Clare KellyTime: 6“The test of a round character is whether he is capable of convincingly surprising. If it never surprises, it's flat. If that doesn't convince, it's an apartment that pretends to be round. -EM ForsterBenvolio initially appears to be a minor character in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. As Romeo's trustworthy cousin, he is the constant anchor and voice of reason throughout the play. Benvolio is portrayed as an honest and loyal friend and peacemaker, but he has his own sorrows, which prevent him from always acting reasonably. Shakespeare cleverly gives the audience a first indication of Benvolio's personality through his name. Benvolio literally translated means "goodwill" or "sympathizer", a role he constantly, although sometimes unsuccessfully, fulfills throughout the play, striving to keep himself and others around him out of conflict . In the very first scene of the play, Benvolio quickly establishes himself as a peacemaker as he attempts to stop the fight between Montague's and Capulet's servants by saying, "Part fool!" Raise your swords, you don't know what you're doing. » (Ii64-65) Wanting peace, he warns them to stop arguing before things develop into a serious situation. In this statement, Shakespeare refers to the Gospel of Luke "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), using his skillful use of written language to allude to the made Benvolio take on a Christ-like role of peacemaker in the play. Benvolio's moral beliefs do not change over the course of the play. His pro-peace stance is evident in all three scenes. In Act III, as Mercutio and Tybalt begin to fight, Benvolio once again attempts to be the voice of reason: "We speak here, in the public place, of wickedness: so be it..... . middle of paper...... he went out for a walk before dawn. “A troubled spirit impelled me to go abroad.” (Ii114) Then later in Act I, it is shown that Benvolio is not always acting reasonably when he convinces Romeo to sneak uninvited to the enemy's masked ball, which could end in with serious consequences. In Act II, Benvolio and Mercutio unite to mock the nurse at her expense, "hiding her face, for her fans the most beautiful face." (II.iv.98-99) In conclusion, although at first Benvolio only appears as a minor character, over the course of the play Shakespeare transformed Benvolio into a well-rounded three-dimensional character by making him not only a sensible peacemaker. , and an honest and trustworthy friend, but also gives him a troubled mind like any other normal human. It's ironic that Benvolio, a minor character, is the only one who can put the pieces together..