Mercutio is a unique character in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay Example For Students

Mercutio is a unique character in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay Mercutio is a unique character in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. His relationships within the play being a kinsman to the prince and friend of Romeo give him a curious involvement, as he is both concerned with Romeos defence, and yet is detached from it as he is not a Montague and therefore is not actually part of the feud. He is able to stand apart from the conflict and rivalry between the two families and so is allowed overview Romeos life in an unemotional way, giving him sound, wise advice like an elder brother. His other role in the play is to provide vulgar humour and bring the first part of the play to life. So that when Mercutio dies the humour dies as well. His death shows that humour can have no part in the final stages of the play. Although Mercutios character is short lived his role in the play is much bigger, as his protectiveness over Romeo causes the tragedy. His death triggers off a sequence of tragic events, which ends with the death of the lovers. If Mercutio had not been killed then Romeo would not have been forced to avenge his friends death, he would not have been banished and therefore from seeing Juliet. Mercutios other role in the play is to have contrasting ideas than that of the main character, so that Romeos attitudes and behaviour can be emphasised. For example Mercutios bawdy phrases and expressions of love opposes Romeos innocent romantic love. Mercutios essential love of fighting opposes Romeos unwillingness to fight unless his tolerance is pushed, Mercutios lively witty mockery of everything around him opposes Romeos quiet courtesy and consideration and finally Mercutios cynical view of people opposes Romeos innocent belief in others. He is also important as a device for Shakespeare to express his own feelings and views of Elizabethan society. To get the audience to see the wrongs present in the world. Mercutio first appears rather late in the play in Act1 Scene4 when we have already met most of the main characters. He appears with Romeo and friends in a street carrying masks and torches about to gatecrash the Capulets party. His opening words and actions are very revealing of his character and his role in the play, Nay gentle Romeo, we must have you dance, Here Shakespeare shows Mercutios concern and intense loyalty towards Romeo. He wants Romeo to dance at the party and enjoy himself. Mercutio does not seem to like the melancholy Romeo, and so wishes him to have fun, be merry and in good spirits, he does not want to see his friend sad or unhappy and so shows interest in his well being. We can see his importance as a friend wanting to protect Romeo from unhappiness. We can see from the very first words spoken by Romeo to Mercutio of the type of character he is, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦you have dancing shoes With nimble soles, I have a soul of lead So stakes me to the ground I cannot move. Mercutio is described as being active, agile, and lively. Although Romeo is describing Mercutios soles on shoes as being nimble, he is actually punning and therefore referring to Mercutios spiritual soul and character. Here we also see an antithesis between Romeo and Mercutio. Romeo who has a soul of lead so is heavy and earthbound, and Mercutio, who is light and free-minded. We are also able to see the first contrast between Mercutio and Romeo, as Mercutio is lively and able to dance because he does not have the burden of love, whereas Romeo is moody and miserable. Here Mercutio is used as a device to highlight Romeos feelings. Mercutios attitude to Romeos lovesick infatuation is not very sympathetic, he is teasing and mocking Romeos attitude towards his love for Rosaline, and believes he should part with this infatuation and borrow cupids wings and soar with them. He believes Romeo being a lover should dance with other girls. Here we see that Mercutio cannot understand the full concept of love. He thinks that one girl can be regarded as another. He believes that Romeo should no longer linger on his unreturned love and dance with other girls. This is the first of many references in which Mercutios attitude of love will be essential in highlighting Romeos genuine love. Mercutio bursts onto the scene with lively and bawdy wit, he mocks love with bawdy expressions, therefore continuing the theme of highlighting Romeos attitudes to love, And to sink in it should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing. Mercutio uses rude words with double meanings to express his view of love, as oppression has the meaning of being pressed down. It seems that the concept of romantic love amuses him. He says Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. Here again he uses a bawdy pun on prick and beat love down meaning give love back as good as you get and you will defeat