In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Tybalt seems like a very interesting character. Tybalt doesnt really care what the situation is, he will unquestionably be bitter, angry and cynical. He makes a VERY good antagonist and keeps the story going quite nicely. His actions are all quite important and drive the story forward.
He is one of the most bitter charictes in ANY book i've read. He never really seems happy and likes to start fights. This quote i think sums him up "Peace? Peace. I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee". This is Tybalt overstating his immense hatred of Romeo and his family. He hates them like he hates Hell. He is basicly comparing them to hell, the worst possible place that any thing could possibly be. Fiery,hot and simply a place of torture, this is what Tybalt is comparing Romeo and his family along with the idea of peace between the Montagues and Capulets
He is an important character also because he affects the overall mood of the piece. He changes it from a hopeful, romantic play to a dark tragedy about death and downfall. This is after Tybalt kills romeo's friend, Mercutio. Tybalt, unfortunately, is not in the play from that point on. Romeo kills Tybalt in a duel while Benvolio feebly tries to keep peace. Tybalt kind of got a taste of his own medicine. He wanted to pick a fight with a random Capulet ally on the street and this is what he gets. It's almost like karma in it's own right. This makes me think that Tybalt is an impulsive character who will say and do things without thinking about what the possible repercussions for his actions.
Another thing about tybalt is that he seems to be THOROUGHLY convinced that Romeo is the villain instead of him. He says multiple times that Romeo is a villain, is evil, needs to be stopped or something along those lines. He has no rational reasoning for this aside from the fact that Romeo's last name is Montague and his is Capulet. He seemingly is even more brash than the rest of the characters and doesn't think before he acts.
Tybalt, in conclusion, seems to be the human embodiment of hate. He does very impulsive and brash things without thinking them through. I usually do the same when i am not in a particularly happy mood. I also feel like the entire world is annoying or irritating and that I want to cling to whatever is making me angry. Tybalt also wants to hold on to the fact that he is a Capulet and just on general principal he must kill Romeo. Even though Romeo never did anything to hurt him or his family he still insists on making an attempt on his life. Tybalt puts the tragedy in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
what do you think of Tybalt? Share your opinions in the comments section.
I think that he is pushed to think these ways. It's other Capulets. He doesn't really hate them that much, he just needs to fit in in some way so he finds a common enemy and exploits it.
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