John delves into the world of bill shakespeares famous starcrossed lovers and examines what the play is about, its structure, and the context in which it. Tybalt, mercutio, the prince expressly hath forbidden bandying in verona streets. She is the fairies midwife, and she comes in shape no bigger than an. The role of mercutio in romeo and juliet essay examples. Both romeo and juliet are unable to escape their dreadful destiny, even though the strength of their love. Mercutio is romeos best friend but is very different from the romantic, dreamy heartthrob who falls in love with juliet at first sight. As such, being neither a montague nor a capulet, mercutio is one of the named characters in the play with the ability to mingle around those of both houses. If anything, mercutio thinks that romeos love is merely his inability to contain and control his own emotions. Romeo, doff thy name, famously referred to as the balcony scene, act 2, scene 2 of romeo. He and romeo are both friends of mercutio, a kinsman to the prince. Mercutio s name could be derived from mercury and is similar to the word mercurial, which according to merriamwebster means characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood. I am going to be analysing act 3, scene 1, concentrating on how shakespeare makes this scene dramatic and how it is pivotal in. Throughout the play mercutio makes fun of romeos fantasy of perfect romantic love, which invites the audience to question the seriousness and maturity of romeos feelings for juliet.
Tybalt under romeos arm stabs mercutio, and flies with his followers mercutio i am hurt. Youll be assessed on your knowledge of mercutios story and. Mercutios name could be derived from mercury and is similar to the word mercurial, which according to merriamwebster means characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood. Such is the world inhabited by romeo, tybalt, and mercutio, the main interlocutors of the play. All speeches lines for mercutio in romeo and juliet. Mercutio, the witty skeptic, is a foil for romeo, the young petrarchan lover. Shakespeares romeo and juliet takes up an ancient conversation about motion, a dialog that originates. Emma torrance analyses the characters of benvolio, mercutio and tybalt within act 3, scene 1 of romeo and juliet a key scene in which a. Romeo and juliet character analysis mercutio 123 help me. Mercutio is the comic foil in romeo and juliet, and this quizworksheet combo will help you test your understanding of the character. Benvolio and mercutio enter, debating which of them is more hot tempered, and tybalt and some other capulets arrive, expecting a confrontation. The last time mercutio is mentioned in this play is when prince is talking to both montague and capulet saying, and i for winking at your discords too have lost a brace of kinsmen.
Romeo and juliet act 2 scene 4 summary course hero. When romeo refuses to fight, romeos friend mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. He spends that night with juliet and then leaves for mantua. Wild, frenetic, easygoing, and funloving, mercutios manic energy, rambling stories, and razorsharp wit masks read full character analysis. Mercutio, angered by tybalts insults and attacks on romeo, draws his a teachers guide to the signet classic edition of william shakespeares romeo and juliet 2. Mercutio mocks romeo s vision of love and the poetic devices he uses to express his emotions. Romeo and juliet act 3 scene 1 summary course hero. Mercutios queen mab speech introduces us to an important aspect of his character. Mercutio is romeo s best friend but is very different from the romantic, dreamy heartthrob who falls in love with juliet at first sight.
Dive into our comprehensive guide to ace your shakespeare assignments. The nurse meets romeo and his friend mercutio who thinks the whole situation is hilarious, and they arrange to get juliet to friar laurence. But one has to explore what types of love this refers to. Hes dirty, funny, out of control, andwell say itcompared to him, romeo and juliet can seem whiny and repetitive. Romeo and his companions almost immediately encounter juliets cousin tybalt, who challenges romeo. Mercutio is romeo s friend and the princes kinsman. Benvolio wishes to avoid a confrontation with the capulets. Romeo has been transformedor returned to something like his original self before he met rosaline. Use the short summary below of each scene to write your scene cards for each scene so. Mercutios speech, while building tension for romeos first meeting with juliet at the capulet ball, indicates that although mercutio is romeos friend, he can. Mercutio listens to his lovesick friend romeo pine after rosaline. Mercutio is an antiromantic character who, like juliet s nurse, regards love as an exclusively physical pursuit. Romeo was very unwilling to go to the party and even. Though he constantly puns, jokes, and teasessometimes in fun, sometimes with bitterness mercutio is not a mere jester or prankster.
