ADvice for mercutio, tybalt, and romeo:
In act 3, scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio fights Tybalt and Tybalt fights Romeo; Tybalt ends up killing Mercutio and Romeo ends up killing Tybalt. Of course knowing that the Capulets (Tybalt) hates the Montagues (Mercutio and Romeo) they could get into a fight easily. But this time it wasn't just because they hated each other, it was also because of Mercutio and his teasing. For example: Mercutio says, "Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives. That I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out."
To avoid this big mess, they could use some advice. I read the article Advice From 400 Years Ago and it has some pretty good advice that Mercutio needs to know to avoid fighting. In the article it says, "...The common people (saith Seneca) admire courageous gentlemen, and they that are old are honoured, but quiet men are counted cowards. This is so perhaps at the first fight, yet when an equall life doth make them discerne and believe, this is is not the cowardlinesse..." This is saying that most people are proud of the courageous men and don't think much of the quiet men (the cowards). But when there is a fight and the courageous man goes up to fight...who is going to lose the life? The courageous man or the cowardly man? Exactly, so Mercutio for once doesn't need to act smart or "courageous" standing up to the enemy, he just needs to be the coward.
This wasn't all Mercutio's fault, if Tybalt had just walked away this all wouldn't have happened. In the article it reads, "...so if our gentlemen would consider when they ought to fight, what indeed belongeth to their honour, and what a lamentable issue commeth of such rash, venturous and beastly fighting, there would not be one of five hundred to mourne for the casting away of their sonne, or of their friend..." This is saying that if Tybalt would consider if it was the right time to fight or not then we wouldn't be mourning over his dead body. This is also true with Romeo if Romeo had just considered if it was right to fight Tybalt or not instead of just going off of his anger of Mercutio dead he wouldn't have gotten in trouble for killing Tybalt.
I think that the advice from this article is very appropriate for these characters. If Mercutio, Tybalt, and Romeo would have just acted like a coward that one time, not fighting just because their families are enemies; Mercutio, and Tybalt both wouldn't be dead, and Romeo wouldn't be banished. I also think that all the advice from the article is pretty much the same: don't be courageous all the time, be a coward sometimes and it could save your life.
Some of you could say that this advice is old fashioned and it doesn't apply to the males today. But I think that it can still apply, for example: if a bully starts teasing somebody, the other guy could get mad and punch him in the face. If the guy was just a "coward" he probably would have just walked away and nobody would have gotten hurt. Another example is peer pressure: don't be a coward and just sneak out, you parents won't even notice. If this guy was a "coward" he probably wouldn't get in trouble for sneaking out without his parents permission. The only thing that I think is old fashioned about this advice is that in the 20th century nobody sword fights anymore except for fencing (which is a sport for fun).
To avoid this big mess, they could use some advice. I read the article Advice From 400 Years Ago and it has some pretty good advice that Mercutio needs to know to avoid fighting. In the article it says, "...The common people (saith Seneca) admire courageous gentlemen, and they that are old are honoured, but quiet men are counted cowards. This is so perhaps at the first fight, yet when an equall life doth make them discerne and believe, this is is not the cowardlinesse..." This is saying that most people are proud of the courageous men and don't think much of the quiet men (the cowards). But when there is a fight and the courageous man goes up to fight...who is going to lose the life? The courageous man or the cowardly man? Exactly, so Mercutio for once doesn't need to act smart or "courageous" standing up to the enemy, he just needs to be the coward.
This wasn't all Mercutio's fault, if Tybalt had just walked away this all wouldn't have happened. In the article it reads, "...so if our gentlemen would consider when they ought to fight, what indeed belongeth to their honour, and what a lamentable issue commeth of such rash, venturous and beastly fighting, there would not be one of five hundred to mourne for the casting away of their sonne, or of their friend..." This is saying that if Tybalt would consider if it was the right time to fight or not then we wouldn't be mourning over his dead body. This is also true with Romeo if Romeo had just considered if it was right to fight Tybalt or not instead of just going off of his anger of Mercutio dead he wouldn't have gotten in trouble for killing Tybalt.
I think that the advice from this article is very appropriate for these characters. If Mercutio, Tybalt, and Romeo would have just acted like a coward that one time, not fighting just because their families are enemies; Mercutio, and Tybalt both wouldn't be dead, and Romeo wouldn't be banished. I also think that all the advice from the article is pretty much the same: don't be courageous all the time, be a coward sometimes and it could save your life.
Some of you could say that this advice is old fashioned and it doesn't apply to the males today. But I think that it can still apply, for example: if a bully starts teasing somebody, the other guy could get mad and punch him in the face. If the guy was just a "coward" he probably would have just walked away and nobody would have gotten hurt. Another example is peer pressure: don't be a coward and just sneak out, you parents won't even notice. If this guy was a "coward" he probably wouldn't get in trouble for sneaking out without his parents permission. The only thing that I think is old fashioned about this advice is that in the 20th century nobody sword fights anymore except for fencing (which is a sport for fun).
