A Pair of Star-Cross'd Lovers

Introduction

It’s no secret that in both Shakespeare’s play and Roméo et Juliette: Les Enfants de Vérone 2010, Benvolio struggles with self-worth and has trouble acknowledging his own needs before those of others. However, it’s quite interesting to see how these issues are embedded in his character, subtly presented in each song he sings in the musical. 

As a heads-up, I don’t know anything about music theory, so this analysis will focus on when and what he sings rather than the musical technicalities.

I also barely know French (and what I do know is from this musical lol), so although the original lines will be present the analysis will be based on an English translation. The main reference for the lyrics will be the official recordings/lyrics on Genius, but since Benvolio is often included in the “Ensemble” label for songs like Le Duel and Duo du Désespoir, I’ll also use the recording of the live performance.

With that out of the way, onto the analysis!

Les Rois du Monde

Thus begins the trend of Benvolio only singing after another character. Although in this instance, it’s expected—Romeo is the protagonist, after all—this singing order begins a pattern that continues even when the characters’ order of importance is less obvious, and the fact that Benvolio almost never begins a song is significant.

The contents of his solo verse, though, are also interesting, as they seem to both reflect an inner desire of his as well as foreshadow his fate at the end of the play. 

Les rois du monde font tout ce qu'ils veulent (The kings of the world do everything they want)

This lyric could reveal his own aching desire to, for once, think of what he wants. True, he engages in life's pleasures—dancing, romance, etc.—but it's always with Romeo and Mercutio, and his major, plot-driving actions are never for himself. He's forced to participate in the feud by his family and the overall hypermasculine, violent culture created in Verona due to the feud. He only encourages Romeo to attend the ball to lift his spirits. He joins Romeo in denouncing the duel and holds back Tybalt and Mercutio to prevent more unnecessary bloodshed. Lastly, although he very clearly does not want to inform Romeo of Juliet's "death," he does so anyway because he feels Romeo should hear the news from a loved one (who is all too familiar with loss himself), and was almost definitely planning on consoling him had Romeo not run off.

Ils ont du monde autour d'eux mais ils sont seuls (They have people around them but still they're alone)

It’s noteworthy that this lyric, as well as the one before it, are the ones the Prince sings mockingly in the live performance before the song begins, perhaps to indicate that Benvolio is the only one singing who will survive the play, or to ominously highlight the dramatic irony (since the audience is most likely aware of the play’s ending) of the situation: Benvolio, merrily singing with his friends, unaware of the fact that he is about to describe himself in the near future. This lyric blatantly foreshadows his fate, describing a situation that is realized later on, such as during the beginning of Comment Lui Dire and the entirety of Coupables. Physically, he is surrounded by a crowd of people, whether it’s on the streets in Comment Lui Dire or mourning alongside both families in Coupables, but in reality, he’s completely alone after losing Mercutio and Romeo, left with only a gaping emptiness. He survives the play, but at what cost? Can he truly be considered “alive” with nothing left to live for? After all, in his words, he “can’t live without [his] friends.” 

Dans leurs châteaux là-haut, ils s'ennuient (In their castles up there, they're bored) Pendant qu'en bas nous on danse toute la nuit (While down here we dance all night)

These last two lines don’t appear to carry as much relevance to Benvolio’s character as the first two, they mostly establish how carefree the Montacrew is before the tragedy begins.

What follows Mercutio’s solo verse is even more foreshadowing, as Mercutio and Romeo sing the following verse together while Benvolio only echoes the ends of their lines. After the duel, Mercutio and Romeo leave Benvolio nearly simultaneously, and after Romeo and Juliet's deaths, only Benvolio is left alive. He trails after them, chasing their fleeting souls as far as he can but unable to reach them in the afterlife, ultimately left with what little remains of them and the faraway memories of the two people that meant the most to him. The fact that he only echoes after them is also significant; he revolves around others, hinging on their words, subject to the whims and orders of the Montagues, and overall placing himself second.

