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Explore the character of mercutio in romeo and juliet
What is mercutio's character traits in romeo and juliet
Character analyais of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet
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In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio is Romeo’s best friend and confidant. He often gets into trouble with Romeo and his other friend, Benvolio. Throughout the play, he is portrayed as wild and very reckless, and often unaware of the consequences for his actions. Also, he was the little bit of comedy the play had, and his death signified the turn of the play from a comedy to a tragedy. Some of the actions he took and things he said ultimately led to his untimely demise. There are three major things that ultimately led to his death.
One thing that contributed to the death of Mercutio was the ongoing feud between the houses Capulet and Montague. Mercutio’s house, Escalus, wasn’t a part of the feud, but his bond with Romeo and Benvolio put him, by association, on the side of the Montagues. So during the feud, when Romeo and Tybalt, a Capulet, wanted to fight against Romeo, Mercutio was also considered an enemy since he was Romeo’s friend. The big fight ended with Mercutio getting fatally stabbed by Tybalt. He then screamed out, “A plague on both your houses!”( 3.1.104). blaming the feud for his untimely death.
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Another reason for Mercutio’s death is his best friend, Romeo.
In the beginning of the play, Romeo’s heart is heavy with sadness because his first love, Rosaline, didn’t love him back. To cheer him up, Mercutio insisted on taking Romeo and Benvolio to a party to meet some girls. Romeo said he didn’t want to go, but Mercutio kept pressuring him, saying, Mercutio says, “ …we’ll draw thee from the mire / Of this sir-reverence love, wherein thou stickest / Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho!” (1.4.41-43). If Romeo had put his foot down and no went. They never would’ve seen Tybalt and got into that big fight that led to Mercutio’s
death. The last major reason for Mercutio’s early death is Mercutio himself. Mercutio got into a battle that wasn’t his to fight when he took Romeo’s side against Tybalt. When Tybalt spotted Mercutio and Benvolio and asked them where Romeo was, Mercutio started talking smack to Tybalt and then provoked him, saying, ““Good King of Cats, I want nothing more than one of your / nine lives” (3. 1. 74-75). This lead to the big fight scene. When Romeo eventually does come, he tries to break the two up, but unfortunately, when Tybalt tried to stab Romeo, He missed and hit Mercutio. In conclusion, Mercutio had many factors that contributed to his death. In the end, he would not have died if he hadn’t gotten caught in the crossfire. If he had stayed where he was and not provoked a big brawl, he most likely would have live to the end of the play, and maybe, things would have turned out different.
He is often up and happy, which immediately turns to serious brooding. The best example of this comes at his death. He has been stabbed through by Tybalt’s cruel blade and the killer has flown. All his fellows gather around laughing when Mercutio yells that he is injured. After sending for a surgeon he stumbles about saying, “No, ‘tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door; but ‘tis enough, twill serve: ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man. I am peppered I warrant for this world. A plague o’ both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat to scratch a man to death” (III.i.94-99). In this quote Mercutio seems to go from cracking jokes and making puns to all seriousness, screaming plague upon the quarrel between the two houses. This was very serious considering the plague was running rampant at that time, killing thousands of people. To wish plague on someone is to wish the most feared thing of their age on them and their family. This is not the only example of such emotional instability as he often ranges from very high to very low, creating quite the dramatic and loud character. Mercutio’s characteristics are wide and varied, making him into an extremely complex, extremely prominent character. Shakespeare places this persona of varying emotions who may not be thinking exactly what he seems to be into the story of Romeo and Juliet, a stage full of such
In many ways Mercutio can be blamed for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. If he had not persuaded Romeo to come to the Capulet?s Ball Romeo would most likely have never fallen in love with Juliet. If Romeo hadn?t gone to the Capulets Ball, Tybalt would not have sought his life and in time forcing Romeo to be banished and Mercutio and himself dead. Or was it those few words that left Mercutios mouth when he knew he was dying? ?A plague on both your houses! I am sped. Is he gone, and hath nothing?? - Act 3, Scene 1, line 90. Could he have really put a curse on the Capulet and Montague households? That both families will come together at the result of death.