Letters for advice
Dear Mercutio's Mother and Father,
I am so sorry for the death of your son. I know that this is terrible, and you probably think that it is all Tybalt's fault. But really it is partially your fault too. Now don't get me wrong you are great parents, but there are just some things you could have taught Mercutio better. One example that you could have taught him better is to mind his own business. This probably sounds bad but it's true, if your son had just let Tybalt walk by that day and not say anything, none of this would have happened. Another thing you could have taught Mercutio is too not be the tough guy all the time. It was probably his instinct to fight his enemy (Tybalt), but if he would have just backed off and not said some of those things to Tybalt once again none of this wouldn't have happened. So what I am trying to say is that if you just would have taught your son to be more of a coward (yes a coward) then a courageous man like all of the other men then you wouldn't be in this situation right now. Don't take this the wrong way, it was just some advice that I thought could help you out.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Dear Romeo's Mother and Father,
I have to say that you have raised a very passionate son. This is always a good quality to have in a child, passion, because it drives them to do great things in their lives. In your son's case, it drove him all the way to his death. Your son was so passionate about his love for Juliet that he was willing to die so that they could be together. I ask that you learn to value the things that are important in life. You have spent all these years hating the Capulets, and you have wasted so much time. Time that you could have been using to become friends with them, or to spend with your son. He died because he could not be with his wife, that you didn't know about. Without the ongoing argument between families, this wouldn't have occurred. Your son would be here living life happily with his beautiful wife, and you would know. If you had put your differences behind you, and learned to value life, then your own son's valuable life would still be here. So, with all that said, all that you need to do is; love, be happy, don't hate, be passionate, and value life.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Dear Romeo's Mother and Father,
I have learned to find that your son is very driven. He is not afraid to go after what he wants, which I respect. He also falls in love really easily. He fell in love with Rosaline but then a day later he fell in love with Juliet. I believe the reason he was the way he was is because he was crying out for attention. You never paid any attention to your son, Romeo. You didn't even know he was sneaking around to see his beloved Juliet. I ask of you to look back on what your attention was focused on throughout Romeo's short life when you could have been focused on your son Romeo. He should not have died this untimely death due to the fact that you were to busy hating the Capulet's. I hope you realize that he might still be alive if it wasn't for the hate going on between you and the Capulet's. You did not cause his death but you could have prevented it. I am very sorry for your loss.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
I am so sorry for the death of your son. I know that this is terrible, and you probably think that it is all Tybalt's fault. But really it is partially your fault too. Now don't get me wrong you are great parents, but there are just some things you could have taught Mercutio better. One example that you could have taught him better is to mind his own business. This probably sounds bad but it's true, if your son had just let Tybalt walk by that day and not say anything, none of this would have happened. Another thing you could have taught Mercutio is too not be the tough guy all the time. It was probably his instinct to fight his enemy (Tybalt), but if he would have just backed off and not said some of those things to Tybalt once again none of this wouldn't have happened. So what I am trying to say is that if you just would have taught your son to be more of a coward (yes a coward) then a courageous man like all of the other men then you wouldn't be in this situation right now. Don't take this the wrong way, it was just some advice that I thought could help you out.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Dear Romeo's Mother and Father,
I have to say that you have raised a very passionate son. This is always a good quality to have in a child, passion, because it drives them to do great things in their lives. In your son's case, it drove him all the way to his death. Your son was so passionate about his love for Juliet that he was willing to die so that they could be together. I ask that you learn to value the things that are important in life. You have spent all these years hating the Capulets, and you have wasted so much time. Time that you could have been using to become friends with them, or to spend with your son. He died because he could not be with his wife, that you didn't know about. Without the ongoing argument between families, this wouldn't have occurred. Your son would be here living life happily with his beautiful wife, and you would know. If you had put your differences behind you, and learned to value life, then your own son's valuable life would still be here. So, with all that said, all that you need to do is; love, be happy, don't hate, be passionate, and value life.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Dear Romeo's Mother and Father,
I have learned to find that your son is very driven. He is not afraid to go after what he wants, which I respect. He also falls in love really easily. He fell in love with Rosaline but then a day later he fell in love with Juliet. I believe the reason he was the way he was is because he was crying out for attention. You never paid any attention to your son, Romeo. You didn't even know he was sneaking around to see his beloved Juliet. I ask of you to look back on what your attention was focused on throughout Romeo's short life when you could have been focused on your son Romeo. He should not have died this untimely death due to the fact that you were to busy hating the Capulet's. I hope you realize that he might still be alive if it wasn't for the hate going on between you and the Capulet's. You did not cause his death but you could have prevented it. I am very sorry for your loss.
Sincerely,
Anonymous