To What Extent Is Mercutio A Comedy

Kaylen Thipsombath

Mr. Dettmer

Honors English 9

24 March 2023

Shakespeare’s Use of Comedy and Tragedy

In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses both comedy and tragedy to create a captivating and original play. Of all the characters in the play, Mercutio is particularly skilled at weaving together elements of humor and drama. Shakespeare’s blend of the humorous and the dramatic induces a heightened shock from viewers to the tragic events that occur in the city of Verona.

Shakespeare’s character, Mercutio, is the embodiment of the silly and the serious. Since his introduction in the later scenes of the first act, Mercutio has presented himself as a dirty and humorous character. Although he may not seem

This allows him to be invited into the Capulet party by Peter, an illiterate servant. Although Romeo isn’t allowed into the Capulet party, he is encouraged by Mercutio to go and party. Consequently, this leads to Romeo and Juliet’s meeting. Romeo is discovered by Tybalt at the party, which increases Tybalt’s dislike for Romeo. On the way to the party, Mercutio teases and attempts to talk sense into Romeo to discontinue Romeo’s weeping over Rosaline. An example of this would be Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech. Mercutio dismisses Romeo’s feelings for Rosaline as immaturity and stupidity when he says: “True, I talk of dreams/Which are the children of an idle brain/Begot of nothing but vain fantasy” (1.4.103-105). This displays Romeo’s immaturity while showcasing the literary foil of the two young men and provides more insight into the vital character that is Mercutio. As the audience can see in the play, Romeo and Mercutio are complete opposites. This foil highlights Romeo’s childish behavior. Later in the play, Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel. This event is important because it displays the hatred that Mercutio has towards people like Tybalt. This loathing for Tybalt might have contributed

Through the character of Mercutio, Shakespeare brilliantly blends the silly and the serious. The unification of these two elements of humor and drama constructs an even greater experience for the audience. Comedy and tragedy are worthwhile topics to explore as people continue to learn about this creative and innovative use of storytelling. It is necessary to know and understand the importance of the silly and the serious in the play to understand Shakespeare’s greatness. To fully understand one of the greatest playwrights, it is imperative to read, study, and view Shakespeare