Mercutio

Mercutio
 * __ First Impression: __**

Mercutio enters the play Romeo and Juliet in Scene 1 Act 4. He is goes with Romeo and Benvolio to the Capulets' party. As they enter the party Romeo begins to talk about how Romeo still feels so love sick. Hearing Romeo complain causes Mercutio to becomes annoyed with him and gives begins to tell sexual jokes: 1.4.27-30 "If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.- As the conversation continues they begin to talk about their dreams. Romeo asks what did he dream about, and Mercutio answers with: 1.4.56 "That dreamers often lie" and goes on to talk about the rest of his long dream. Throughout the dream he talks about how this little fairy comes to people who are sleeping and makes them dream. They dream about something in their life. "...through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love" (1.4.76) "O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream." (1.4.79)

Mercutio comes across as a very mischievous person, one of the first things that comes out of his mouth is a sexual joke. He continues to tease Romeo throughout the scene, without pushing it too much. He does this by telling jokes, being witty with his words and playing around. He is very moody and constantly speaks his mind and what he thinks of Romeo's decisions.


 * __ I Am What I Say __**

In shape no bigger than an agate stone On the forefinger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomi Athwart men’s noses as they lie asleep." 1.4.58-86 || Here Mercutio mocks Romeo and tells him to stop thinking about Rosaline and go to the feast with him and Benvolio. He talks about Queen Mab, a fairy queen, who brings dreams to sleeping humans. The dreams she brings are about the person. So lovers dream of love, soldiers dream of war... and etc. But then Mercutio says that dreams can also be bad. || Mercutio has a long speech in the first scene he is introduced in. It reveals a few things about him. He's a very deep person, that feels a lot of emotions. he also shows his hate for too much emotion. || eye, shot through the ear with a love song, the very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow-boy’s butt shaft." || Here Mercutio describes how Rosaline is tearing apart Romeo due to his love for her and his emotional attitude. He explains that her seduction is hurting Romeo and that he is powerless against it. || Mercutio is very clearly against romantics and emotional bonds between people. He believes it only causes problems and pain like in the case of Romeo's feelings towards Rosaline. || //I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes,// //By her high forehead and her scarlet lip,// //By her fine foot, straight leg and quivering thigh// //And the demesnes that there adjacent lie,// //That in thy likeness thou appear to us!// "(2.1.1) || Mercutio is talking about Rosaline to Romeo in the beginning of the play. He is describing Rosaline's body parts in a very suggestive short monlogue. || Mercutio is being extremely vulgar and hostile towards women. He is has a lot of problems with love as we can see in his Queen Mab speech, but he seems to be a tad sexist and the way he is referring to women in a very crude manner shows this. Even though he may be joking as he does throughout the play. || Romeo and Juliet aren't meant to be. They aren't supposed to be together, they will only bring even more tension between both houses. || At the end of the scene Romeo realizes that Mercutio was right. He then kills Tybalt and is sent into exile. Mercutio was right about the love between Romeo and Juliet ends up being a tragedy, just how he predicted it. Romeo realizes this and wishes he had listened to Mercutio. || love with Juliet and how that can affect and worsen the relationship between the two families. || Although Mercutio says many dirty jokes. He does care about his friends (Romeo) a lot. He is once again warning Romeo of what can happen if he marries Juliet. || And soar with them above a common bound. || Here Mercutio is essentially just telling Romeo to use his love and passion to surpass the average man and become great. || This passage is important because it shows that Mercutio has great faith in Romeo and truly believes in him. It also shows he doesn't completely disregard the power and value of love. || If thou art dun, we’ll draw thee from the mire, Or—save your reverence—love, wherein thou stick’st Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho! || Here Mercutio tells Romeo that he is being too cautious and depressing. He says that Romeo is too deep in love and that he must pull Romeo out in order to help him. || This speech made by Mercutio shows how nimble he is with regard to his wording. He explains how he will pull Romeo out of love in a very clever way. He also condenses a very detailed and somewhat complicated train of ideas into a short speech. He also demonstrates his care for Romeo and his love for fun and excitement. || Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air And more inconstant than the wind, who woos Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being angered, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south. || Mercutio is explaining how he believes very little of dreams and thinks they are meaningless. He states that they are just imagination and fantasy. He also says that they are extremely unpredictable. || Mercutio in this passage is showing how down to earth and realistic he is. He disregards fantasy and imagination as meaningless. He reinforces his image of a somewhat pessimistic character through his massacre of dreams. However he is only spiritually a pessimist as he believes in having a good time and partying. ||
 * Quotations: || Paraphrase: || Commentary: ||
 * "O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you. . . .She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
 * "Alas, poor Romeo! He is already dead, stabbed with a whitewench’s black
 * //"I must conjure him.//
 * "A plague o' both your houses" (3.1.94) || Mercutio says this just after he is slain by Tybalt. What he means is that
 * "Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover! My invocation is fair and honest, in his mistress' name…" || Here Mercutio shows that he is worried about Romeo. He realizes that Romeo is in
 * You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings
 * Tut, dun’s the mouse, the constable’s own word.
 * True, I talk of dreams,


 * __ Scenes He's in: __**

In 1.4.13 Mercutio does his first appearance. He speaks with Benvolio and Romeo infront of the Capulet's house, right before the party. Benvolio and Mercutio insist they should go into the party with their masks, but Romeo is still very sad about Rosaline and doesn't want to. Mercutio then goes on to give his Queen Mab speech.

In 2.1 After the Capulet party Benvolio looks for Romeo, while Mercutio thinks he most-likely already left. Mercutio then goes on to make jokes about Romeo and why he's disappeared.

In 2.2 Mercutio and Romeo begin to talk about love. After many jokes, Romeo reaches the conclusion that the only reason Mercutio jokes about love is because he hasn't felt how painful it can be.

In 2.4 The morning after the Capulet feast, Benvolio and Mercutio again look for Romeo. Benvolio tells Mercutio that Tybalt has sent a letter challenging Romeo for a duel. Mercutio jokes that Romeo wouldn't accept because he is still so in love with Rosaline. When Romeo finally shows up Mercutio begins to tease him, then the Nurse shows up looking for Romeo. After Mercutio teases the Nurse, him and Benvolio leave.

3.1 Benvolio and Mercutio are walking around the streets of Verona. Benvolio knows that the Capulets are also around and is very agitated. Tybalt then shows up looking for Romeo to fight him. Mercutio then tries to pick a fight with Tybalt. But Tybalt makes it clear he is there to fight Romeo. When Romeo shows up and declines the duel, Mercutio outraged begins to fight Tybalt. Mercutio is then stabbed by Tybalt and as he dies he curses both houses.


 * __ Final Assignment: __**