it. Elizabethans admired word play and punning and throughout the play the young men including Mercutio are important, in showing their wit to keep the audience amused. Mercutios sense of humour appeals to us, his jesting about everything even his fatal wound, which kills him. Mercutio acting like an elder brother advises Romeo to take charge in controlling his own life, If love be rough with you, be rough with love. From this speech we see the attitude Mercutio takes to life. He is his own person, and will not let anyone or anything take control of his life; he lives life to the full, is lively and well expressed. His words are important, as it seems that Romeo takes it to heart, because love is rough with Romeo and Juliet. It conquers their minds and will and they can think of nothing but being together. They are hurt and torn apart because of this love and so they are rough back to it, killing themselves to be together. Mercutios importance as an elder brother who advises Romeo is stressed here as Romeo takes charge of death; he controls his life in the end like Mercutio advised. We can also see another characteristic of Mercutio in this scene. He appears to not care about his appearance, Give me a case to put my visage in. A visor for a visor. What care I. He is asking for a mask to put his face in, a visor for a face that is already ugly, therefore saying that his face is already hideous enough not to need a mask. Mercutio does not care what people think of him, he is an individual who does not need people to love him for his beauty but for his wit and so makes fun of himself. He does not believe in external, on the surface appearances but believes real beauty lies in a persons mind. We also see Mercutio commenting on himself on the way to the party, when he says they are wasting their time, come, we burn daylight. This shows that Mercutio never likes to waste time. He lives every second to the full. When Mercutio plunges into the Queen Mab speech we see other characteristics of him; he steals the limelight from Romeo who wants to tell the audience about his dream and dominates the stage with a very long speech made up of colourful, sensual language. It demonstrates his fiery explosiveness and wild imagination, her wagon-spokes made of long spinners legs, he conjures up this nonsensical fantasy, as an example of his love to perform in front of others, have people around him enchanted and enthralled with his words running out in an uncontrollable flow. Once again his imaginative language contrasts that of melancholy Romeo. He loves to hear himself talk as Romeo describes him to the nurse A gentleman nurse, that loves to hear himself talk; and will speak more in a minute than he will stand in a month. Romeo is telling the audience as the Queen Mab speech shows that, Mercutio is a man of words rather than actions. However that is not so, Mercutio through his actions is killed. Another purpose of Mercutios Queen Mab speech is a way for Shakespeare to express his own views upon the selfish, dishonest flaws in human kind. While delivering his speech Mercutio seems angry at his society and through satirical commentary conveys his cynicism of the world. Mercutio describes Queen Mab as the fairies midwife who is responsible for the dreams of humans. As Mercutio puts together the image of Queen Mab flying through the air in a wagon we receive a revolting picture. For example the cover is made from grasshoppers wings, likewise for the riding-whip made of crickets bones. Maybe this is to show the uneasiness and sickening disgust of Mercutio. The disgust he feels towards Queen Mab by describing her carriage as being made up from horrible insect parts. To show how she tears up reality as the animals are torn apart to make her carriage and grants people what they desire when they do not deserve it. Mercutio goes on to criticise societys superstitions, lifestyle and the way they behave towards other people, Pricked from the lazy finger of a maid, He is referring to worms being pricked out, as worms are supposed to breed in the finger ends of lazy maids. Mercutio is saying that these people do not have the right to call anyone lazy especially their servants. For it is they who are lazy, employing people to do their work, they are hypocrites. God gave them hands and legs to use but just because they happen to have the money they do not use them. They live a life of luxury while watching people do their dirty work. From line 71 Mercutio comments sarcastically that most people dream of selfish things, that courtiers dream on curtsies straight so they may get more money by doing insufficient deeds that anyone could do. Lawyers who straight dreams on fees, are not happy with their status, the amount of money they already get. Instead they are greedy and want more. Ladies who dream straight on kisses although their breaths are tainted with unpleasant smells. They should not eat all those sweets and still expect to be kissed. These ladies cannot give up something