Can you find jelly?

In this essay I am going to investigate and explore the differences and similarities between the characters Tybalt and Mercutio in the famous love story Romeo and Juliet. Then I will analyse the factors that lead up to their deaths.

Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin. He is a far cry from Romeo’s cousin, Benvolio. He is a fiery young man and a troublemaker. He loves fighting for his own sake. “peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montague’s and thee” Tybalt is almost a caricature of feuding violence. He is the kind of person who keeps the feud alive, he represents feud in living form throughout the play.

Mercutio stands apart from the antagonism between the Capulet’s and Montague’s, being a member of neither family. Mercutio is young, rich and intelligent. His defence of Romeo’s honour, despite the fact that he himself is not involved in the feud, gains our admiration.

Both men are easily provoked and easily annoyed. They are always prepared to fight when their h...