How Important to you consider Mercutio to be to the impact of Romeo and Juliet

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GCSE Coursework Assignment

10/10/2004

How Important do you consider Mercutio to be to the impact of Romeo and Juliet?

        In Romeo and Juliet, we see many different and contrasting characters, each playing a specific and individual role and each creating a different and personal effect. Although Mercutio is shown and looked upon as a secondary character, “Kinsman to the Prince and friend to Romeo”, I believe he plays one of the most important roles in the drama. Shakespeare has been clever in creating Mercutio, as he is not born into either of the conflicting families he acts as just a personal friend to Romeo, this means he has a freer role, and he can do and say things that Romeo and other Montague’s cannot without causing too much aggravation with the enemy. Mercutio has chosen to be friend of Romeo and the Montague family, he does not dislike the Capulets and never in the play wishes to injure any one of them in any way, his main concern is for Romeo and basic peace between the two houses. It was never his objective to get anyone from either family killed.

The first time we see Mercutio, is in Act 1 Scene 4, he and Romeo, together with a group of their friends and kinsmen, are on the way to a party given by their own family’s enemy, Lord Capulet. Their plan is to crash the party so that Romeo will have the opportunity to see his love, Rosaline, whom they know, has been invited to the Capulet’s mansion that evening. Romeo, originally thought the party-crashing would be a wonderful idea, but suddenly is overcome by a sense of great foreboding; although they “And we mean well in going to this mask;
But 'tis no wit to go.”
 This annoys Mercutio, who does not recognize Romeo’s reluctance as a genuine premonition, but feels it is simply another example of Romeo’s lovesick whims. Romeo tries to explain to Mercutio that it is based upon a very disturbing dream, and Mercutio passes that off as silly, telling him that "Dreamers often lie." He is not exactly saying that Romeo is a liar, but that he should not believe in what he sees in his dreams, he dismisses them as idle fantasies. He then realises that Romeo is lovesick, and is feeling depressed, “Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.” Mercutio is doing his best to cheer him up and raise his spirits, “You are a lover; borrow Cupid's wings, and soar with them above a common bound.” He gives friendly advice, which is very helpful but whether Romeo takes heed is his own choice. Despite all of Mercutio’s joking, Romeo does not wish do join the dance, he refuses, it is then that Mercutio begins a speech, he uses very vivid language to create the complex perception of the imaginary character of Queen Mab, “Her wagon-spokes made of long spiders' legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, The traces of the smallest spider's web, The collars of the moonshine's watery beams, Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film.” He describes her appearance and features in a flamboyant and highly expressive style. This shows that Mercutio is intelligent, knowledgeable, and has a powerful imagination. Romeo again dismisses him, “Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace! Thou talk'st of nothing.”

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Mercutio is the closest friend to Romeo and plays an important part in his life. He gives advice and is always there for him, whether he is in trouble or whether he is just upset. Their strong bond is shown conscientiously in Act 2 Scene 1, Mercutio is the first of any of Romeo’s friends or relatives to realise that he was deeply in love, “Romeo! Humours! Madman! Passion! Lover!” he continues, “Cry but ‘Ay me!’ pronounce but ‘love’ and ‘dove, Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word”. At this point Mercutio is only teasing Romeo, but we see ...

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