In class writing

Part one --

In Act 3 Scene 1 who is really responsible for Mercutio’s death: Mercutio, who provoked the fight, Tybalt who stabbed him, or Romeo who got between them? Use specific evidence (direct quotes) from the play to back this up.

In my opinion, Mercutio and Tybalt are both people who should have responsible for Mercutio’s death rather than Romeo who was trying to maintain optimism and peaceful relationship between Montagues and Capulets. In the scene 3, the story starting with Tybalt and Mercutio insulting each other and seem close to drawing swords. Later, Romeo appears; although Tybalt provokes a quarrel toward Romeo, he refuses to fight then tries to keep the peace between them. However, Mercutio becomes furious about the fact that Romeo refuses to battle, then he challenges Tybalt so that the fight begins. But unfortunately, Mercutio gets killed by Tybalt while the battle. Throughout reading the story happened during the scene 3, I thought the biggest reasons and the responsibles for Mercutio’s death were Mercutio and Tybalt. Mercutio had been killed, but he also provided the reason of his death since Mercutio first provoked the fight and began the battle with Tybalt by saying “Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk?” and “Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.” Not only Mercutio, but Tybalt was also other definite reason of Mercutio’s death because he stabbed Mercutio. In contrast, Romeo was a person who was trying to maintain the peaceful relationship between the two families, and even tried to stop the battle while Tybalt and Mercutio were fighting. Through looking at Romeo’s movement, I could guess that Romeo might did not want to make any trouble or conflict with Capulet’s member since they were family with Juliet and Juliet was his wife during that time.

Part two --

How would you stage this as a director? Be specific.

If I would become as a director of this scene, I would give  the difference between Capulet and Montagues. Since audience might not notice who are the members of Capulets and who are the members of Montague, I will wear them with different costumes or makeup in order to to completely divide them and show the difference between the two families. As the scene starts, I would like to put red and dark stage light at the background to emphasize the grudge and hatred between the two families, and provide swords to the characters in order to get prepared for the battle scene. During the battle part when Tybalt and Mercutio begin fighting, I would definitely put red light stage to be seem like blood and some loud and scary background music to maximize the situation of the battle. Furthermore, I would put some sound effect of sword fighting to make audience more concentrate and feel anxious about their fighting. In the scene which Mercutio dies, I can ask Mercutio to make some painful sound that he get injured and feel hurt due to the sword stuck in his body, and make his face really painful to emphasize and implies his death.