Why doesn't prince escalus have romeo executed?

Answer 1

Because the guy he killed had already committed a capital offence by killing Mercutio. The Montagues argue that Romeo shouldn't be punished for doing to Tybalt what the hangman was going to do anyway. The prince takes this into consideration, but only reduces Romeo's sentence, as he still shouldn't be taking the law into his own hands.

Answer 2

As Benvolio argues, the life of the guy he killed was forfeit anyway, since he, Tybalt, had killed Mercutio in a street fight and had run afoul of the same law. The Prince mitigated Romeo's sentence on that basis.

Possibly he may have been unimpressed with that big fat liar Mrs. Capulet screaming for Romeo's blood. Benvolio is much more truthful, calm and rational.

Or again, it might have been a family thing. Mercutio was the prince's cousin, and he must have been particularly unimpressed with Tybalt killing him. This may have made him feel kindly disposed to Romeo for completing the Prince's revenge.

Answer 3

Montague, who acts as Romeo's advocate at the trial, argues that Tybalt had already broken the law and incurred the death penalty by killing Mercutio. Romeo was therefore only carrying out the law by punishing Tybalt. "His fault concludes but what the law should end, the life of Tybalt." The Prince has no desire to encourage vigilante justice, so he does not acquit Romeo on this plea, but only reduces his sentence from death to banishment

Answer 4

Romeo has broken the law by fighting in the streets, and the penalty for that is death. However, the Prince commutes his sentence to banishment in view of the fact that Tybalt had himself incurred the death penalty before Romeo got involved.