Romeo and Juliet: Interesting Characters

In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, there are some very interesting characters. The one that stuck out to me most, though, is Benvolio, the Montague's kinsman. I think of Benvolio as a peacemaker, or at least someone who tries to avoid fighting. So far, throughout  the entire story , he hasn't started a fight. He always stuck up for Romeo and was even kind to his enemies, the Capulets, and tried not to fight them. Unfortunately, he didn't stop any fights that happened and was forced to take part in one of them.

The play starts off with a fight between the Montagues and the Capulets. Benvolio tried to stop the fight before it got worse. He said in Act 1, scene 1, lines 65-66 "Part, fools! Put up your swords. You know not what to do." This means that he told them to stop their fighting. Right after, Tybalt, who is the Capulet's kinsmen and is very violent and is a troublemaker forced Benvolio to fight him. Later on in the play at Act 3 scene 1, Tybalt fights Mercutio and Romeo fights Tybalt. Benvolio did not want them to fight in the first place but fortunately didn't get himself involved. This shows that Benvolio is a good person and shies away from fights and tries to prevent/stop them.

In the world, I think that Benvolio would be an antiwar person and would be against all types of violence. I think he would be someone who steps in between two people who are about to fight. He would be someone who would never pick a fight with someone and only get involved if it was absolutely necessary. He would be kind to everyone.

Romeo and Juliet: Love

Currently, I am reading the book Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and I find it a very difficult book to read. But now I am starting to understand it better. In the book, one of Shakespeare's main themes is love. He introduces it in the beginning many times, all from a different perspective. I really like this because it gives you a chance to agree with one of the characters.

One of the first people to talk about love is Benvolio, Romeo's cousin. Benvolio seems to think that love isn't that hard to find. He thinks that it can be controlled easily and that it has no dark sides. Romeo is heartbroken that his love, Rosaline, doesn't love him back. So Benvolio is trying to help him find someone better. In act 1, scene 3, lines 93-94, Benvolio says to Romeo "Compare her face with someone that I will show\ And I will make thee think thy swan a crow." I think Benvolio is saying that he can make Rosaline seem not as special as Romeo sees her now if he finds someone else that is a lot better.

Another person that has a very interesting view on love is Mercutio, Romeo's best friend. In Act 1, scene 4, Mercutio and Romeo have a heated discussion about why Romeo should go to the party. Romeo doesn't want to go because he is sad about what just happened with Rosaline. Mercutio, on the other hand, believes that Romeo should go to the party and have a good time. In lines 25-26, Romeo says"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,\Too rude, too boist'rous, and it pricks like thorn." I think Romeo said this for two reasons. one is that he is giving excuses not to go to the party. The other is that he hasn't fallen in true love yet. He hasn't seen the good sides of love. Right after Romeo says that, Mercutio says in lines 27-28 "If love be rough with you, be rough with love.\Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down." I think Mercutio is trying to say that Romeo shouldn't be bothered by love and be so depressed. He should take more risks and be more adventurous with it. Even a little reckless, too.

With all of these perspectives on love, I agree most with Benvolio because he is not bothered by love. He is more neutral and is not taking any risks. Also, he has a good mood about it.