Benvolio


Benvolio is a fictional character in Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet. He is Lord Montague's nephew and Romeo's cousin. Benvolio serves as an unsuccessful peacemaker in the play, attempting to prevent violence between the Capulet and Montague families.

Etymology

The name Benvolio means "good-will" or "well-wisher" or "peacemaker" which is a role he fills, to some degree, as a peace-maker and Romeo's friend. He also wants peace so civil brawls between him and Tybalt can stop but will also do anything for his family even if that means war against the Capulets

Role in the play

Benvolio is Lord Montague's nephew and Romeo's cousin. He is usually portrayed by Shakespeare as a kind and thoughtful person who attempts to look out for his cousin.
Benvolio spends most of Act I attempting to distract his cousin from his infatuation with Rosaline but following the first appearance of Mercutio in I.iv, he and Mercutio become more closely aligned until III.i. In that scene, he drags the fatally wounded Mercutio offstage, before returning to inform Romeo of Mercutio's death and the Prince of the course of Tybalt and Mercutio's deaths. Benvolio then disappears from the play.
Part of Benvolio's role is encouraging Romeo to go to the party, where he falls in love with Juliet.

Performances

A mock-Victorian revisionist version of Romeo and Juliet's final scene forms part of the 1980 stage-play The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. He also attempts to romance Rosaline in Sharman Macdonald's After Juliet.
In the 2019 British musical & Juliet Benvolio is portrayed by actress Kirstie Skivington.

Portrayals

In 1968 the part of Benvolio was played by Bruce Robinson in Romeo and Juliet.
In the 2013 version of Romeo and Juliet, the actor who played Benvolio was Kodi Smit-McPhee.