Quote 4
TYBALT
Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries
That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw.ROMEO
I do protest, I never injured thee
But love thee better than thou canst devise
Till thou shalt know the reason of my love.
And so, good Capulet, which name I tender
As dearly as my own, be satisfied.MERCUTIO
O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!
(3.1.67-74)
Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt because he's just married to Juliet, Tybalt's cousin. According to Tybalt, Romeo has "dishonour[ed]" himself by refusing to fight. Basically, both Tybalt and Mercutio are calling Romeo a sissy—which makes the tragedy much more about dumb ideas of masculinity than about a dumb feud. You can read more about how the play associates violence with masculinity by checking out our "Character Analysis" of Romeo, or by reading "Quotes" for "Gender."
Quote 5
TYBALT
This, by his voice, should be a Montague.—
Fetch me my rapier, boy.
What dares the slave
Come hither covered with an antic face
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honor of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.
(1.5.61-67)
Tybalt's notion of honour is all bound up in the masculine code of revenge: if he doesn't fight back against the teeniest, tiniest little insult, then his reputation as a man is in danger. Notice how male reputations are all about what they do (fight) and women's are all about what they don't do (have sex)?
Quote 6
TYBALT
This, by his voice, should be a Montague.—
Fetch me my rapier, boy.
What dares the slave
Come hither, covered with an antic face
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honor of my kin,
To strike him dead I hold it not a sin.
(1.5.61-67)
Tybalt's all miffed that Romeo comes in to "scorn at our solemnity," i.e. he's shown up to the Capulet ball. But, um, a masked ball isn't exactly a solemn occasion, is it?