Mercutio's Allusion

When Romeo does not return home for an entire night after attending the feast at the Capulet’s house, Mercutio makes a remark that includes a number of allusions. Among them is the tragic love story of Cleopatra and Antony. Similar to Romeo and Juliet, the affections between Cleopatra and Antony were formed at an instant when they first encountered each other in Anatolia. In addition, according to the account of historian Brian Haughton from the University of Birmingham, “...he [Antony] was forced to conclude a temporary settlement with Octavian [Antony’s rival in Rome]… It was to be three years before he and Cleopatra were to meet again, at the city of Antioch…” (Haughton 1) Cleopatra and Antony are not able to stay together because they came

He brings up the story of Cleopatra and Antony in a conversation with Benvolio while suspecting that Romeo’s absence from the previous night is a result of spending time with whom he thought would be Rosaline, Romeo’s old lover, however, he has already fallen in love another woman named Juliet. Based on the discoveries mentioned in advance, Mercutio conveys that since the way Romeo interacts with his loved one shows many parallels to the experiences of Cleopatra and Antony, the two star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet are bound to encounter a tragic ending, like the abrupt termination of the lives of Cleopatra and Antony. In reference to history encyclopedia, Antony commits suicide by falling on a sword because of a false news that announces the death of Cleopatra. As a result of this sudden loss and pressures from her enemy Octavian, Cleopatra also gives up her life voluntarily by receiving a bite from an asp and dies from poisoning. Coincidentally, Romeo kills himself by ingesting poison as well, thinking that Juliet is dead. However, in reality, Juliet is only in an unconscious state due to drug effects. When she eventually wakes up, the unwanted has already taken place. She stabs herself to death in response to the heart-breaking figure of Romeo’s dead body lying beside her. Not surprisingly, they are another unfortunate couple who are compelled to express their love through