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Biography

Prince Escalus, the Prince of Verona, is the desperate resolver of the feuding families. He is based on the actual Scaliger family which ruled Verona, possibly on Bartolomeo I. Escalus is the voice of authority in Verona. He appears only three times within the text and only to administer justice following major events in the feud between the Capulet and Montague families. He first punishes Capulet and Montague for the quarrel between Tybalt, Benvolio, and a handful of servants. He returns too late to stop the fatal brawls between Tybalt and Mercutio and, subsequently, Tybalt and Romeo. Escalus is prepared to execute Romeo for his offence—Romeo's killing of Tybalt—but lightens the sentence to lifetime banishment from Verona, when Benvolio insists that Tybalt started the quarrel by murdering Mercutio, a kinsman to the prince. He yells at Lord Montague for engaging in the feud, which really is the root cause that led to Romeo killing Tybalt. Prince Escalus returns in the final scene—V.iii—following the double suicide of Romeo and Juliet, and at last declares Lord Montague and Lord Capulet guilty of Romeo and Juliet's deaths. Escalus angrily berates them that their violent and useless feud resulted in the deaths of not only their own loved ones (Lady Montague, Romeo, Juliet, and Tybalt), but also in the deaths of his loved ones (Mercutio and Paris). He pardons Friar Lawrence for his role in Juliet's death. He curses the feud that kills Romeo and Juliet just before the Lords come to peace with each other. In the end, Prince Escalus becomes very happy that the feud has finally ended, even if with a heavy price.