferent and arrogant Rosalind. He thinks that this will help him raise his authority among his friends and grow in his own eyes.

Romeo and Juliet

When he sees sweet Juliet at the ball, all his false feelings dissipate, he immediately forgets about Rosalind. Now his love is genuine, which regenerates and elevates him. After all, by nature he is endowed with a tender and sensitive heart, which senses approaching trouble even before they decide to go to the enemy house of the Capulets for a holiday. He tried to resist this, but it turned out to be useless for him to fight fate, since strong passion still prevailed over Romeo. His characterization states that he is quick-tempered and not ready to come to terms with circumstances. First, he kills Juliet's brother Tybalt out of revenge for the murder of his friend Mercutio, and then he also kills the innocent Paris.

Conclusion

Shakespeare does not show himself to be a moralist here; he does not make his heroes positive or negative. Romeo's appearance doesn't particularly interest him. He shows the tragic path of everyone who cannot curb their destructive passions, which took power over such a bright, vulnerable and sublime soul as Romeo’s.

Page 10 of 18

Offense... Come back and draw your sword.

Romeo.
I swear that I have never insulted you
That I love you, even though you won’t believe it,
Until you know the reasons for love.
So, O Capulet, I am the name
I love it as if it were my own. - Peace be with you!

Mercutio.
Cold, dishonest humility!
One thing will erase it, a la stoccata.
Let's face each other, Tybalt the rat! Takes out his sword.

Tybalt.
What do you want from me?

Mercutio.
Nothing but one of your nine lives, venerable feline
king! I will swallow this one at once, and the other eight, with your permission,
I'll crumble it into breadcrumbs. Deign to pull your sword from its sheath by your ears. Yes
Just hurry up, otherwise your ears will become acquainted with mine.

Tybalt.
At your service! Draws his sword.

Romeo.
Good Mercutio! Sheathe your sword!

Mercutio Tybalt.
Well, well, sir! passado!

Romeo.
Benvolio! help me
And we will knock out their swords. Sirs,
Shame on you! What kind of flashes? Oh Mercutio!
Tybalt! The prince strictly forbade fighting
On the streets of Verona. Stop, Tybalt, Mercutio!

Tybalt wounds Mercutio and leaves with his followers.

Mercutio.
I injured!
A plague on both your houses... The road is over!
He left and was not injured?

Benvolio.
Are you injured?

Mercutio.
Yes Yes! scratch, empty scratch!
She is enough, however... Where is my page?
Hey you bastard! Hurry up, surgeon! The page leaves.

Mercutio.
Friend, take heart! The wound is not deep.

Mercutio.
Yes, of course: smaller than a well and narrower than church doors, but with
me and her will be... Come see me tomorrow, how sedate I will be
Mr. I am trained enough for this earthly vale!.. A plague on both
your houses... Damn it! this dog, rat, mouse, cat could kill
person... A braggart, rubbish, some kind of scum who fights according to the leadership of
arithmetic! Why the hell did you come between us? I'm wounded from under yours
hands.

Romeo.
I thought about turning things around for the better.

Mercutio.
Just get me home somehow.
Benvolio, I'm losing my strength.
Plague on your houses! Now,
By their mercy I am food for worms
I'll go... I feel... Oh, your houses!

Mercutio and Benvolio leave.

Romeo
And so, good man and the prince
My closest relative and faithful friend
Fatally struck by blow
Because of me, for my honor,
insulted by Tybalt, Tybalt,
With whom I became related within an hour.
Oh, sweet Juliet! beauty
Yours shamefully changed me
And she turned her iron temper into wax.

Benvolio returns.

Benvolio.
Oh Romeo, Romeo, our Mercutio is dead,
And the noble spirit has already soared
For the clouds, despising the earthly world.

Romeo
O fateful and gloomy day! Start
Sorrow and darkness for many, many days!

Tybalt returns.

Benvolio.
Here comes the mad Tybalt again.

Romeo.
Alive! in celebration! Mercutio has been killed!
Fly to heaven, holy meekness,
And fury, with fire in your eyes, be
My leader now!
Well, the scoundrel's name is Tybalt, back
I'm giving it to you. Soul of Mercutio
Haven't traveled much yet
Above our heads and waiting,
So that yours can unite with hers.
Either you, or I, or both of us - to him!