less sweets for what they desire as they are spoilt. Courtiers who dream of smelling out a suit, once again they are willing to take money off others to do a job that is unnecessary. They are taking advantage of their position to gain more money. Mercutio even goes as far as to criticise parsons who are supposedly devoted to God yet dream of another benefice. Soldiers who dream of cutting foreign throats, and when awake get scared so swear a prayer or two and sleep again. These soldiers dream of killing men, Gods human beings with high quality swords, yet they turn to God when they need help. How Shakespeare presents the treatment of Juliet by Romeo and Capulet EssayWe also see Mercutios disrespect and mockery towards Tybalt because he is shallow, and not genuine. He is a poser who looks down on Romeo because he is a Montague; he is prejudiced, which causes Mercutio to not be able to restrain his feelings and attitude because of sheer hatred towards him. Finally we see again Mercutios quick-witted humour, And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something, make it a word and a blow Here Mercutio is deliberately provocative and aggressive. Everything that Tybalt says he turns around, twists and tears apart. In the opening lines of Act 3 Scene 1 we can see some notification of what will happen later in the scene. The first three lines set the mood of the scene as Benvolio tries to persuade Mercutio to retire as the day is hot, therefore people are likely to be more quarrelsome. He is warning Mercutio that there is bound to be a fight. This tension and apprehension is communicated to the audience as Benvolio prepares us for a brawl. However Mercutio disregards what anyone says or does and embarks on a speech, which is likened to himself rather than Benvolio. This speech is the typical not bothered, spoiling for a fight, reckless Mercutio. He goes off at a tangent and turns on poor, hapless Benvolio. However this speech is ironic as Mercutio is talking more about himself. Mercutio has so much energy that it has to find a release, which he does by selecting a topic to give a lecture on. Because at present he does not have a target, he picks on Benvolio who takes the full blast of his behaviour. He teases Benvolio by inventing a tough, hard man who is ready to fight, who is violent and a show off. He launches into a tirade and accuses Benvolio of quarrelling with someone for no reason because his head is as full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, this is an ironic statement as Mercutio is the quarrelsome one. Shakespeare uses a simile to get the audience to imagine Mercutio full of words, imagery and humour. He has so much to say, express his feelings and attitudes that his head is crammed, as an egg is crammed with meat. He is the one who is hot tempered and will pick a fight over nothing. Benvolio unintentionally forecasts Mercutios death by saying truly that such a man could not survive as much as an hour and a quarter. This is an example of Mercutios twisted humour; he has nothing better to do so invents a fictitious character of Benvolio. This speech is important in an effort to express Mercutios restlessness and edginess so that the audience can see he will willingly accept a fight. When Tybalt arrives on stage the characteristics of Mercutio that the audience know and love are emphasised as we see the actions and words exchanged with Juliets cousin. Tybalt is stolid, unimaginative, lacking in humour, and stony faced. Mercutio contrasts his character so much, that the audience immediately hate him when he appears on the scene. There is an exchange of insults between Mercutio and Tybalt. The combination of opposing ideas in sentences is an example of Mercutios quick wit, Could you not take some occasion without giving? the antithesis in that sentence being give and take, meaning that can Tybalt not seize the opportunity without one having to give him it. Mercutio is describing himself, his quick wit and intelligence enables himself to mock anything he desires whether words or actions. He therefore seizes the opportunity to mock Tybalt by punning on the word consort, Tybalt tells him that he consortest with Romeo, meaning that he is a friend who goes along with him, like a companion. But then Mercutio twists it around and replies consort? What dost thou make us minstrels? meaning musicians in a band, servants of Romeo, a low life. He then puns on Tybalts words again when Romeo arrives on the scene, when Tybalt says here comes my man, meaning the one he is after. However Mercutio twists it around and replies, But Ill be hanged sir, if he wear your livery. Marry go before to field, hell be your follower; Your worship in that sense may call him man. Mercutio discredits Tybalts words, he is saying that he will be hanged if Romeo would ever wear his livery; therefore Romeo is not his servant. When you would say my man you would be referring to your servant and Mercutio is saying that Romeo never ever in his life