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Act III
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Act III, Scene i
Benvolio and Mercutio are talking when they run into Tybalt. Tybalt wants to start a fight with the two because they showed up at the Capulet’s party the night before. They exchange taunts and then Romeo arrives. He tries to make amends with Tybalt and claims that he loves both him and his family. Tybalt takes this as mockery and begins to fight Mercutio, who had been making fun of him the entire time. Mercutio ends up dieing and Romeo goes into such a rage over his friend’s death that he kills Tybalt. He then leaves the scene at the insistence of Benvolio. Capulet, Montague, and the Prince learn of the fight and the Prince pronounces Romeo forever banished from Verona, much to the displeasure of both houses. Capulet wanted Romeo killed, and Montague wanted all charges dropped on account that Tybalt killed first.

Act III, Scene ii
Nurse tells Juliet the news of the fight. Juliet starts crying over the death of Tybalt and the banishment of Romeo, but more so for the later. The nurse and everyone else believe that she is weeping only for Tybalt, but she tells them otherwise and scorns them for not having compassion for her new husband. Juliet threatens to kill herself because she can’t see Romeo any more. Nurse says she will go and find Romeo for her so she can see him again.

Act III, Scene iii
Romeo is talking to Friar Lawrence about his recent banishment. Romeo is complaining that to be banished is worse than death and that he wishes they had killed him instead. The Friar tells Romeo that this talk is foolish and that life is always preferable to death. Then Nurse walks in and tells Romeo that Juliet still loves him and that she wants him to visit tonight via the rope ladder. The Friar offers some advice on the matter of their relationship and then Nurse goes home to tell Juliet.

Act III, Scenes iv & v
Capulet and Paris are talking about how the death of Tybalt has so shaken Juliet. They come up with the plan that if she is quickly wed to Paris, then maybe she will be able to put Tybalt’s death behind her. Little do they know that it is not Tybalt she is weeping over, but Romeo, and that announcing a marriage to Paris will only worsen the situation. Romeo and Juliet part after a night of “meeting” when they hear voices approaching. The voices turn out to be the Nurse, as well as Lord and Lady Capulet. They have come to tell Juliet of the “good” news of her marriage to Paris. Juliet protests violently to this on the rounds that she is not ready but finds no comfort in either of her parents. Even her Nurse is against her on this point. Juliet ends up being forced into betrothal against he will and goes to the Friar to make amends with God.

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