Tybalt.
Pathetic boy! Here you are inseparable
Been with him forever, so go
Go there to him!

Romeo taking out the sword.
The sword will solve the matter.

Fight; Tybalt falls.

Benvolio.
Save yourself from sorrow, Romeo! People
He comes running, and here Tybalt lies dead...
Don't stand in a daze: the prince will judge
To death, if he finds you, run!

Romeo.
ABOUT! I'm rock's toy!

Benvolio.
Why are you standing?

Romeo leaves.

Armed townspeople enter.

1st citizen.
Where did the one who killed Mercutio fled?
Tybalt the killer? Where did he run?

Benvolio.
Here he lies - Tybalt.

1st citizen.
Messer! Follow me!
In the name of the prince, obey me.

Enter the prince and his retinue, the Montagues and Capulet, their wives and others.

Prince.
Where are the vile instigators of the massacre?

Benvolio.
Most Serene Prince! I can tell you
Sad details of their quarrel.
Here lies Romeo, slain by the hand,
The one who killed your relative.

Signora Capulet.
Tybalt! nephew! brother's own son!
Oh, prince! Nephew! My husband! This is blood
Our dear! Prince! If you are fair -
Montagues shed blood for our blood!
Nephew! oh nephew!

Prince.
Benvolio! who bloody started the argument?

Benvolio.
Tybalt, killed here by the hand of Romeo.
Romeo spoke to him meekly and asked
Come to your senses, quit the empty quarrel;
I warned you about your terrible anger,
All this - with a quiet look, meek speech,
Almost with humiliation, but nothing
He could not calm down his furious temper
Tybaltova: not heeding the word of the world,
Tybalt rushed with the tip to his chest
Mercutio: the same, irritated, his sword
directed against him and, with military force
Negligence, death with one hand
He reflected, with the other he sent
Her to Tybalt; and Tybalt skillfully
Defended himself. Romeo shouted to them:
"Stop, disperse, friends!" and your words faster,
With a deft blow, he spread their swords;
But at this moment, from under his hand,
Tybalt's treacherous blow to death
Mercutio was amazed. Tybalt is gone
But soon he returned to Romeo again: he
Already burning with one thirst for revenge...
They grabbed each other faster than lightning,
I did not have time to take out the sword - Tybalt
He lay already dead, and when he
“Fell,” Romeo ran instantly. Everything is true
What did I say, or let Benvolno die.

Signora Capulet.
O sir! After all, he is related to the Montagues,
Lies out of love, tells lies...
Twenty of them united insidiously
And twenty - one could barely be killed
I ask for justice - you must
Give us justice, sir! Killed
Tybalt's Romeo: Romeo must fall.

Prince.
Romeo killed Tybalt, but Tybalt
Killed Mercutio. Who will pay me?
For the dear blood of my dear one?

Montagues.
Not Romeo, prince: he was Mercutio's friend.
His only fault is that he decided
The one whom the law would decide:
Tybalt.

Prince.
And for this as punishment
We determine his exile
Don't hesitate. I myself am a victim of your strife:
The blood of those close to me is shed here because of you;
But I will impose a heavy penalty on you
And you will repent of my suffering...
I will be deaf to our: excuses,
You will not touch me with either a groan or a plea!
So let Romeo disappear quickly;
Otherwise, his death awaits here!
Take the corpse and wait for our orders!
To spare murderers is to help murder!
They're leaving.

SCENE II.

A room in the Capulet house.
Juliet enters.