Honestly, even the fact that Romeo and Benvolio sing their solo verses first while Mercutio's is separated by the chorus can also be interpreted as foreshadowing for their deaths: Mercutio’s separation from the two of them as he dies and his line in Mort de Mercutio—

Je meurs pour que tu vives, mais tu ne vivras pas (I'm dying for you to live, but you will not live) Je passe sur l’autre rive, je t’attendrai là-bas (I'm passing to the other side, I'll wait for you there)

—in which he describes the other side of mortality, but when applied to Les Rois du Monde, the “other side” of the chorus. And then Romeo joins him in the afterlife—or, as is the case here, sings with him. 

It’s also notable that Mercutio and Romeo have solos back-to-back following Les Rois du Monde: La Reine Mab/Je Rêve and J’ai Peur, respectively. Meanwhile, to really emphasize his self-neglect, Benvolio does not have a solo or even sing first in a song until Comment Lui Dire, a whole act and 1 hour 33 minutes away. Instead, after J’ai Peur is the scene in which Benvolio and Mercutio convince Romeo to accompany them to the ball. And how much clearer can Benvolio’s lack of self-worth be than replacing a reasonable solo slot with a focus on Romeo and his emotions instead?

And lastly, this verse solidifies Benvolio and Mercutio as a pair, a unit, just as Shakespeare’s play does. Just like in the play, once Mercutio is introduced (and in this musical, right after Benvolio, by Benvolio, no less), Benvolio does not appear without him. And after his body is last seen on-stage after Duo du Désespoir, Benvolio is absent from the stage for quite a while, only reappearing at Comment Lui Dire and disappearing altogether in the original play. It’s also interesting that in this verse, he doesn’t sing an echo, perhaps to indicate Mercutio’s positive impact on his life. He revolves around others and is parentified by the Montagues when it comes to Romeo, but he is able to let loose and act his age around Mercutio. 

Les Beaux, Les Laids

The second song Benvolio sings in and he still sings after another, the Nurse in this case. Performance-wise, it's explained by Benvolio and Mercutio being called over by the other Montagues and therefore arriving "late" to the song (and even then, Mercutio appears to arrive first, followed by Benvolio), but the fact remains that in every song he has sung thus far, Benvolio consistently sings after another.

Ha, ha, ha, mon Dieu qu'elle est drôle (Ha, ha, ha, my God she's funny) Avec ces cheveux là elle a l'air d'un saule (With that hair she looks like a willow) Comment Roméo, de nous le plus beau (How could Romeo, the most handsome of us) Pourrait-il vraiment tenir ses serments? (Truly hold his oaths?) Comme nous tous il ment (Like all of us, he lies)

His only solo verse in this song (which he sings after the Nurse) doesn't have as much relevance to his character as his verse in Les Rois du Monde, however the mention of willow trees is interesting considering that prior to the beginning of Shakespeare's play, in his words, "a troubled mind drove [him] to walk abroad [in a sycamore grove]." This is his most "selfish" action in the entire play, and even then, he shoves it aside to reach out to Romeo once he spots him in the same grove. Although this is definitely a stretch and all based on the fact that willows and sycamores are both trees, considering the rest of this song is Benvolio only singing with Mercutio and the ensemble, the notion from Les Rois du Monde of Mercutio giving Benvolio a small escape makes a return. The entire song is Benvolio messing around with Mercutio, free from being forced to be the voice of reason like he is with Romeo. It’s interesting that trees are a common theme in both times he isn’t forced to be “the responsible one” and can acknowledge and even partially indulge in his own emotions, those being anguish prior to Act I Scene I in Shakespeare’s play and amusement in Les Beaux les Laids. His mockery of the Nurse and disbelief in her claims in the last couple lyrics could also indirectly show his distrust of her and protectiveness over Romeo; he's skeptical of why the Capulet nurse would ask for him, and highlights the absurdity of potential rumors about him she is already fueling.

Benvolio entering this scene with Mercutio and, after this brief solo verse, only singing alongside Mercutio and the ensemble reinforces the two of them being a unit and how he revolves around others.

On Dit Dans la Rue

Benvolio has two solo verses here, and both are after Mercutio’s. Aside from those two verses, like with Les Beaux les Laids, he enters the scene with Mercutio and only sings with him and the ensemble.

