Benvolio

Characterisation of Benvolio

Benvolio is Romeo’s cousin. He is a Montague. Benvolio’s name comes from the Italian meaning good will. This gives us a hint about what his character is like.

Peacekeeper

Benvolio’s main role in the play is the peacekeeper. He is the one who tries to calm people down and check that they are ok.
At the start of the play, he tries to break up the fight between the Montague and Capulet servants. He says, 'Part fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do'.
Even when Tybalt tries to fight him, Benvolio asks him to help keep the peace. Tybalt laughs at him.

Trustworthy

Benvolio is also a trusted member of Verona society. People rely on him to tell the truth.
This is particularly important in Act 3, when the Prince arrives after Romeo has killed Tybalt.
In A3 S1, the Prince asks what happened – Benvolio honestly tells him that Romeo killed Tybalt because Tybalt killed Mercutio. He says that Tybalt was 'deaf to peace' and, after he had killed Mercutio, 'comes back to Romeo'. The Prince only decides to exile Romeo and not kill him because of Benvolio’s honesty.

Key Quotes - Benvolio

Here are key quotes from Benvolio in the play:

Act 1, Scene 1

'Part fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do'.
- Benvolio enters the first scene and immediately shows that he is a peaceful character. He tells the servants to stop fighting and calls them 'fools'.
- He tells them 'you know not what you do'. He is one of the few characters in the story who thinks before he acts.
- He knows that the Prince is not happy with the families (as they have already had two huge fights on the streets of Verona).
- He worries that the servants’ fighting will have bad consequences for the rest of the Montagues and Capulets.

Act 3, Scene 1

'deaf to peace… comes back to Romeo'.
- Benvolio informs the Prince that Tybalt became obsessed with vengeance on Romeo, so much so that he became 'deaf' to all reasoning and killed Mercutio. After that, he fled but then came back for Romeo.
- This tale allows the Prince to determine that Romeo is not the only one at fault; Tybalt started the fighting and would not stop.
- This means that the Prince decides to banish Romeo to Mantua, instead of putting him to death (after threatening this in Act 1 as a consequence to any further fighting in the streets).

1Context

1.1Context

1.1.1Tragedy & Setting

1.1.2Relationships

1.1.3Religion & Fate

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Context

2Plot Summary

3Key Characters

3.1Romeo

3.1.1First Impressions & Juliet's Effect

3.1.2Character Development

3.1.3Reactions & Key Quotes

3.2Juliet

3.2.1First Impressions & Character Development

3.2.2Tragic Character

3.2.3Key Quotes

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Romeo & Juliet

3.3Mercutio

3.3.1Characterisation

3.3.2Key Quotes

3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt

3.4.1The Nurse

3.4.2Benvolio

3.4.3Tybalt

3.5Friar Laurence

3.5.1Characterisation

3.5.2Key Quotes

3.5.3End of Topic Test- Mercutio, Nurse & Benvolio

3.5.4End of Topic Test - Tybalt & Friar Laurence

3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.6.1Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.6.2Grade 9 - Key Characters: Extract Analysis

4Key Themes & Concepts

4.1Power & Danger of Love

4.1.1Romeo's Loves

4.1.2Friendship & Family

4.1.3Violent Love

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Love

4.2Violence, Fate & Gender

4.2.1Violence, Conflict & Suicide

4.2.2Exam-Style Questions - Violence & Death

4.2.3Fate & Destiny

4.2.4Gender

4.2.5End of Topic Test - Violence, Fate & Gender

4.2.6Grade 9 - Key Themes

5Writing Techniques

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Language, Rhythm & Rhyme

5.1.2Symbolism & Imagery

5.1.3Dramatic Irony & Soliloquys

5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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