Juliet.
Oh, fiery-legged horses! Take aback
You must gallop to Phoebus's dwelling! Whenever
Phaeton was a driver, long ago
He would have driven you to the west, and the night
The shadowy one would descend to the ground...
The cover is thick, oh night - the shelter of love
Quickly spread out people's blinders
They closed and Romeo trembled
In my arms, unseen by anyone,
Not blameworthy. There is plenty of light
To lovers amidst their raptures,
From the brilliance of one’s own beauty, and if
Love is blind, the better it gets along with the night.
Come, oh solemn night,
You, majestic wife, all in black, -
And lose while winning, you
Me in the mysterious game that
Two integrity serves as a guarantee,
Instruct, oh night! A rush of immodest blood
Cover my cheeks with yours
With a black mantilla, while love
Timid at first, she won’t become bolder.
But it will turn into a debt of purity.
Come, night and Romeo, you, my day in the night:
Day because you will arrive
On the wings of the night you are whiter than the first snow
On the feathers of a raven... Night dove,
Tender night with black eyes
Give me my Romeo, what if
He dies, then you take him,
Cut into small stars
And the vault of heaven will light up so brightly,
That the whole world will fall in love with you, oh night,
And he will stop praying to the vain day...
ABOUT! I bought myself a house of love,
But I don’t own it yet: myself
I was bought, but not taken yet...
This day is so boring, like a night before a holiday
Boring to an impatient child
For whom they sewed a new thing and put it on
They don't give you new clothes... Oh! here comes
The nurse brings the news!
A language that only needs to be spoken
Knows the name Romeo, for me
Heavenly eloquent.
The nurse enters with a rope ladder. Nanny! What,
What's new? What's wrong with you?
Not the staircase that I ordered
Shall I bring my Romeo?

Nurse.
Stairs... yes! Yes! Throws the ladder to the floor.

Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet", act one - summary

Scene one. The Montagues and Capulets, two noble families from the Italian city of Verona, are in a mortal feud with each other. Shakespeare's tragedy begins with a scene of an armed altercation between the servants of these families. In the midst of the fight, Tybalt (Lady Capulet's nephew) and Benvolio (Montague's nephew) appear. The benevolent Benvolio tries to separate the fighting, but the eccentric, cocky Tybalt interferes by rushing at him. The heads of both clans also appear on stage, scolding each other. Prince Escalus of Verona, who came to the noise, demands an end to the fratricide and summons both fathers of families to his court.

Lady Montague asks Benvolio if he met her son, Romeo, today. Benvolio replies that he saw Romeo early in the morning in the grove at the city gates, but he clearly desired solitude and disappeared among the trees. Lady Montague is concerned that her son is in Lately I'm tormented by some kind of melancholy; he doesn't want to communicate with anyone. Benvolio decides to find out the reason for this melancholy.

Romeo just enters. To Benvolio's question, he replies that he is tormented by unrequited love. His beloved is cold as ice, as if she had taken a vow of celibacy. Benvolio advises Romeo to cure his hopeless passion by turning his attention to other girls. But Romeo does not believe that he can forget his love.

Scene two. Young handsome Paris, a relative of the Duke of Verona, wooes Capulet's 14-year-old daughter, Juliet. The bride's father says that Juliet is still too young, but he will agree to the marriage if she wants him. Capulet, however, advises Paris to attend the annual holiday in their house today, where many beauties will gather. Perhaps he will find himself another betrothed there.

Benvolio also learns about the holiday from the Capulets. He invites Romeo to go there and see if, among other ladies, it is possible to forget about passion, which seems fatal. The original enemies of the Montague family will never be allowed into the Capulet house, but Benvolio and Romeo decide to sneak in there, disguised as mummers.

Romeo and Juliet. Film 2013

Scene three. Lady Capulet, in the presence of the nurse, tells Juliet about Paris's proposal, praising his brilliant virtues. Juliet says that due to her youth, she had not yet thought about marriage. Lady Capulet advises her to look at Paris and appreciate him at today's ball. The daughter agrees to do this only out of respect for her mother.

Scene four. Romeo, Benvolio and their merry friend Mercutio go to the Capulets' ball as mummers. Along the way, Romeo talks about his prophetic dream, where it was revealed to him: what will arise at this ball will untimely shorten his life. Mercutio convinces his friend not to believe in dreams. Romeo says: “he who guides my ship has already set sail” - and draws the Capulets into the house, no matter what.

Scene five. The Capulets begin a magnificent celebration. The bully Tybalt hears the voice of Romeo Montague among the guests. He tries to find and kill this enemy, but the head of the family imperiously tells him to calm down.

Dressed as a monk, Romeo immediately singles out Juliet from all the ladies present, not yet knowing who she is. He approaches the beauty and, asking permission, kisses her hand. Juliet is fascinated by the stranger's appeal. The vigilant nurse calls her back to her mother.

Romeo finds out from the nurse: the girl he was just talking to is his daughter worst enemy his family. Then Juliet sends the nurse to find out who the young man was who kissed her hand. He says his name - Romeo Montague.

