He describes Queen Mab at first as being a very lovely person that helps people dream, but then his attitude changes towards her and says things like; “This is that very Mab that plats the manes of horses in the night”
This shows us that Mab can be a very cruel person, because when everyone is asleep she will tangle the manes of horses.
Mercutio’s major function in the play is to be a catalyst for the plot. Mercutio’s purpose as a character is most significantly revealed in his relationship with Romeo, his baiting of Tybalt, and his death. More importantly, Mercutio functions as the catalyst for the pattern of disasters in the play that follows his own tragic death.
He is a very good friend of Romeo’s, for example, Mercutio tells Romeo “Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance” and he playfully pushes Romeo to “Borrow cupid’s wings and soar with them above a common bound”.
These lines demonstrate Mercutio’s characteristic need for urgency and action.
Mercutio is hot-headed and quick to act. His need for action and his ridiculing nature are also seen in his ways of trying to anger Tybalt, at first, Mercutio seems almost excited to see Romeo fight Tybalt, however, Romeo does not give in to Tybalt’s insults and does not accept Tybalt’s challenge to fight. As Romeo is a very passive character in this play and is a typical teenager that just wants to love, he try’s to change Tybalt’s mind by saying “I do protest I never injur’d thee, but love thee better than thou canst devise.”
But in saying this it provokes Mercutio, and he becomes more hostile towards Tybalt and it is he instead of Romeo that makes a move towards his as he says: “Here’s my fiddlestick; here’s that shall make you dance”.
And Mercutio then makes Romeo’s duel with Tybalt his own.
Mercutio forces Tybalt to fight by provoking him with insults. Drawing his sword, he threatens Tybalt: “Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out”.
Tybalt then draws his sword, which then leads towards Mercutio’s own death.
Mercutio’s last words makes Romeo feel very guilty about what he has done, after Mercutio has been led off to die Romeo says:
This gentleman, the prince’s near ally,
My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt
In my behalf, my reputation stained
With Tybalt’s slander Tybalt, that an hour
Hath been made my cousin! O sweet Juliet,
Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,
And in my temper softened valour’s steel.
This shows us that Mercutio is such a good friend of Romeo that now he thinks that he is to blame for it and thinking that he is the cause of Mercutio’s death, Romeo kills Tybalt. Mercutio’s death is important in this play as from what Mercutio said: “A plague a’ both your houses”,
As it then leads to the death of Romeo.
