Before Romeo’s arrival, Shakespeare presents us with a potentially explosive clash between two important characters: Mercutio and Tybalt. Between this hot-tempered pair stands level-headed Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin, a Montague and friend to Mercutio. In contrast to Mercutio, Benvolio wants to avoid confrontation. He is presented throughout the play as cautious and careful (his name, translated from Italian, means ‘good will’). Shakespeare portrays him as a go-between from the start. In the brawl opening Act 1, Scene 1, he plays the peacekeeper (‘Part fools, you know not what you do!’ (1.1.64–65)), and through these words Shakespeare establishes him as wise and cautious. These qualities are explored further in Act 3, Scene 1.
At the beginning of the scene Benvolio tries to manage Mercutio’s playful and dangerous temper. Shakespeare presents him as instinctively aware of the tension and his reasonable voice worryingly foreshadows what is to come. He knows from experience how easily trouble can break out and clearly fears the consequences:
I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire:
The day is hot, the Capels are abroad,
And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl
In this example Shakespeare avoids forceful language. Instead, he represents Benvolio as persuasive, encouraging Mercutio to ‘retire’ from this very public place. He focusses on the influence of the weather and the Capulets’ presence rather than his powerful friend’s wild, reckless personality. His reasoning illustrates his ability to predict Mercutio’s likely response. Shakespeare shows him deliberately placing the potential blame elsewhere to avoid incensing the unpredictable Mercutio. ‘The day is hot’ conveys the mood as electric, dangerous and out of their control, whilst ‘the Capels are abroad’ seeks to suggest that the instigators of conflict will be Capulets. Finally, and most convincingly, Benvolio states with fatalistic certainty, ‘And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl’. Here, Shakespeare reinforces the conflict as unavoidable through Benvolio’s authoritative negative modal, ‘shall not’. However, in this well-judged warning Benvolio hints at what the audience suspects: Mercutio’s presence makes the probability of ‘scap[ing] a brawl’ unlikely. However, another important aspect of Benvolio’s character is also revealed through these lines: his loyalty. By using the collective pronouns ‘us’ (‘let’s) and ‘we’, Benvolio commits to standing by Mercutio’s side regardless of his own concerns.
In his exploration of their friendship, Shakespeare depicts them as intimate and friendly. Here, Benvolio draws on this intimacy to influence Mercutio. Despite Benvolio’s lower status, he addresses Mercutio using the informal, intimate pronoun ‘thee’. This symbolises the connection and affection between them. We might expect Benvolio to use ‘you’ – more appropriate and respectful to a social superior such as Mercutio. However, Shakespeare chooses this deliberately to demonstrate Benvolio’s diplomatic ‘good will’ and Mercutio’s relaxed attitude. At the same time, Benvolio reinforces his inferior status by pleading ‘pray’ rather than asking outright, and compliments Mercutio as ‘good’ in order to encourage sensible behaviour. Benvolio knows his influence is limited as Mercutio’s connection to the Prince gives him power and protection, allowing him to act recklessly without fear of the consequences. Shakespeare emphasises the danger of Mercutio’s unpredictable (or mercurial) personality and status through Benvolio’s deliberately tactful and diplomatic words.
