In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, what punishment does Prince Escalus impose on Romeo after Tybalt’s death?

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Prince Escalus punishes Romeo with banishment from Verona after Tybalt’s death.

Romeo kills Tybalt after Tybalt fatally wounds Mercutio. The Prince arrives after the street violence and declares that Romeo must leave Verona rather than be executed. Romeo’s exile separates him from Juliet and turns the marriage into a desperate secret arrangement.

Romeo goes to Mantua, a city outside Verona, where he waits for news and hopes for a future with Juliet. Friar Laurence tells him about the banishment and explains that Romeo’s punishment is less severe than death, but Romeo reacts as though exile is a living death because it keeps him away from Juliet.

A common mix-up is to call Romeo’s destination the punishment itself. Mantua is where Romeo goes; the legal punishment is banishment from Verona. The Prince later discovers the consequences of the feud at the tomb.