More feuding out on the streets of Verona: Tybalt kills Mercutio who, as he is dying, says, “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.” Shakespeare uses the pun to inject some humour into a scene of death. It keeps the audience from getting too bored with all the tragedy and dying that happens in this play.
So now Romeo kills Tybalt, kind of accidentally, but to avenge Mercutio’s slaying. But Romeo feels really bad about it because as Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin, he is now also Romeo’s relative. He calls himself, “Fortunes Fool,” (III, i, 98) referring to his destiny (Fate). But instead of having him put to death, the Prince banishes Romeo from Verona, because he killed Tybalt for slaying Mercutio, which the law would have done anyway.
While waiting for Romeo’s return, Juliet discusses her love for Romeo. Here Shakespeare again uses personification in the lines: “if love be blind,/ It best agrees with night. Come, civil night,/ Thou sober-suited matron, all in black.” (III, ii, 9-11) where love is blind and night is civil and a sober-suited matron dressed in black. But then, Juliet finds out from her nurse that Romeo killed Tybalt and that he is banished from Verona. Romeo goes to Friar Laurence’s cell to hide out. The Friar tells him to go say goodbye to Juliet under darkness of night and then to go to Mantua. Meanwhile, Lord Capulet tells Count Paris that Juliet will marry him on Thursday.
Romeo visits Juliet to say goodbye, but has to leave with the morning light. The theme changes from Light to Dark here: “More light and light, more dark and dark our woes.” (III, v, 36) As he is leaving, Juliet foreshadows his bad end when she says,” Methinks I see thee, now thou art below,/As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.” (III, v, 55-56) Juliet also refers to Fate here stating, “O God, I have an ill-divining soul.” (III, v, 53) After Romeo leaves, Juliet’s parents tell her that she will marry Paris on Thursday, but when she refuses, Lord Capulet gets angry and says he’ll disown her.
