How Is Mercutio Presented In Romeo And Juliet

In the play Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare, the character Mercutio is portrayed as playful and witty, yet still considerate of his friends; His personality is shown through both the words of Shakespeare and the actions of his actor Alex Peng.
Just prior to the end of Act 2 Scene 4, Mercutio tells the Nurse “Farewell, ancient lady. Farewell, lady, lady, lady” (2.4.72). Mercutio feigns respect to the Nurse, who had just previously demanded to be treated as nobility. He refers to her as a lady, yet adds in that she is an “ancient” lady — alluding to the fact that the Nurse is old. Mercutio’s blatant and offensive joke shows his witty personality, as he jokes and mocks the Nurse, faking respect and calling her old. To further emphasize such personality,

Once again, Mercutio’s playful and witty personality is shown, however in a more serious mood. He refers to heroes and legends of the ancient world (fictional and real) who are known for their beauty as, essentially, ugly prostitutes. His witty personality is used however to complement Romeo, he is a loyal friend and says that his “lady” is more beautiful and elegant than all the heroes of history. However, this isn’t just Mercutio being playful but he is also explaining to Benvolio his interpretation of Romeo’s situation with Rosaline. He feels bad for Romeo and is considerate when talking about Rosaline. Therefore, I chose to whisper the scene and talk directly to Benvolio, primarily for two reasons; One because during the line, Romeo has not arrived yet, however, both characters noticed he is walking towards them. It would be illogical to talk to both Romeo and Benvolio, as Romeo is too far away. However the main reason to whisper is that Mercutio is considerate of Romeo, he believes Romeo still weeps of Rosaline and wishes not to sadden Romeo more by talking of Rosaline. This leads Mercutio (or me) to whisper the scene, as not to sadden or anger