Tybalt vs. Benvolio

Tybalt vs. Benvolio
In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Tybalt proves to be more violent than Benvolio. To begin, Tybalt shows his violent tendencies through his actions. Mercutio and Benvolio find that “Tybalt, the kinsman of old Capulet/Hath sent a letter to his father’s house [with] a challenge, on [his] life” (Shakespeare 2.4.6-8). Tybalt cannot let go of the fact that Romeo trespasses into the Capulet’s home during the party, and he sends a letter to the Montagues, challenging Romeo to a fight. This shows that Tybalt’s mind is set on violence, and he will stop at nothing to get revenge.   Moreover, Tybalt demonstrates violence through his language. When he observes Romeo on Capulet property, he wants his servant to “Fetch [him his] rapier…What dares the slave/ Come hither… [I want] To strike him dead [and] I hold it not a sin.” (1.5.55-59) Tybalt asks for his sword to kill Romeo because he is on Capulet property, even though Romeo is doing no wrong. He does not think that it is a crime to kill him, which depicts his aggressive personality. In contrast to Tybalt’s violent character, Benvolio is more peaceful.
Primarily, Benvolio shows that he is a peacemaker through his actions. When Benvolio discovers servants fighting in the streets, he asks them to “Part fools!/Put up [their] swords [because they] know not what [they] do” (1.1.61-63). When he observes violence in the streets, Benvolio immediately asks the participants to stop what they are doing, as he wants people to act responsibly and peacefully. Furthermore, through his words, Benvolio establishes that he is a character of peace. When he realizes that there may be Capulets around, Benvolio “Prays [to] good Mercutio, [he wants to] retire/ [Because] the day is hot, and if [they] meet, [they] shall not escape a brawl” (3.1.1-3). Benvolio is aware of the fact that if the Capulets and Montagues encounter one another, a fight is inevitable. He wants to get away before something violent...