Stills from the feature film “Romeo and Juliet” (1968) with immortal music by Nino Rota

Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet", act two - summary

Scene one. Late in the evening, Romeo climbs over the wall into the garden of the Capulet house. Benvolio and Mercutio condemn this crazy act of his. [Cm. full text of act 2.]

Scene two. Romeo is hiding at Juliet's balcony. She soon comes out to him and speaks loudly to herself about her passion for Romeo, lamenting that he belongs to a hostile family. Hearing Juliet's speeches, Romeo comes out of hiding and confesses his love to her. The amazed Juliet experiences shame and hesitation. It seems to her that the young man may be cunningly deceiving her. But he swears that he wants to marry her. Juliet tries to leave the balcony twice and returns twice. In the end, the lovers are persuaded: tomorrow morning Juliet’s messenger will come to Romeo to find out the time and place of their wedding. Romeo decides to ask his confessor, Franciscan monk Lorenzo, to marry him.

Scene three. Brother Lorenzo is sorting out the collections he has collected in his cell. healing herbs, while discussing the tendency of nature to mix good and evil principles. There is no good that does not simultaneously contain evil. Just as in the same plant the flowers are often healing, but the roots and leaves are poisonous, so the passions of the soul can be beneficial if a person does not overstep reasonable limits in them, and destructive when their strength is excessive.

Romeo enters the cell. He tells Lorenzo, his confessor, that he has stopped suffering for his former lover, Rosaline, has fallen madly in love with Juliet Capulet and asks to secretly marry him to her. The monk gently reproaches young man for inconstancy: in his hobbies he goes too far, and this can lead to bad things. However, Friar Lorenzo agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. He hopes that their marriage will help end the bloody feud between the Montagues and Capulets.

Scene four. Benvolio and Mercutio wait for the missing Romeo, and he soon appears. Mercutio caustically ridicules his friend’s too ardent love passions, his excessive tendency to “ooh” and “aah.” The nurse sent by Juliet to Romeo and her servant Peter enter. Mercutio calls the nurse an old bawd and leaves.

Romeo tells the nurse: let Juliet come to brother Lorenzo at noon, as if for confession. He will marry them. During this visit, a reliable person will give the nurse herself rope ladder. Tonight she must lower it from Juliet's window so that Romeo can climb there.

Scene five. Returning to Juliet, the nurse tells her what she heard from Romeo.

Scene six. Brother Lorenzo performs the secret wedding of Romeo and Juliet, again reminding the groom before the ceremony: “Violent feelings have a violent end.”

Juliet. Artist J.W. Waterhouse, 1898

Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet", act three - summary

Scene one. True friend Mercutio knows that Tybalt Capulet is looking for a way to kill Romeo. On the day of the wedding performed by Lorenzo's father, Mercutio and Benvolio meet Tybalt in the city square. To save Romeo, Mercutio starts a quarrel with Tybalt and enters into a sword fight with him. [Cm. full text of Act 3.]

At this time, Romeo appears in the square. He tries to separate the fighters. Taking advantage of this, Tybalt wounds Mercutio from under Romeo’s hand and disappears. Benvolio takes the wounded man away, and after a while returns with the news that he has died.

Tybalt also returns to the square. Romeo enters into a duel with him and kills him. The families of the Montagues and Capulets gather at the scene of the events, and Prince Escalus of Verona also comes. Although Benvolio says that Romeo was not the instigator of the fight, the prince condemns him for murder and banishes him from the city.

Scene two. Juliet is looking forward to meeting her husband Romeo in the evening. But the nurse comes in and tells her that he killed her. cousin Tybalt and condemned to exile. Hot Juliet initially curses Romeo in a passionate outburst, but her love passion overpowers her hatred. Juliet says that for the sake of her husband she is ready to despise the memory of not only Tybalt, but even her mother and father. She sends the nurse to Romeo to tell him to come at night.

Scene three. Romeo moans loudly in Friar Lorenzo's cell. Exile will separate him from Juliet. Lorenzo persuades the young man to calm down and thank fate that he was not condemned to death. Lorenzo advises Romeo to live in neighboring Mantua until he finds a reason to open his marriage to Juliet. This publicity may reconcile their two families, and their friends will be able to persuade Romeo to be returned back.

