Romeo And Juliet Foil Essay

Imagine two people who are polar opposites with different perspectives and attitudes towards controversial ideas, and overall, contrasting personalities. One would think that they would be enemies, but instead, they are best friends. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Mercutio are known as dramatic foils, this can be concluded due to their conflicting opinions on love. Romeo is stuck in love, while Mercutio has fallen out of love. This contributes to how they differentiate on that “contradictory” subject. Mercutio is quite bitter about love, you can understand this when he says,” If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.”(Act 1, Scene 4). Mercutio

He is the definition of “puppy love” and this is why he is a foil of Mercutio. When he meets Juliet, he is infatuated with her; she, too, is engrossed by his sensitive soul. His friends describe him as gentle, loving, and innocent. They noticed a change in him once he “discovered love”, because once he fell out of it he was depressed and distant. Once he was graced to be in love again, with his enemy, he was happy and wanted peace in his world. He wanted the rival of the Capulets and the Montagues to end so he could be with his love. In Act 3, Scene 1, when Tybalt tries to commence a dispute, Romeo says,” I do protest I never injured thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise. Till thou shalt know the reason of my love; and so, good Capulet, which name I tender. As dearly as my own, be satisfied.” He’s trying to bring peace while Mercutio and Tybalt want him to fight. They didn’t know he had married Juliet and couldn’t kill “family” and Mercutio couldn’t watch and decided to fight himself, which led to his death. He says he tenders Tybalt’s name, Capulet, and the reason of that is because it’s the same name the love of his life, Juliet, holds. Tybalt thought Romeo had faulted him when in reality neither of them had done anything, it was their ancestors’ feud that fueled their hatred. Romeo was trying to bring peace and love to the people and end the war that was destroying their families