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How Does Mercutio Play In Romeo And Juliet

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In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Mercutio, a friend of Romeo plays deep role within the play. In the play many characters represent the masculine and feminine space.Mercutio’s represents the masculine space of love and it affects Romeo in the long run. Because of Mercutio’s huge expression and dominance of the masculine space, his mockery towards the feminine space of love and fooling around with women, pushes Romeo towards tragedy.

Mercutio’s representation of the masculine space helps push Romeo away from him. Before Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio go to the ball, Mercutio speaks of Romeo as a mad man. Romeo questions love as if it should be a romantic feeling or sexualized. Mercutio answered: “If love be rough with you, be rough with love;/Prick love for pricking, -and you beat love down.” (Shakespeare, 1.4: 27-28) Mercutio is telling Romeo that he’s looking too much for commitment and that he should enjoy himself. Mercutio is trying to make Romeo be a person that he is not. Romeo is a very passionate person throughout the play, him having the same view on life and women like Mercutio, Romeo’s demise wouldn’t have made much sense. This action helps build to pushing Romeo away from Mercutio. …show more content…

Mercutio acts immaturely and throughout the entire Capulet Ball and at the end he essentially has chased Romeo away from him when Romeo goes over the orchard wall by attempting to bring him back into the masculine

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This shows that his mood changes easily because if it didn’t then Mercutio would have let Tybalt duel Romeo. Mercutio can also be very rude. He makes fun of the nurse and calls her fat. This shows that he is rude because if he was not rude that he would have not said anything at all and kept it to himself.

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There were many violent ends within the play that all began with Romeo and Juliet’s forbidden love, and one was the passing of five characters. Mercutio was a relative to the prince and as such he was untouchable. On the other hand he also subtly chose sides. Being friends with the Montagues was the beginning of the road to his death. He was an extremely witty person within the play constantly making jokes, but he also had a vivid imagination coming up with eloquent stories for the trio to hear.

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Mercutio is making light of Romeo’s deep depressing love for Rosaline, he’s mocking love and making it a joke. This creates an emphasis on Romeo’s utter affixation with love. Mercutio’s playfulness and ability to make a serious subject humorous and reasonable bring out the deep, dark, and depressing side of Romeo, who is completely the opposite when it comes to love. Romeo does not see love as a joke and we see him fall into a depression, Mercutio only makes this sadness more apparent as he talks so jokingly of love. Shakespeare uses Mercutio to lighten Romeo’s depression and make it more

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He can't understand Romeo's refusal to fight Tybalt. Mercutio states, ”O calm, dishonorable, vile submission" (III.1.72). Mercutio’s statement shows that he thinks Romeo’s hesitance to fight is insane. Mercutio demonstrates his loyalty when he takes up Tybalt's challenge. Mercutio shows that he is a true friend and that he is courageous by fighting Tybalt.

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Mercutio is different from Romeo because he does not believe in love and makes fun of Romeo and falling in love so heavily all the time. When Romeo describes his love for Rosaline using a rose with thorns as a metaphor. Mercutio laughs and says ”If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking and you beat love down”(I.4.27-28). In another scenario of Romeo and Mercutio’s foils is when Romeo tells his friends about a dream he had about the party and is expecting a disastrous outcome of the party. Mercutio makes fun of Romeo because he does not believe that dreams can become visions of impending danger.

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Connor Flanigan Mr. Zamanis English 9 6 March 2024 Romeo & Juliet Few characters are capable of bringing comedy and truth into a play like Mercutio can. Mercutio is one of the key characters in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. This play is a tragedy of two young starstruck lovers, in the midst of a family rivalry that causes them to inevitably die together. Mercutio, Romeo's best friend, is viewed by many as one of Shakespeare’s greatest characters. He is one of Shakespeare’s greatest characters because of his loyalty, humor, and confidence.

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The play portrays love as a destructive force as it leads to Romeo killing himself, Mercutio dies fighting Tybalt, and

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There is a myriad of themes and enthralling characters in the play “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. In my opinion, Mercutio, a kinsman of the Prince and the best friend of the young Petrarchan lover Romeo, is the most interesting as he is such a vivid and complex character. Mercutio brings colour, life, and humor to the play with his vulgar puns and jokes. He is very loquacious, erratic, always ready to guard his family and friend's honor and anti-romantic (just like the Nurse, he treats love only as a sexual attraction), which contrasts with peaceful, quiet and romantic Romeo, making Mercutio his antithesis. The audience sees his salience as he tries to save Romeo from melancholy and his courtly

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Throughout the whole play both Romeo and Mercutio were there for each other when in need of a friend or even just some comforting words. Mercutio always seems to say the right things to put Romeo back on track and in focus. While Romeo was relentlessly weeping over his unrequited love for Rosaline, Mercutio, with his wise and caring words said, “‘Why is not this not better than groaning for love? Now art thou sociable.

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Even though he doesn’t do this on purpose, he does anyway. One of them is the party at the Capulets house. Mercutio intentionally tries to find Romeo a girl by going to this party, but accidently gets him to fall in love with a Capulet. He forces this decision upon him by peer pressuring him to come. Had it not been for Mercutio’s peer pressuring, we wouldn’t have the interesting play we have today.

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If Mercutio never manipulates him into going Romeo would have never met Juliet. Mercutio is seen as a fun and witty character with a bit of a darker side. What many people fail to realize is that his overinflated ego is the true cause of his

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This shows his loyalty to Romeo and the Montagues but more importantly, shows how deep his friendship is with Romeo. This shows the character of Mercutio and how significant he is to Romeo, which makes him more important for the play and how tragic it will be for Romeo once he is gone. Mercutio can also be funny to make the audience

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Firstly, the death of Mercutio is caused by the love he has for Romeo, and the love that Romeo has for Mercutio. Mercutio has love for Romeo that he would even fight for Romeo when other people insults him. For example, “Tybalt you rat-catcher, let’s fight!.” (III,i)

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Gifted in wit, manipulation, and powers of diversion, both Menenius and Mercutio were characters that worked more or less behind the scenes, shrouded in the shadows of their stories’ heroes and left to scheme without interference. For Romeo, Mercutio is a friend, advisor (though his advice is occasionally unscrupulous, at best), and protector, who cares dearly about Romeo and his wellbeing. Mercutio makes it his ultimate goal to keep Romeo “on track”; however, what Romeo sees as his path in life is a very different one than Mercutio sees for him. Romeo has a tendency to walk with his head in the clouds, dreaming of romance and peace, falling in love left and right, paying no attention to the harsh reality he lives in. Mercutio wants to make sure Romeo stays rooted to the ground, so he doesn’t fly off completely and leave Mercutio behind.

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