The nurse enters and tells Romeo: Juliet found out about his murder of Tybalt, but she is still waiting for him at her place tonight. From this news, the desperate Romeo comes to life.

Scene four. Father and mother marry Juliet to Paris. The wedding is scheduled in three days.

Scene five. Early morning Romeo and Juliet with stormy outpourings mutual love saying goodbye after spending the night together. When Romeo finally begins to descend the stairs from the window, he seems lowered into a coffin to Juliet looking down at him. Romeo also tells Juliet that she looks pale.

Farewell to Romeo and Juliet on the balcony. Artist F.B. Dixie, 1884

Immediately after Romeo leaves, her father and mother come to the grief-stricken Juliet. She explains her tears by longing for Tybalt. Juliet's parents inform her that in three days she will marry Paris. Juliet violently refuses. Her father rudely shouts at her, calling her vile and ungrateful: her parents found her a much more noble groom, and she is also stubborn. The father says: if Juliet does not marry Paris, he will kick her out of the house.

When her parents leave, Juliet decides to go to the priest Lorenzo.

Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet", act four - summary

Scene 1. Having learned that Paris will marry Juliet in the coming days, priest Lorenzo is confused. An excited Juliet comes to him. She asks Lorenzo to find some way out of the situation, threatening that otherwise she will commit suicide. [Cm. full text of Act 4.]

The priest, an expert in herbs, finds the only way to avoid marriage with Paris. He has a special tincture. If Juliet agrees to drink it, she will fall asleep like this sound sleep that everyone will take her for dead. This state will last 42 hours. During this time, Juliet will be buried in the family crypt, and Lorenzo will send a messenger to Romeo in Mantua. At night, Romeo will arrive at the cemetery, pick up his awakened wife from the crypt and take her with him.

Lorenzo warns that this method is very risky. But Juliet, in a fit of desperate determination, agrees to his plan, takes the bottle with the tincture and leaves.

Scene 2. At the Capulet house they are preparing for the wedding feast. Returning from the priest, Juliet pretends to be cheerful and tells her parents that she no longer wants to resist marriage to Paris. The overjoyed father decides to speed up the wedding before his daughter changes her mind and reschedules it for tomorrow.

Scene 3. Juliet retires to her room. The thought that she might wake up in a terrible tomb among the dead before Romeo appears terrifies her. But Juliet overcomes him, drinks the bottle and falls on the bed.

Scene 4. The next morning, Capulet's father and mother send a nurse to wake Juliet before the groom arrives.

Scene 5. Seeing Juliet lifeless on the bed, the nurse screams that she is dead. Relatives come running, and Paris comes too. Everyone takes Juliet for dead. Brother Lorenzo reassures the mourners with the words that the deceased is now in heaven, and offers to immediately transfer her to the crypt right in her wedding dress.

Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet", act five - summary

Scene 1. Romeo in Mantua is worried about the long absence of news from Lorenzo. Romeo marvels at what he sees strange dream: he lay dead, but Juliet came up to him and brought him back to life with a kiss. At this moment, his family’s servant Balthazar, who came from Verona, enters and reports: Juliet has died. In gloomy despair, Romeo goes to a nearby medicinal shop and buys the strongest poison from the pharmacist for a large sum, deciding to commit suicide near the body of his wife. [Cm. full text of act 5.]

Scene 2. Friar Giovanni, sent by Lorenzo with a letter to Romeo in Mantua, returns and says that he could not go there: he was not allowed out of Verona due to the spread of the infection and quarantine. Lorenzo urgently sends another message to Romeo. Fearing that he will not make it to the crypt before his wife awakens, Lorenzo decides to open the tomb himself at night and shelter Juliet until Romeo takes her.

Scene 3. An inconsolable Paris comes to Juliet at the cemetery with a bouquet of flowers. At the same time, Romeo and Balthazar appear. Romeo begins to open the Capulet family's crypt with a pickaxe. Paris, seeing this, decides that the Capulets' enemy Romeo was planning to mock the bodies of Tybalt and Juliet, whom he had killed. He runs up to him and tries to arrest him. Romeo convinces Paris that he is “preparing reprisals against himself here,” but he does not believe and enters into a duel with him with swords.

