Mercutio's Personality

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Mercutio’s wit makes him an unforgettable character and one of the most beloved characters in all of Shakespeare’s works. In this Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio steals the spotlight with his bawdy humour and his puncturing of romantic sentiments. Mercutio is one of the most memorable characters in this tragedy because he serves as Romeo’s foil, while also linked with the violence and comedy in the play. Most importantly, he serves as a tragic hero, marking the downfall of the story, which proves his significance to the storyline. Mercutio's personality can be described by many words as he is such a complex and quick-witted but the character traits that best describe his essence are impetuous and hot-tempered. In the next paragraph of …show more content…

The trait that best describes Mercutio’s persona is his impetuousness as it propels his impulsive and hot-tempered nature. Throughout the story, Mercutio serves as a fiery foil to Romeo, and often provides comic relief from dark situations and in many instances advances and provides more information on the storyline. This is evident in his impulsive attitude and his ability to always draw attention to himself, unlike most other characters. In one such passage, Benvolio suggests to Mercutio that they leave because the Capulets are coming and he knows they would not be able to escape without a fight. However, Mercutio shows his impetuousness, and tendency to make bad decisions, by not listening to Benvolio’s advice. Following this, his impetuous personality is shown in the lines,” O calm dishonourable, vile submission! /Alla stoccata carries it away./ Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk?” (Gill 3.1.44-46) In this passage, Mercutio’s impulsiveness is on full display as he acts on his rage, and ends up getting himself killed for his bravado. This passage uses the foil between Romeo and Mercutio and motivation in character to portray Mercutio’s

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