On dit dans la rue (They say in the street) Que le fils des Montaigu (That the Montagues' son) A trahi ses parents (Betrayed his parents) Déshonoré son rang (Dishonored his rank)

It's interesting that Benvolio, who up to this point has only shown how much he cares for and is willing to support Romeo, first mentions how the latter has apparently wronged his parents and brought shame upon his status. Benvolio hasn’t been shown to care about social standing, or even honor, for that matter. These lines, therefore, can be seen as foreshadowing for Benvolio’s backstory revealed in Comment Lui Dire and a way to communicate his perception of Romeo. The way that Benvolio holds family connections, particularly parental ones, close due to losing his own parents at a young age explains why it’s the first offense he mentions. His concern over Romeo "dishonoring his rank," when considered alongside his previous lyric in Les Beaux les Laids of, "Like all of us, [Romeo] lies," encapsulates how he views his friend (and presumably cousin, although RetJ only decides to refer to their relation as friends). Benvolio places Romeo, like essentially everyone he cares about, over himself, but with Romeo he can both acknowledge his social standing while seeing the child underneath. Romeo is, at the end of the day, a child inexperienced in love and life. And like any child and young adult, he lies and can be foolish at times, and Benvolio knows this from being a trusted confidant of his due to parentification on Lord and Lady Montague's parts. He sees Romeo's aimlessness and attempts to guide and protect him, especially in this song. On the other hand, Benvolio is also aware of Romeo's importance and rank in being the direct heir of the Montagues, and how extreme his "rebellion" would be perceived considering that. In summary, Benvolio prioritizes Romeo over himself as he focuses on guiding him through life, partially due to his self-worth issues while simultaneously aware of the fact that in the structure of their aristocratic family, Romeo is more important than him. This also raises the possibility of his lack of self-worth around his friends specifically being rooted in his understanding of Renaissance Italy's hierarchy: He is friends with the Montagues' only heir and one of the Prince's nephews. Of course he, an orphan since early childhood who lived in the streets, would consider himself below their station.

On dit dans la rue (They say in the street) Que pour toi y a plus d'issue (That there is no escape for you) Que pour sauver ton honneur (That to save your honor) Il faut quitter cette fleur (You must leave this flower)

Similarly, Benvolio's repetition of Romeo needing to preserve his honor could also be a callback to the scene following J'ai Peur, where the lyric of Romeo's that Benvolio repeats is: "Perdre sa dignité (To lose one's dignity)." Not only is Benvolio aware of Romeo's social standing, but he knows Romeo himself has expressed the fear of losing his dignity, or at the very least is concerned enough about it to mention it in the middle of his vulnerable uncertainty. Benvolio was clearly scared himself, concerned about Romeo's safety, as some of Mercutio's first lyrics in this song imply: "Qu'il mérite bien la lame (That he deserves the blade) // De ceux qui vendent leurs âmes (Of those who sell their souls)." So Benvolio does not bring up Romeo's rank out of elitism, but as a way to communicate the severity of Romeo's rebellion and express his concern for him.

And lastly, the flower line. Juliet is constantly compared to flowers, especially during Demain when Lord Capulet refers to her as, "my rose, my daffodil." However, in Benvolio's perspective, as seen previously with trees, plants can symbolize pursuing his own desires independent of his family's wishes. Romeo's desire to pursue his love for Juliet actively opposes his family's will and is completely his own desire. With this in mind, the line can be seen as Benvolio pleading with Romeo—who is used to getting what he wants as the Montague heir—to, for his own sake, push aside his own desires for once, just as Benvolio has had to do essentially his whole life.

Overall, Benvolio and Mercutio's solo verses are more or less interchangeable, and they, as characters, hold similar narrative importance, so Benvolio singing second every time only emphasizes how he prioritizes and only trails after others. 

The fact they sing together the whole song save for their short solo verses also displays them joined at the hip one final time before the bloody afternoon that follows.

Le Duel, Quel est le Prix, & Duo du Désespoir

Grouping these three together because for the most part he does kind of fade into the ensemble for this particular string of songs. However, the small moments in which he’s highlighted still say quite a lot.

