| Tybalt | |
|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet character | |
_-_Romeo_and_Tybalt_-_RCIN_403734_-_Royal_Collection.jpg) Romeo and Tybalt (painted byAlbert, Prince Consortc. 1840–1845) | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| In-universe information | |
| Family | Lady Capulet (paternal aunt) Juliet Capulet (cousin) |
Tybalt (/ˈtɪbəlt/) is a fictional character and the principal antagonist inWilliam Shakespeare's playRomeo and Juliet. He is the son of Lady Capulet's brother,Juliet's short-tempered first cousin, andRomeo's rival. Tybalt shares the same name as the character Tibert / Tybalt "the prince of cats" in the popular storyReynard the Fox, a point of mockery in the play.Mercutio repeatedly calls Tybalt "prince of cats",[a] in reference to his sleek, yet violent manner.
Luigi da Porto adapted the story asGiulietta e Romeo and included it in hisHistoria novellamente ritrovata di due Nobili Amanti (Newly found tale of two Noble lovers) published in 1530.[2](pp38–44) Da Porto drew onPyramus and Thisbe,Giovanni Boccaccio'sDecameron and a novella by Masuccio Salernitano. Da Porto gave it much of its modern form, including the lovers' names, the rival families of Montecchi and Capuleti, and their location inVerona.[3](p168) He also introduces characters corresponding to Shakespeare'sMercutio, Tybalt, andParis. Da Porto presents his tale as historically true and claims it took place in the days ofBartolomeo II della Scala (a century earlier than Salernitano). Montague and Capulet were actual 13th century political factions, but the only known connection between them is a mention inDante'sPurgatorio as an example of civil dissension.[4](pp264–277)
In Act I, Scene I, Tybalt enters and helps his own servants, Sampson and Gregory, who are fighting in the streets with servants of the Montagues, Abraham and Balthasar. SeeingBenvolio (Romeo's cousin) trying to stop the fight, Tybalt draws his sword to fight Benvolio, saying:
Later, at the Capulets' ball, Tybalt is the first to recognize Romeo through his disguise, and would kill him if not forbidden by his uncle, Lord Capulet. His lust for revenge unsated, Tybalt sends a challenge letter to Romeo for a duel to the death. At the beginning of Act III, he enters looking for Romeo, only to create tensions withMercutio, who was mocking Tybalt even before he walked into the scene. Tybalt initially ignores Mercutio and confronts Romeo, who refuses to fight because of his recent secret marriage to Juliet. Tybalt becomes even angrier; he does not know Romeo cannot fight him because they are now relatives.
Mercutio loses his temper and begins fighting Tybalt himself. Romeo tries to stop the combat by rushing between them, and Tybalt then stabs Mercutio under his arm. Mercutio dies from the wound, angering an already emotional Romeo. Enraged, Romeo duels and kills Tybalt in return, leading to his own exile by Prince Escalus.
Tybalt is revealed to be Juliet's maternal first cousin, when Lady Capulet arrives at the scene where Tybalt lies dead, and cries
A sample of notable portrayals include:
Draper (1939)[11] points out the parallels between the Elizabethan belief inthe four humours and the main characters of the play; Tybalt ischoleric: Violent, vengeful, short-tempered, ambitious.[12]Interpreting the text in the light of humours reduces the amount of plot attributed to chance by modern audiences.[11](pp16–34)
