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.
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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