This part in Le Duel, for the first time, really highlights his pacifism; one of his core character traits in Shakespeare's play and his firm beliefs that lay underneath what the Montagues—and the environment of the feud in general—have forced him into. Although the musical hints at this quality through the choreography (such as him mostly standing on the side during Vérone, attempting to break up fights throughout C'est le Jour and Le Duel, and overall never instigating a quarrel but interfering in various), he has never verbally nor musically expressed it until now. Still, he does not express even this belief alone, instead joining in on Romeo's pleas for peace during the following lines:

Vivre et boire à la chance (Live and drink to fortune) Get drunk but not with vengeance (Ivres mais pas de vengeance) Vivre pour se comprendre (Live to understand each other) Vivre et vieillir ensemble (Live and grow old together)

The first two lyrics sound like a desperate plea from both Romeo and Benvolio to Mercutio specifically; to remember their carefree days (which was around a day ago at this time but nevertheless) and the pleasures they'd enjoyed together in Les Rois du Monde, such as parties and presumably drinking. The two of them probably have those memories in mind themselves, longing to return to how hopeful and joyful they had been back then. They both beg Mercutio and Tybalt to abandon the hate that has so intoxicated the city so they may somehow return to that carefree state and live their lives fully. But as everyone knows, that doesn't end up happening, and Benvolio's words of peace, even when accompanied by Romeo's, fail to be heard, only diminishing his importance further.

In Quel est le Prix, Benvolio is focused on as he sings with the ensemble:

Quel est le sort (What is the fate) Qu'on donne à ceux qui donnent la mort? (Given to those who give death?)

Which shows his desperation after having Mercutio die in his arms. He begs the Prince for a clear decree, terrified of losing Romeo mere minutes after losing Mercutio. 

There are other productions, such as the Toho 2021 White production, that have Benvolio incorporate more of his role in the Shakespeare play and advocate for Romeo. Were this included in the 2010 production, it would have been another solo verse he sings that centers around another character.

In Duo du Désespoir, he clearly harmonizes during,

Que les hommes sont durs (How cruel men are)

This brief shot showcases his grief and overall resignation to the feud. How cruel men are, indeed, to take away the two people most important to him in the span of a couple hours. How cruel men are to continue on with a meaningless feud even as their children die. 

Even in the scene following this song, Benvolio and Lord Capulet’s reactions to the deaths of their loved ones are deliberately contrasted. Lord Capulet looks up and seems slightly sorrowful, but is overall detached from the death of his nephew that was caused by the feud he chooses to continue. Benvolio, meanwhile, literally breaks down upon seeing Mercutio’s corpse, collapsing to the ground as his world crumbles around him.

Comment Lui Dire

At last, Benvolio has a solo, an entire song to reflect on his own emotions and desires. However, from the title alone—How to Tell Him—it’s quickly established that even when he has an entire song to sing on his own, he can only think of others, in this case Romeo.

Moi qui n'ai pas d'importance (Me who has no importance) Qui ne suis que son ami d'enfance (Who is only his childhood friend)

For the only time in the entire musical, Benvolio begins a song; his solo no less, and he chooses to immediately dismiss himself. Not only is this opening lyric an explicit declaration of his complete lack of self-worth, it immediately sets expectations and establishes the overall focus for his only solo: It has never been and will never be about him, because he doesn’t matter and only holds importance in relation to others.

When looking at the rest of the main five kids' solos, it's clear Benvolio is the outlier in this regard. In most of their titles alone, the words "I," "me," or other first-person pronouns are present, and if not, the solo still places an emphasis on their emotions, and internal thoughts and desires.

Romeo's solos (J'ai Peur & Mort de Romeo)

The entirety of J’ai Peur is Romeo’s introspection on his own fears and the dread he feels.

Mort de Romeo, as the title indicates, centers on his death, and although he sings to Juliet, he still reflects on the hope he’s lost and how appealing death—or as he sees it, being in eternity with Juliet—seems to him at this point.

Juliet's solos (Le Poison & Mort de Juliet)

In Le Poison, Juliet addresses Romeo, but the song is largely about the sacrifice she must make for her love; her taking control of her life when her family has robbed her of agency through the Paris arranged marriage (see: the entirety of Demain). Overall, it's about the lengths Juliet will go to pursue her happiness and live her life on her terms.

Although Mort de Juliet does place emphasis on Romeo through how much Juliet loves Romeo and refuses to live without him, she does still focus on her love towards Romeo instead of just Romeo himself. The way that, if she were honest with herself, she couldn't handle living a life without love.

