Dueling In Romeo And Juliet

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Fencing is known as physical chess. This is because it requires the same, if not more, mental skill as physical skill. To demonstrate skills against others, there has been a growing interest in swordplay as people risk their reputations to prove themselves. In Romeo and Juliet and the middle ages, dueling is a traditional way to settle disputes. Evolving from customary duels, fencing, like dueling, is an exhibit of a person’s swordsmanship and ability to outwit his or her competitor. In ancient wars, each side would send their best warrior to fight in a one on one combat to the death against the other side’s best warrior. That single battle decided the fate of the war. Seen through David and Goliath’s battle, this dated as far back as the …show more content…
Usually, men would not fight until death, but until someone shedded blood. For the more severe insults, men would fight until one was incapacitated, or killed. Even though customs differed between nations, most aspects of dueling code remained the same. The first rule was that the man who was challenged could not refuse without the defacement of his honor. Refusing the challenge was the uttermost insult to the challenger. The presence of seconds between both parties was one of the most important components of a duel. A second is usually the best friend of the duelist. In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio acted as Romeo’s second while Petruchio acted as Tybalt's. Their purpose was to convey messages, make arrangements for the duel, and seek a peaceful solution. Seconds are also allowed to take their friend’s place in a duel. Shakespeare demonstrated this in Act 3 where Mercutio defends Romeo’s honor, and duels Tybalt for Romeo. Mercutio states, “O calm, dishonorable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away. [Draws.] ” (723). Before and during a duel honor was earned by showing poise. Crucial skills in dueling are concentration, and patience. Tybalt murdering Mercutio was the ultimate insult to Romeo, which led him to battle Tybalt. Tybalt’s quick reacting may have benefited him in past duels, but when he battled Romeo, his fiery temper was detrimental. Romeo was able to outwit Tybalt, making Romeo the better man physically and
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