Act 3 Scene 1: Romeo's Revenge

Prompt A: Summary
Mercutio and Benvolio come across Tybalt and his friends on the street. When Romeo arrives, Tybalt attempts to engage him in a fight, but Romeo, very clearly, tells him that he has no interest in violence. Mercutio then answers Tybalt's challenge and the two start swinging their swords at each other. During this exchange, Mercutio is fatally wounded and dies. After Mercutio's death, Tybalt once again tries to provoke Romeo into fighting, and this time Romeo complies. He kills Tybalt in a rage, avenging Mercutio. When the Tybalt's body is discovered, Benvolio tries to persuade the Prince to pardon Romeo, but the Capulets want him to pay in blood. The Prince reaches a compromise, banishing Romeo.

Prompt B: Theme
Rash decisions and strong emotions lead to devastating consequences.

Prompt C: Questions
Mercutio - Why did you answer Tybalt's challenge even when Romeo made it clear that he did not want violence?
Romeo - Why did you kill Tybalt, instead of merely injuring him?
Juliet - Do you still love Romeo as much as you did before, knowing that he killed your cousin?
Tybalt - Why was it so important for you to fight with Romeo?
Romeo - Why did you not think of the consequences before killing Tybalt?