Romeo and Juliet Act III

Act III  Mercutio accuses Benvolio of being a man who would quarrel about anything. Tybalt enters looking for Romeo and rudely addresses Mercutio and Benvolio. Mercutio and Tybalt are about to fight when Romeo enters.  Romeo tries to avoid the conflict because he is now married to a Capulet.  Mercutio cannot stand Romeo submitting to Tybalt's cruelty and draws his sword to fight. 

Act III (continued) Romeo and Benvolio try to stop the fight.  Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm and leaves. A dying Mercutio sets up the action for the rest of the play when he repeatedly exclaims, "A plague o' both your houses!"  Tybalt's untimely return drives Romeo, acting on emotion, to kill him. Romeo is motivated to kill Tybalt after Tybalt killed Mercutio.

Act III (continued) The citizens, the Prince, the Montague's, and the Capulet's all come to survey the scene.  Benvolio tells the story of what happened.  Lady Capulet accuses Benvolio of lying to the Prince about what transpired on the streets. Immediately, the Prince exiles Romeo. Romeo’s reaction to this banishment is that it is worse than death. Juliet is waiting for the nighttime when she and Romeo will consummate their marriage.  The Nurse enters to tell Juliet the news of the fight and at first Juliet assumes that Romeo is dead.

Line-by-line Romeo is at Friar Lawrence’s cell awaiting his punishment.  The Friar tells him he has been exiled.  Romeo says exile is worse then death and the Friar tries to comfort him.  The Nurse arrives and mentions the grieving state of Juliet.  Misunderstanding the Nurse, Romeo threaten/ attempts to kill himself.   Friar provides a monologue (speech) saying that Romeo’s “tears are womanish”.