Mercutio's solos (Je Rêve & La Folie)

Je Rêve is all about Mercutio’s own dreams—violence, sex, chaos, power/worth—as well as giving insight into Mercutio's overall psyche and outlook on life. Although he hints to his own self-worth issues in the lyrics "Regardez-nous, des moins que rien (Look at us, less than nothing)" and "On est le rois de rien du tout (We are the kings of nothing at all)" he is still able to express his own emotions and inner workings.

La Folie further explores Mercutio's mental state, particularly his self-declared madness, which he describes knowing intimately throughout his life. This can also parallel Benvolio knowing death throughout his life with the loss of his parents and later the loss of his friends.

Tybalt's solos (Tybalt, C'est Pas Ma Faute, & C'est le Jour)

Tybalt, alongside literally being named after him and having quite a bit of the lyrics be “Je suis Tybalt (I am Tybalt),” serves as the way Tybalt introduces himself to the audience; his isolation, anger, and overall angst. He does sing about other people—“On me déteste, on me craint” (They hate me, they fear me)”—however his following line—“Mais au moins je suis quelqu'un (But at least I’m someone)”—both affirms that he attempts to possess some semblance of self-worth (however conditional and tied to the Capulets and their approval it may be), as well as how he discusses others' perception of him but eventually links it back to his own self-image of being unlovable.

C'est Pas Ma Faute, on the other hand, still places his internal struggles at the forefront as it highlights his isolation and violent nature. He reflects on his upbringing, the mentality and environment he was raised in and how he grew up too early to become his family's puppet, left to do their violent bidding whilst always carrying a gaping hole for affection within. He laments the childhood he was robbed of and only sings about his family to contend with his emotions of guilt for the person he's become, acknowledging that he was molded by them to turn out this way. Benvolio and Tybalt are explicit foils in Shakespeare's play: The raging duelist versus the level-headed pacifist, and although it's more subtle in this musical because of the emphasis on Mercutio and Tybalt's "cat and mouse game," as John Eyzen put it during an interview, it can still be found in instances like this. Tybalt sings an entire solo on how his violent nature and aggression isn't his fault, instead ingrained in him for his entire life, meanwhile later on Benvolio sings alongside the families in Coupables, guilty for the tragedy and placing himself in similar blame as the actual cause of the deaths: the feud fueled by the adults. The contrast of the song titles being, when translated, It's Not My Fault versus Guilty conveys this most strikingly.

Lastly, C'est le Jour. Although this solo is the most… uncomfortable, it very clearly exposes another aspect of Tybalt's strife: Raised in isolation and hatred, whilst only being exposed to sexual love at a mere 15 years old by his father, he forms a skewed perception of love that leads to his attraction to Juliet. The entire song is his declaration for what he is willing to do for love, the lengths he will go to attempt to make a meaningful connection with someone, however distorted his perception of love has become due to his isolation. That isolation, which has been focused on in his other solos, continues to be emphasized here. Although he interacts with the other Capulets during this song as the chaos breaks out, by the end of the song he is atop the balcony (just like in Tybalt), separate from the others on-stage. Nothing has changed. He is still all alone and feeling unlovable.

Overall, Benvolio and Tybalt are still foils in this musical, although it's more subtle. Both are used by their families, but Tybalt acknowledges it's not his fault for merely doing what his family had conditioned him his whole life to do, whereas Benvolio only feels guilty for following the Montagues' orders (which is emphasized in other productions like Romeo és Julia where Lady Montague explicitly orders him around) and trying his hardest to help their son when they failed to be there for him. Benvolio and Tybalt also swap situations by the end of the musical. Tybalt literally sings 3 whole solos about how lonely he is, but he dies in the middle of a crowd of Capulets, mourned by the family that never showed him love while he was still alive. Benvolio, on the other hand, never appears alone, essentially never leaving Mercutio's side and only singing with other characters. However, by the end, he is left completely alone, having had all who were close to him leave him. The quantity of their solos each is also significant, as the three other main kids—Romeo, Juliet, and Mercutio—sing 2 solos each, whereas Tybalt has more than average with 3, and Benvolio has less than average with 1.

