Read the excerpt from Act III, scene i of Romeo and Juliet.Benvolio: I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire:The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,And, if we meet, we shall not ’scape a brawl;For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.

Benvolio asks Mercutio to leave because the Capulets are nearby and he thinks a meeting could lead to a brawl. His warning that “the mad blood” is stirring shows he wants to avoid a fight. The best choice is “his desire to avoid a fight.”

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