Romeo kills Paris. The page accompanying the latter runs to call the cemetery guard. Paris, dying, asks Romeo to bring him into the crypt to Juliet. Romeo brings him in, already dead, lovingly examines his wife’s facial features one last time, kisses her, drinks the poison and dies.

Brother Lorenzo comes to the cemetery with a crowbar and a shovel. Balthazar tells him that Romeo killed someone at the crypt door and then disappeared inside. Lorenzo enters the tomb and sees Romeo and Paris dead.

At this time, Juliet awakens. Lorenzo says her husband and fiancé are dead. Hearing the noise of the approaching guards, the priest convinces the girl to immediately leave with him from here. But she says that she will not survive Romeo’s death. Grabbing her husband's dagger, Juliet plunges it into her chest and dies.

Juliet near Romeo's dead body. Artist J. Wright of Derby, 1790

The guards come running. The Prince of Verona arrives, and then members of the Capulet and Montague families. Everyone mourns bitterly over the bodies of the dead. Lorenzo explains the essence and details of the case. The Capulets and Montagues learn for the first time that their children have been married. The common grief inclines the heads of families to generous reconciliation. Romeo's father promises to erect a golden statue of Juliet, and Juliet's father promises to erect the same statue of Romeo. Shakespeare ends his tragedy with the words put into the prince’s mouth: “the story of Romeo and Juliet will remain the saddest in the world.”

The finale of Shakespeare's tragedy. Reconciliation of the heads of the Capulet and Montague families over the dead bodies of children. Artist F. Leighton, c. 1850s

Benvolio, a young man, nephew of Lord Montague, close friend of Romeo and Mercutio.

Against the backdrop of vengeful enmity, besides our main character of the play, Benvolio is the most prudent character, revenge did not darken his eyes, the thirst for blood did not seize his soul. He, the only one in all the clashes of warring clans, is, although weak, but an obstacle, a stopping force, appealing to the minds of people, to peace.

Benvolio's role in the play is not large, but important. He is like a black crow against the backdrop of black flocks on both sides. Yes, he fights on the side of the Montagues, but only in defense, attacking, inciting quarrels is not in the rules of the young man. His goal is to end the hostility. And this is clearly stated in the play. Who else was against the feud? Who else did Shakespeare pit against hostility in his play (besides the prince)? Juliet, Romeo? Perhaps, but their attitude towards her is ignored in the play; they are too caught up in their inner experiences to see what is going on around them. Unless Paris, a relative of Prince Verona, expressed his bewilderment at such a long confrontation.

At the very beginning of the play, during a fight between servants in the market, amid all this general turmoil and cruelty, Benvolio bursts onto the stage calling on people to stop and disperse. This is his first attempt in the play to extinguish the hatred reigning in the hearts.

Benvolio:
Weapons away - and immediately back to your places!
You don't know what you're doing, you fools.

(Knocks their swords out of their hands.)

And perhaps he would have succeeded if “the furious Tybalt,” Capulet’s nephew, who was extremely hostile, had not suddenly appeared.

Tybalt:
How did you get involved with this guy?
This is your death - turn around, Benvolio!

Benvolio:
I want to reconcile them. Put down your sword
Or let's separate them together.

But Tybalt does not share Benvolio's good intentions, and the fight continues, Benvolio's attempt was unsuccessful. Of course, how could it be otherwise, because he is alone against everyone with his different beliefs. Benvolio makes the second attempt in the play to avoid bloodshed, trying to stop the hot-tempered Mercutio, who is going out of his way to get into trouble, trying to inflame Tybalt into a duel.

Benvolio:
Please, Mercutio, let's leave.
Today it's hot. Capulets are everywhere.
We can't avoid troubles
And the blood boils in my veins from the heat.

Benvolio pronounces these words of warning even before meeting Tybalt, as if he feels something is wrong, feels that a terrible disaster will happen. Although, on the other hand, these words can be interpreted from the point of view of the cowardice of the young man, here everyone will decide for himself who Benvolio is for him - an opponent of enmity or a cowardly “hero”, constantly trying to leave, hide, and avoid clashes. I'll probably stick with the first option. And I hope many will agree with me.

