Tybalt
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Tybalt is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He is Juliet's cousin and Romeo's rival.
[edit] Storyline
In Act I, Scene I, Tybalt enters to help his servants Sampson and Gregory, who are fighting in the streets with servants of the Montagues. Seeing Benvolio (Romeo Montague's cousin) trying to stop the fight, Tybalt is infuriated and draws his sword to fight Benvolio. Enraged, he says:
- What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word
- As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
- Have at thee, coward!
Later, at the Capulets' ball, he is the first to recognize Romeo through his disguise, and would duel him if not for his uncle, Lord Capulet's forbidding of it. His anger unabated, Tybalt enters looking for Romeo at the beginning of Act III, only to be taunted by Mercutio, who was mocking him even before he entered the scene. Tybalt ignores Mercutio, for his target is Romeo; but when Romeo does appear, Romeo refuses to fight because of his marriage to Juliet. Tybalt becomes even angrier; he does not know that Romeo cannot fight him because they are relatives now.
Mercutio, believing that Romeo has acted too submissively, upbraids Romeo and decides to fight Tybalt himself. Romeo tries to stop the combat by putting his body between them; Tybalt promptly takes advantage of this to kill Mercutio or - as many productions interpret this moment - takes advantage of this to try to kill Romeo, stabbing Mercutio under his arm in error. Romeo is driven to avenge the death of his good friend by killing Tybalt in return, leading to his own exile, while the Capulets are left to mourn over the death of Tybalt.
