Throughout Romeo and Juliet there is a great deal of irony. Scene three contains ironic events like the death of Mercutio, Romeo's reaction to his banishment and Lady Capulet's joyful news. This book also contains examples of dramatic irony like Tybalt's challenge and Juliet's engagement to Paris. Dramatic irony is an example of figurative language where we, the readers, know something that a character does not.
One of the first Ironies in this chapter is the death of Mercutio. This occurs during the first scene when Mercutio, Benvolio and their men come on stage. Benvolio says,Let's retire.- The day is hot, the Capels are abroad,- and if we meet we shall notscape a brawl?(IIIi,2,3,4) When the Capelulets arrive, they are led by Tybalt. Romeo then enters, and Tybalt challenges him to a duel. But Romeo refuses to fight. Even after Tybalt says,thou art a villain?(IIIi, 62) Romeo wished him well. Mercutio is enraged by his friend's "dishonorable, vile submission!"(IIIi,74) Mercutio draws his sword and duels with Tybalt. Romeo intervenes by attempting to beat down their rapiers, but this only gives Tybalt the chance to stab Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Mercutio is mortally wounded and curses the Capulet and the Montague families with "a plague a' both houses"(IIIi,94) Benvolio carries him off stage. Benvolio returns later with the news that Mercutio is dead. The death of Mercutio is Ironic because Tybalt and Mercutio are both family and Romeo does not want either of them to get hurt. But when he tries to break up the fight he only enables Tybalt to mortally wound his friend and cousin Mercutio.
Unlike the ironies in the previous paragraph this is an example of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is, as I have said earlier, when we, the reader, know something that a character does not. Scene one of act three is a good example of a dramatic irony. In this scene Tybalt mocks Romeo by saying,Romeo the love I bear thee can afford- No better a term than this: thou art a villain? (IIIi,61-2), but Tybalt doesn't know of Romeo's marriage to his cousin.