would become Tybalts servant, he would rather die. Mercutio then says go ahead to the field where he will fight you or be your servant. He sarcastically refers to Tybalt as your worship. The audience is able to see in this scene Mercutio and Tybalt fencing verbally. We are able to see Mercutio tear Tybalts words and make a mockery of him in front of everyone. Tybalt is so superficial that he has nothing inside of him, he has no words to match Mercutio like Romeo has, he can learn his fancy duelling and manners from a book, but he cannot learn to match anyone like Mercutio verbally. Mercutio challenges Tybalt to fight because he is the only person who is more willing minded to fight than Tybalt. Also because he cannot believe that Romeo would withdraw from a fight and so allow someone like Tybalt who he hates so much, be able to mock his friends cowardice. He can hardly believe that Romeo would do this, as he does not know that Romeo will not fight because Tybalt is now his cousin as he has married Juliet, O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Mercutio is astonished at the calm way Romeo surrenders to insult, he is disgusted at Romeos shameful yielding and so prepares himself to stand up for his friends honour. So with Alla stoccata he starts defending the Montagues honour. He replies this sarcastically as it is a stroke you would learn in fencing, to show Tybalt that he thinks all this fancy duelling as a travesty, a farce. He answers wittingly to Tybalts challenge, all his insults revolving around the imagery of a cat because of Tybalts name, rat catcher, king of cats, nine lives, this is ironic as Mercutio describes his fatal wound as a scratch from Tybalt. Although physically it was Romeos fault that Mercutio got injured, Mercutio himself is actually to blame for his own death. Shakespeare gives Mercutio these dying speeches to reflect what we know of him, as even though he is in pain, he humours us at a critical moment. Mercutios dying language is full of humour. He tells a series of jokes about death and wounds, even at death he does not show the feelings and emotions that matter like love. He is not dramatic about his own death and does not show that he is scared to die; he does not want his friends to see him behave differently. He puns on grave man saying that he will be grave meaning not happy, as he will be making no more jokes because he will be dead in his grave. This shows his courage and bravery in coping with a wound. His bitterness and cynicism is emphasised when he shouts three times a plague on both your houses. This is a high point of the speech and turns out to be prophetic. We can see there is resentment and anger in his face, his tone changes to a more serious tone as he fences at the feuding families and scolds Romeo for coming between them to allow Tybalt to strike the blow. He cannot believe that a man who learnt fencing by the book won over him, one who fights with passion, emotion and natural skill. Mercutios death is of a piece with the way he lived his life, as it represents his courage and nobleness. His very bitter jokes and loyalty to Romeo gain our admiration, as he is not involved in the feud. However we see an unexpected seriousness in his voice when he curses the two families, a plague on both your houses, and we see his dying wish fulfilled, as in the final scene of the play the prince declares, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love! Mercutios death fits in with the way he lived his life, as we admire the performance he puts on even at his death. Mercutio can be compared to a shooting star that is hurled in the first part of the play. He lights up the first two acts as a star lights up the night sky, his death portraying the light extinguished as the play and the star go down hill from thereon to a final tragedy, the play becomes biter and no longer light hearted. The death of Mercutios character was important fo r Shakespeare as he distracted the audience from the main plot. If he were still present in the play the audience would be wondering what comical thing he would do or say next. He had to be removed from the play so that the audience would be able to see the clear storyline and feel the cruel, ruthlessness of the lovers deaths. Although Mercutios death is very moving and sad, Shakespeare ensures that Mercutios death does not have the same effect on the audience as the lovers deaths, by adding humour even when Mercutio is dying. Also Shakespeare would have had him carried offstage to die hidden from the audience. Mercutio is the only character within the play Romeo and Juliet who demonstrates the characteristics of being individual. Therefore he is extremely significant in the play as his actions and speeches can be constantly used as a device for Shakespeares views of Elizabethan society, highlighting attitudes and providing amusement for the audience. However Shakespeare uses Mercutio most importantly to point out the moral of the play, the foolishness of the feud.