Romeo and Juliet

Where the devil can Romeo be? Didn’t he come home last night?

Not to his father’s house. I asked a servant.

That fair-skinned, hard-hearted hussy, Rosaline is going to torment him until he goes insane.

Tybalt, old Capulet’s nephew, has sent a letter to Romeo’s father’s house.

I bet it’s a challenge.

Romeo will answer the challenge.

Any man who knows how to write can answer a letter.

No, Romeo will respond to the letter’s writer, telling him whether he accepts the challenge.

Oh, poor Romeo! He’s already dead. He’s been stabbed by a white girl’s black eye. He’s been cut through the ear with a love song. The center of his heart has been split by blind Cupid’s arrow. Is he man enough at this point to face off with Tybalt?

Why, what’s Tybalt’s story?

He’s tougher than the

Prince of Cats

The Prince of Cats is a figure from Medieval lore whose first name was also Tybalt.

Prince of Cats . He does everything by the book. He fights like you sing at a recital, paying attention to time, distance, and proportion. He takes the proper breaks: one, two, and the third in your heart. He’s the butcher who can hit any silk button. A master of duels. He’s a gentleman from the finest school of fencing. He knows how to turn any argument into a swordfight.

He knows

Mercutio lists Italian terms for fencing moves.

He knows passado—the forward thrust—the punto reverso—the backhand thrust—and the hai—the thrust that goes straight through.