Now, with all that in mind, examining each lyric in Comment Lui Dire where Benvolio sings about himself will only emphasize just how little he actually cares about himself/how low he regards himself.

Qui n'aimais que les femmes et la danse (Who only loved women and dancing)

Here he describes himself through his desires, sure—romance and dancing/partying—but ultimately he is still defining himself through other people. Mercutio indicates his confidence and disregard for danger in La Reine Mab/Je Rêve through the lyrics, "Que moi, j'suis pas comme vous (That I'm not like you) // J’ai peur du rien, et vius du tout (I'm afraid of nothing, and you of everything)," while Tybalt, when he sings “On m'a volé la mienne, on m'a trahi ([My childhood] was stolen, I was betrayed) // Je suis le fils de la haine et du mépris (I am the son of hatred and contempt)" in C'est Pas Ma Faute mourns the person he was denied the option of becoming due to his upbringing; the others can express an intrinsic personality trait or characteristic of themselves through others while Benvolio’s already brief description of himself is centered around the people he attempts to connect with and the pleasures he engages in with others, perhaps suggesting how carefree he used to be but not much more than that. 

Et c'est moi (And it's me) Qui doit lui dire ça (Who must tell him that)

These lyrics once again showcase Benvolio's parentification and just how accustomed he is to taking responsibility in any given situation. He is always in tune with others' needs and takes it upon himself to deliver the tragic news of Juliet's "death" to Romeo, most likely believing that Romeo should hear it from someone close to him. Having been experienced with loss himself (as revealed in the next lyrics), he also probably thought that that experience would help him comfort Romeo. This all reinforces the precedent he had set with the first lyric: He has no importance. This entire solo is not his chance to fully express himself, but rather meant to be centered on Romeo and how he will further support and act in the best interest of him, just as he's done the entire musical.

Moi qui ai toujours vécu (I who have always lived) Sans mes parents dans la rue (Without my parents, in the street) Quand on perd un ami (When one loses a friend) On devient orphelin (One becomes an orphan)

These lyrics are quite packed, first revealing Benvolio's backstory and early childhood then immediately demonstrating how that influences his present anguish. Benvolio losing his parents at such an early age both establishes how he is well-acquainted with loss and death and has abandonment issues, and can even reveal the root of his self-worth issues. Losing his parents—his closest family and guardians—so young undoubtedly imprinted him with the frightening swiftness of death, and when taken with the constant, unrelenting violence woven into the city, it's clear Benvolio has grown up surrounded by death and quickly becoming accustomed to it. Romeo and Mercutio gave him a temporary reprieve, allowing him to believe, even for just a short while, that he was "so far from death" before Mercutio's death ambushes him (more on that specific aspect later). Perhaps that's why he is never alone before Comment Lui Dire, always appearing with at least Mercutio; suddenly losing the closest guiding figures to him when he was only a child and being alone on the streets afterwards for who knows how long has certainly given him a fear of abandonment, and his close attachment to Romeo and Mercutio is the result. He "can't live without them" because he has latched onto them and values them so much that he literally cannot imagine his life without them. He is protective of Romeo and acts as Mercutio's grounding voice of reason because he values them above himself and cannot afford to lose them as he did his parents. But in the end, he does, and by comparing losing a friend (in this case, Mercutio) to becoming an orphan, he firmly equates the loss of his parents to having Mercutio die in his arms. In those two lines alone, he implicitly reveals that the sudden burst of grief he'd felt at losing his parents essentially sucker-punched him again with Mercutio's death. All of a sudden, amidst desperately attempting to be happy with Romeo and Mercutio, he is right back where he started; all of a sudden, he is that young orphan again, completely aimless with grief as his sole company. Him living on the street without any guiding figures can also explain one of the main sources of his low self-worth; that aimlessness and almost scrappiness would definitely result in him holding himself in low regard and being subject to the whims of others, especially Lord and Lady Montague, who are the closest to parents he has. Lastly, the lyric of him living without his parents "dans la rue (in the street)," when taken with the earlier lyric:

Nous étions les rois du monde (We were the kings of the world) Oui mais nos blessures sont trop profondes (Yes but our wounds are too deep)

can both be interpreted as callbacks to previous songs, specifically Les Rois du Monde and On Dit Dans la Rue, the two songs sung by the Montacrew. This can symbolize Benvolio attempting to reach back to those happier times (mainly in Les Rois du Monde), or at the very least, a time when they were all together, even if they didn't see eye-to-eye (that is, On Dit Dans la Rue). Him making references to past songs, especially ones he sung alongside the two people he was closest to, can also reinforce him revolving around others once again.

