Tybalt Flashcards
Act 1, Scene 1
“…heartless hinds”
“What, drawn and talk of peace?”
“I hate the word, / As I hate hell, all Montagues and thee.”
In Act 1, Scene 1, Tybalt likens the Montague servants to “heartless hinds”, which are female deer that do not have courage or bravery. With this comparison, he plants the idea in the play that without violence and hatred, men cannot be masculine, connoting a toxic sense of masculinity in Veronan society.
This message is further conveyed by his confusion at Benvolio wishing to stop the violence while his sword is out. Tybalt escalates the violence by calling Benvolio a coward before attacking him.
Furthermore, “heartless” could imply death, demonstrating that Tybalt is not fearful of any consequence.
Diacope emphasises the deep hatred and hostility Tybalt holds onto. “All Montagues”: indiscriminate hate
Act 1, Scene 5 (Part 1)
“This, by his voice, should be a Montague. /
Fetch me my rapier, boy.”
“What dares this slave…”
“To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Despite the Montague being unknown to him, Tybalt immediately has hatred for him, denoting an indiscriminate hate that he has for his family’s enemies – even without actually knowing who Romeo is. His need for his “rapier” identifies a generational divide; comparable with Lord Capulet’s “long sword”, a rapier is much newer and more professional, imaging the idea that the family feud is ancient. Family loyalty
Calling Romeo a “slave” is an attempt to denigrate and disrespect him; however, because they are of the same social standing, the insult serves to inform the reader that he believes himself to be more respectable and above him. Asking why he “dares” to be present is equal to questioning how he has the audacity to be present, believing Romeo is self-righteous.
Tybalt does not know the reasons for Romeo’s presence at the party, yet he immediately assumes that his intentions are malicious, such as to “scorn” at their peacefulness and “solemnity” at the Capulet celebration.
Act 1, Scene 5 (2)
“Villain”
“I’ll not endure him”
The repetition of the word “villain” throughout the act depicts Tybalt’s conviction of Romeo being a bad person at heart solely because of his family heritage. By evoking a sense of evil and vindictiveness, that allusively/implicitly characterises Tybalt as a victim of his actions. Alternatively, by labelling Romeo a villain, Tybalt can use the dynamic to oppositely present himself as a hero by saving the Capulet party from the likes of him
Tybalt’s direct disobedience in relation to his uncle, who is his main authority figure, shocks Lord Capulet when he says he will “not endure” Romeo, seeing as he is unused to not being immediately listened to and respected. Equally, this could signify that the hatred of Montagues is so deep in Tybalt that he is unable to ignore it when given the order to, confusingly by the one person who has indoctrinated him into hating the family of equal social standing.
Act 1, Scene 5 (3)
“Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting”
“Bitt’rest gall”
The “patience perforce” of Tybalt, which is his forced restraint under the orders of his uncle, clashes with his “wilful choler” and anger directed at Romeo being present at the Capulet party. Together, his inability to honestly and safely express his emotions will lead them to mull over and “convert” into the “bitt’rest gall” seen in Verona, when Tybalt kills Mercutio over defending Romeo, then Romeo eventually kills Tybalt in a battle to the death. The conversion of his aggressive emotions hints at the fact that the issue was not prevented like Lord Capulet believes – it was only prolonged and exacerbated.
Alternatively, the use of the noun “gall” could foreshadow the death of Romeo and Juliet, who die by intaking poison. Love and hate are inextricably connected in Veronan society.