Benvolio:
In vain we make noise among the crowd.
One of two things: let's retire - either
Let's discuss the dispute with a cold soul
And we'll go our separate ways. They are watching from everywhere.

The second attempt was equally unsuccessful, but unlike the first, it entailed much more serious consequences. If you think about it and imagine for a minute that Benvolio was able to persuade Mercutio to leave? Mercutio and Tybalt would have remained alive, Romeo would not have been expelled from Verona, and later would have been aware that Juliet did not drink poison, but only a magical sleeping pill. But this didn’t happen...it’s all just “if only”.

Benvolio dearly loves his family, for the sake of the peace of Romeo’s parents, who are worried about their son, consumed by unknown sadness, he promises to find out its source. At the same time, Lord Montague says that Romeo did not open his heart to anyone, although many friends tried to find out the reason for his sadness.

Benvolio:
Have you tried to question him?

Montague:
And I and our many friends;
But he alone is the adviser of his feelings.
He - I won’t say that he’s not true to himself,
But he is so uncommunicative and secretive,
So inaccessible to any questions...

However, Romeo believed that Benvolio's friend was the only one worthy of his trust, which suggests that he regards him as a loyal, devoted comrade and adviser. And this again characterizes Benvolio from the best side.

Benvolio:
Is love to blame?

Romeo:
No!

Benvolio:
Not love?

Romeo:
Yes. Dislike for me
Beloved.

Benvolio also dearly loves Romeo, is interested in his fate, his experiences, tries to alleviate them by giving wise advice, to participate in his fate, to help his friend. One senses that the topic of love relationships does not scare him, without hesitation, he readily gives advice, “knocks out a wedge with a wedge,” invites Romeo to look around, take a closer look at other girls. It seems to me that Benvolio is also a womanizer, a supporter of love affairs. Since love seems so simple and easy to him, a real all-consuming passionate feeling is not familiar to him. Most likely, he had fleeting hobbies that he immediately forgot about, fluttering from one to another. We know how difficult it is to tear someone out of your heart...

Benvolio:
No, brother, I’d rather cry.

Romeo:
Dear friend, what are you talking about?

Benvolio:
About the heart of a friend.
Listen to me: forget about her...
Give free rein to your eyes: to other beauties
Look carefully...
Your eyes, crystal scales,
Let them weigh the charm of other beauty.

But Benvolio’s bright image is darkened by Mercutio’s unexpected attack, which describes his character in a completely different way, completely refuting the prudence and good character that we wrote about at the beginning.

Mercutio:
You remind me of one of those fellows who, upon entering a tavern, slams their sword on the table and exclaims: “God grant that I don’t need you!” - and after the second cup they poke the servant with a sword when there is no need for it.

Benvolio:
Do I really look like such a young man?

Mercutio:
Still would! You are one of the most hot-tempered guys in all of Italy. If they touch you a little, you get angry; and if you get a little angry, you offend everyone. Yes, you can quarrel with a person because he has one more or less hair in his beard than you; you can quarrel with a person who cracks nuts just because of your eyes walnut color. What eye but yours will see this as a reason for a quarrel? Your head is full of enthusiasm, like an egg is full of yolk, although it was beaten so many times during quarrels that it is surprising how it is still not broken, like an egg. Once you got into a fight with a person because he was coughing on the street and this seemed to wake up your dog, who was sleeping in the sun. Didn’t you once attack a tailor because he dared to put on his new doublet before Easter, and someone else because he laced his new shoes with old ribbons? And you are the one who persuades me not to start quarrels!

Benvolio:
Well, if I were such a bully like you, everyone would willingly buy the right to my inheritance, and he would have to wait no more than an hour and a quarter.

Mercutio:
You're a headless fellow!

Unexpected turn. The characterization leaves us bewildered, but we remember that Benvolio is an opponent of quarrels and inciting hostility. How so? Mercutio describes him as an explosive person, to whom “only give a reason.” But let's remember what Mercutio's friend is like? Mercutio is a rather extraordinary character, he is a dreamer; if any other hero of the play had spoken in a similar way about Benvolio, we would have to believe it, willy-nilly, but since... Shakespeare put these words into the mouth of the chatterbox Mercutio; we can easily question their meaning. But we still remember that every joke contains only a fraction of a joke. So, who knows, who knows...

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