Masculine Space In Romeo And Juliet

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In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Mercutio, a friend of Romeo plays a deep role within the play. Many characters in Romeo and Juliet can represent the masculine or feminine spaces. The masculine space is chaotic and more towards the sexual and material side of the play, which have more of a tragic potential. While the feminine space is peaceful, more romantic and spiritual in giving a better chance for the comic potential. Mercutio represents the masculine space while Romeo prefers the peacefulness of the feminine space. Mercutio tells Romeo to be rough with love, he tries to keep him within the masculine space after the ball, and he fools with the Juliet’s nurse because of his actions he pushes Romeo towards tragedy. …show more content…

Mercutio doesn’t have much respect towards women even when Juliet’s nurse comes to deliver a message to Romeo, Mercutio messes with her. His actions say that he doesn’t care for what the nurse wants to tell Romeo.. As the nurse tries to tell Romeo Juliet’s message Mercutio gets in the way making fun of her by saying she’s ugly, “Good Peter, to hide her face; for her fan’s the fairer of the two.”(Shakespeare, 2.4: 89)

He also insults her in such by singing that she is a whore, “No hare, sir; unless a hare, sir, in a Lenten pie, that is something/stale and hoar ere it be spent.” (Shakespeare, 2.4: 109-10) His disregard for what the nurse says not only makes him clueless about Juliet’s marriage proposal but also pushes Romeo away from him and closer to tragedy..

Because of the masculine space being more dominant within the play it foreshadows the impending tragedy. By Mercutio forcing his views on Romeo, his attempts to keep Romeo within the masculine space and tomfoolery with Juliet’s nurse he pushes Romeo towards tragedy. The tragedy is guided from the masculine and feminine spaces weighing in the

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