First of all, mercutio convinces romeo to go to the party at the capulets house, where he met juliet. Yet mercutio and romeo both very dissimilar views on love and on life in general. Presents the original text of shakespeares play side by side with a modern version. Romeo and juliet character analysis juliet is the daughter of lord and lady capulet. With a lightningquick wit and a clever mind, mercutio is a scene stealer and one of the most memorable characters in all of shakespeares works. Character analysis of mercutio in romeo and juliet. Get the entire romeo and juliet litchart as a printable pdf. Mercutio is one of the plays most dynamic and complex characters. In the play romeo and juliet, shakespeare has created several memorable characters, aside from the witty, humorous, and theatrical character of all time mercutio. Friar lawrence our romeo hath not been in bed tonight. Because he has married juliet and looks upon tybalt as a relative, romeo resists his advances. Wild, frenetic, easygoing, and funloving, mercutios manic energy, rambling stories, and razorsharp wit masks a much darker core. One secondary character, mercutio, is essential to the play. He fights as you sing pricksong, keeps time, distance, and proportion.
Romeo and juliet find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Pdf on oct 12, 2018, rahmatullah katawazai and others published a critical analysis of william shakespeares. Lady capulet and paris discuss whether juliet, lady capulets daughter, is old enough to. This demonstrates how mercutio cannot comprehend the love between romeo and juliet. He is a cynical realist who finds dreams and fantasies ridiculous. Mercutio character analysis in romeo and juliet litcharts. Lesson summary mercutio was a loyal best friend to the death. Here is shakespeares original text of the queen mab speech. Mercutio warned romeo that he should stay away from juliet, but he didnt listen, and as we all know, mercutio was correct. His namewhich recalls the adjective mercurial, meaning volatile. Romeo and juliet, in fact, bears a resemblance not only to the works on which it is based.
Unit 6 task 4 analysis of a film romeo and juliet 1. Mercutio mocks romeos vision of love and the poetic devices he uses to express his emotions. Mercutio is the princes kinsman, but more importantly, he is romeos friend and confidant. Michael donkor studies the characters of romeo and juliet in act 2, scene 2 of the play otherwise known as the balcony scene. This 49page guide for romeo and juliet by william shakespeare includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 5 chapters, as well as several more indepth. Romeo and juliet analysis in shakespeares play, romeo and juliet, shakespeare explores the tragic lives and deaths of the two starcrossed lovers. First, he is a highly entertaining character, and often. When the play begins, we learn from the nurse that juliet is soon turning fourteen even or odd, of all the days in the year come lammaseve at night shall she be fourteen. Act iii scene i mercutio o calm, dishonourable, vile submission. The plot is based on an italian tale but shakespeare makes it more dramatic by developing specific characters, such as the nurse and mercutio.
Mercutio mens eyes were made to look, and let them gaze. My students cant get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof. For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households rancour to pure love. Act i 6 volume iii book ix sampson me they shall feel while i am able to stand. Mercutio is an antiromantic character who, like juliet s. Wild, frenetic, easygoing, and funloving, mercutio s manic energy, rambling stories, and razorsharp wit masks read full character analysis. Mercutio is quick with words and is one of the plays most skilled masters of puns and. The functions of mercutio in romeo and juliet by sharon yu romeo and juliet is a famous tragedy written by william shakespeare. Tybalt and mercutio taunt and insult one another to the brink of a fight. Benvolio, another member of the montague posse, runs into tybalt capulet, who is angry about. During the heat of the day, benvolio and mercutio are loitering on the streets of verona when tybalt arrives looking for romeo. Mercutio character analysis essay example for students. Analysis of act three scene 1 of william shakespeares romeo and juliet romeo and juliet is a play filled with love, fate, rivalry and tragedy. The nurse also tells romeo of juliets other suitor, paris, and explains that juliet has little interest in paris.
In juliets first meeting with her mother and the nurse, she seems to be an obedient and responsible child. The role of mercutio in romeo and juliet in william shakespeares romeo and juliet, each character plays a specific role in driving the action forward and shaping the plays theme. After some backandforth jesting rich with sexual innuendo, mercutio remarks that romeo. Romeo and juliet no fear shakespeare biloxi public schools.
Act 3, scene 1 romeo and juliet william shakespeare. When romeo comes upon them, he does his best to stop the mens threats and to deflect tybalts challenge, but neither mercutio nor tybalt can be subdued. Shakespeares romeo and juliet 159596 depicts the forbidden love of two young individuals romeo montague and juliet capulet. Motion and mercutio in romeo and juliet project muse johns. Pdf motion and mercutio in romeo and juliet daryl w. This describes the death of mercutio after his fight with tybalt. Ah, that same pale hardhearted wench, that rosaline. He is a close friend to romeo and a blood relative to prince escalus and count paris. The fight which breaks out between the capulets and montagues in act 3, scene 1 is central to the plot of romeo and juliet. Wild, frenetic, easygoing, and funloving, mercutio s manic energy, rambling stories, and razorsharp wit masks a much darker core. Mercutio is one of romeos closest friends and is, as well, a relative of the prince he serves three main functions within the text.