Quand Mercutio nous chantait (When Mercutio sang to us) « La vie est belle » ("Life is beautiful") Moi j'y croyais (I believed it) Mercutio ne chantera plus (Mercutio will never sing again) Et me voilà tout seul perdu (And now I'm lost and all alone)

Benvolio explicitly stating he believed in Mercutio's zest for life reinforces how he allowed himself to hope and try to enjoy life with Mercutio and Romeo, again highlighting the temporary reprieve from constant death and grief the two gave him. However, with Mercutio's death, there is no one to give him that hope, or, as he puts it, "sing" that inspiring message. His belief in a beautiful, peaceful life was lost alongside the person who had allowed him to believe in such a thing in the first place. In addition, the last lyric evoking the image of himself lost and all alone can also apply to his younger self after losing his parents, once again drawing parallels between the two losses.

Qu'il ne lui reste qu'un ami (That all he has left is a friend) Comment lui dire qu'il va souffrir? (How to tell him, that he will suffer?)

Just like in the first lyric of the song, he reduces himself to merely Romeo's friend once again, and despite that, he still takes upon himself the heavy responsibility of informing Romeo of a loss just as heavy as his own.

As established in the few individual lyric analysis paragraphs above, he only sings about himself sparingly (and even when he does, they are still, in some way, centered around others and his relationships to them/the aftermath of losing them), and the chorus and title of his solo literally How to Tell Him (Romeo).

Additionally, other characters are occasionally sung to or addressed in the other kids’ solos, however, mentioning others by name is quite rare. Tybalt addresses Romeo and Juliet in C’est le Jour, Mercutio addresses Romeo during La Reine Mab/Je Rêve, and Romeo and Juliet frequently address and sing to one another, but Benvolio mentions both Mercutio and Juliet by name in Comment Lui Dire. He sings about Mercutio by name twice as well as Juliet, someone he had never even met. This could be another way to emphasize his lack of self-worth; although he didn’t even know Juliet, he would still rather focus on her (“Et même si demain le temps s'arrête (And even if time stops tomorrow) // Ça ne fera pas revivre Juliette (It won’t bring Juliet back to life)”) than himself. 

Considering all this, it becomes apparent that while the other kids’ solos were their chances to reflect on themselves and express themselves to others, Benvolio’s solo is only such because he has no one left to sing with him.

Coupables

Arguably, he shouldn't be included in Coupables; the tragedy wasn't his fault but the adults'. Still, Benvolio being accustomed to bearing far too much responsibility for someone so young would inevitably result in him believing he is at fault for the deaths, especially Romeo's due to him being the one who led Romeo to believe Juliet was dead and encouraging him to attend the ball. 

Genius highlights one lyric in particular that he sings, and that's:

C'est rester vivant (It's staying alive)

Which can seem on-the-nose at first; Benvolio, the sole survivor among the five main "children of Verona" sings about staying alive. However, the context of the lyric being "Aimer (To love) // C'est ce qu'y a de plus beau (It's the most beautiful thing) // C'est rester vivant (It's staying alive)" adds more depth. Benvolio loved his parents. Benvolio loved Mercutio. Benvolio loved Romeo. And now that love is all he has; love resting dormant within him with no place to go, no one to give it to. Which again begs the question: 

Can he truly be considered “alive” with nothing left to live for?

Conclusion

Benvolio, although a relatively minor character in Shakespeare's play, receives so much development in Roméo et Juliette: Les Enfants de Vérone 2010 that explores his character in such meaningful ways, embedding his struggles, inner turmoil, and selfless personality in the most subtle of details. His self-worth issues are expanded and contribute to his rich character, his tragedy showcased alongside every other major character's. 

After all, it's difficult to find meaning in a life without love.

There is pain in a heart beating alone.