In the play Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt, a secondary character, serves many important dramatic purposes. He complicates both the feud and love plots, he helps to characterize other key characters such as Juliet, Romeo, and Benvolio through contrast, and he causes a variety of intense moods for the audience - suspense in Act I, Scene 1, anger in Act 1, Scene 5, and confusion in Act 3, Scene 1. Thus, Tybalt is portrayed as a very complex character.

To begin with, Tybalt complicates the love and feud plots in several ways. In Act 1, Scene 1, Tybalt jumps to conclusions that Benvolio, a cousin of the Montague family, is starting a brawl in the Verona streets. The servants of the Montague and Capulet families are making rude gestures to each other and Benvolio attempts to break up the brawl. Benvolio raises his sword in effort to stop the fight, but Tybalt steps in: "What, art...