Mercutio's prankster personality plus Tybalt's hatred of all Montagues instigates the common end to three very different characters. Romeo does not wish to draw a sword, and therefore becomes the peacemaker. "Gentlemen, for shame! Forbear this outrage!" (III, i, 82). Under Romeo's peacekeeping arm, Tybalt thrusts his rapier, and Mercutio curses both Montagues and Capulets. "I am hurt. A plague a both houses! I am sped" (III, i, 86-88). To Mercutio, destiny is not the cause of his death, but rather specific people brought about his fatality. His behavior is static as he teases while being carried away by
Mercutio can be blamed for Romeo and Juliet’s peril because he initiated the fight with Tybalt and forced Romeo to go to the Capulet’s party. At the beginning of the play, Romeo gets invited to the Capulet’s party by a servant, unless he was a Montague. At first, Romeo did not want to go, but Mercutio eventually convinced him under the pretext that Rosaline, Romeo’s love, was going to be there. The next day, Tybalt, a Capulet, went looking for Romeo because he knew that Romeo was at the Capulet party. Instead, he stumbled upon Mercutio and Benvolio and asked them where he could find Romeo. However, Mercutio did not want to tell him and insisted on having a duel. Tybalt killed Mercutio during the fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt because he has the need to avenge his friend. Unfortunately, Prince Escalus punished Romeo by banishing him from Verona. This made Romeo and Juliet’s love
Romeo and Juliet presents an ongoing feud between the Montague and Capulet families whose children meet and fall in love. Markedly, the meeting scene depicting love at first sight continues to be praised by today’s critics. Romeo and Juliet then receive the label of star-crossed lovers whose tragic demise is written in the stars. In fact, Shakespeare 's work is well received and its numerous adaptations have made it one of his most enduring and notorious stories. The cinematic world brings to the screens a disastrous approach by Baz Luhrmann to do the play justice. A glance at Baz Luhrmann’s productions allows audiences to assume he delivers movies which are unlike those of any other filmmaker today, or perhaps ever. Therefore, blending a delicate
In a story of unorthodox love, family feuding, and violence, many are at blame for the deaths. One of the people I think is responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death is Mercutio. Mercutio had evoked a fight with his enemy Tybalt. In Act 1 Scene 1 lines 228-229 Benvolio tells Romeo “By giving liberty unto thine eyes.
Romeo was very loyal to his friends and family, and it is possible that Mercutio thought that Romeo would help him fight off Tybalt (since he was unaware of Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage that somewhat united Romeo and Tybalt). However, this argument is easily deemed invalid. Romeo was not in the town square when the fight had first begun, so Mercutio expected his help in the fight would be a far-fetched idea. A person who is not present cannot help or hinder the situation at hand. In addition, Romeo tried to break up the fight when he said, “Gentlemen, for shame forbear this outrage!
clever punning - 'If love be rough with you, be rough with love' and '
The plot for Romeo and Juliet stems from a love story based on Romeo meeting Juliet at a ball where Tybalt from the Capulet family attends. Friction begins when Tybalt voices his dislike for Romeo of the Montague family. This sets the stage for a confrontation between Tybalt and Romeo. Mercutio's character takes on importance as the confrontation takes form. If there were no Mercutio than Juliet would still be alive. Unfortunately, Romeo would not be alive because Tybalt would have surely killed
After Tybalt killed Mercutio and Romeo challenges him to a duel, Romeo demands, “That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul/ Is but a little way above our heads/ Staying for thine to keep him company/ Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” (Shakespeare Act III scene i, lines 119-123). This quote shows how Romeo’s downfall is partly his fault because he is defying the prince’s command to no longer fight with the Capulets by challenging Tybalt. Since Romeo is aware that he is defying the prince and fighting anyway it is proven he is contributing to his own demise or downfall. When Mercutio is wounded after fighting Tybalt , he cries, “I am hurt/ A plague o’ both your houses!” (Shakespeare Act III scene i, lines 84-85). The excerpt shows how even Mercutio recognizes the feud between the Montagues and Capulets being destructive, and how it is now gotten so out of hand he has been dragged in it. Mercutio tries to open Romeo’s eyes on how if this feud continues there will be a demise for both families; but by Romeo choosing to ignore this advice and killing Tybalt he is setting himself up for his failure/downfall. Thus, Romeo is shown a tragic hero because his demise is partly his fault and not an
The references to "fire" and "sea" are signs that these are lines of passion rather than love. Romeo sees himself as subjective to his situation, "Doth add more grief to too much of mine own." and is wallowing in his self-pity as well. Romeo is only forgiven these faults because he is young, naïve, and destined to die. Were he an older character audiences would not so easily forgive him. Mercutio's levelheadedness serves to provide a contrast to which Romeo can be endeared. Were both doting depressives, the play's roster would be off balance.
that he sees his love as a confusion of emotions, and that it is not
Mercutio, though a minor character, had and enormous impact on the outcome of the play. Before the Capulet Ball, Romeo had been debating whether to go or not. Mercutio persuaded him to go by giving a big speech to him about a dream he had. This makes him partially responsible because the Ball is where Romeo first met Juliet. Mercutio also caused Romeo to be banished from Verona. Mercutio got in a fight with Tybalt and ended up dead. His death enraged Romeo enough to make him kill Tybalt in revenge. When the Prince saw what happened, he sent Romeo into exile. Romeo's banishment to Mantua made it near impossible for Romeo and Juliet to see each other. Mercutio was to blame, though only partially for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
functions as a turning point for the action of the play. In death, he becomes a tragic figure, shifting the play's direction from comedy to tragedy. The saga of Mercutio's first appearance in Act I, Scene 4, shows Romeo and his friend to be of quite opposite character. Mercutio mocks Romeo as a helpless victim of an overzealous, undersatisfied love. Romeo describes his love for Rosaline using the clichéd image of the rose.
In act 3, scene 1, Mercutio is dying, “No, ‘tis not so deep as a well; nor so wide as a church door.” Mercutio is on his deathbed and he is describing his wound, trying to make himself sound like a hero. Mercutio put himself in a tense situation by preparing to fight. He knew that the consequences were severe, yet he eggs Tybalt on and gives others a reason to fight. If not for Mercutio’s dramatic and attention-seeking personality, Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Paris, and he would all still be