Mercutio

Question 1

‘men’s eyes were made to look, and let them gaze; i will not budge for no man’s pleasure, i’ - mercutio, act 3 scene 1

Answer 1

• Mercutio shows his arrogance and pride here + possibly suggests that he deserves what happens to him later in the scene

Question 2

‘o calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Alla staccato carries it away” - mercutio, act 3 scene 1

Answer 2

• Mercutio’s view of Romeo’s refusal to fight Tybalt, he is disgusted by the abandonment of traditionally masculine aggression
• Mercutio serves as the voice for society, relaying the audience’s belief.
• He believes that Romeo’s peace-making attitude is “vile” as it goes against their nature.
• “Alla stoccata” is a move used in fencing. - Mercutio’s phrase suggests that Romeo not wanting to fight is not just “dishonourable” but actually a disease in which the only cure is to be a real man and fight

Question 3

‘a plague a’both your houses!’ - mercutio, act 3 scene 1

Answer 3

• Mercutio curses both houses before he dies, he uses repetition because both montagues + capulets are at fault for his death
• It can be argued that this is the turning point in the play. * It acts as a catalyst as it is from this moment that everything in the lives of Romeo and Juliet goes wrong. * Alternatively, it is possible that Mercutio’s final words aren’t a catalyst but just more foreshadowing, as the fates of Romeo and Juliet were set long before and had nothing to do with Mercutio

Question 4

‘and but one word with one of us? couple it with something. make it a word and a blow’

Answer 4

• Mercutio is attempting to goad Tybalt into a fight, trying to make fun of Tybalt.
• This could also be Shakespeare’s voice commenting on the power of words and literature, that when used correctly they can be as powerful as a physical blow.
• The use of rhythmic punctuation interrupts his dialogue may be being used for dramatic effect.

Question 5

‘if love be rough with you, be rough with love. prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. -‘ - mercutio, act 1 scene 4

Answer 5

• Mercutio acts as a foil to Romeo because their views on love juxtapose.
• While Romeo is romantic and focuses on the emotional aspects of love (some would say the feminine side of love) Mercutio predominantly focuses on the physical and sexual aspects of love.
• Mercutio advises Romeo to “be rough with love” - this is ironic as we are shown that Romeo has been softened by love.
• He even argues later that Juliet’s love has made him “effeminate” and “softer”.
• “Prick” was another word for penis so Mercutio is essentially saying that he should ‘be the man’ and take control of love instead of letting love control him.

Question 6

‘she is the faire’s midwife, and she comes in shape no bigger than an agate stone… through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of leave’ - mercutio, act 1 scene 4

Answer 6

• Mercutio starts to describe the character of Queen Mab.
• She’s a fairy who was created by Shakespeare. - she is referenced in other works of literature.
• She is described to be incredibly small, no bigger than “agate stone” which was a semi-precious stone
• Queen Mab’s purpose is to give people what they want through their dreams.
• Mercutio is essentially trying to prove to Romeo that dreams mean nothing.
• It is possible that Shakespeare starts with lovers to draw Romeo in as it something he can relate to

Question 7

‘true, I talk of dreams. which are the children off 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’ - mercutio, act 1 scene 4

Answer 7

• Through Mercutio, Shakespeare tries to buttress the insignificance of dreams.
• He describes through a metaphor that they are “children of an idle (meaning unfocused) brain” this suggests that, like children, dreams are unformed and juvenile.
• Alternatively, like children, dreams are playful and so Shakespeare may be trying to say that dreams are not serious creations of the mind and so should not be taken as important.
• Shakespeare goes on to say that it is less substantial than the air and more unpredictable than the wind.
• Through this metaphor, Shakespeare illustrates the insignificance of dreams.

Question 8

‘I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes / by her high forehead and her scars lip / by her… quivering thigh’ - mercutio, act 2 scene 1

Answer 8

• Mercutio’s objectification of Rosaline through the repeated allusions to body parts: “eyes […] forehead […] thigh” is in stark contrast with Romeo’s heartfelt appeal just a few lines before.
• Mercutio appeals to an erotic kind of love which does not tally with Romeo’s deep-set love and perhaps explains why the former’s words fail to entice the latter out.
• This serves to highlight the different approaches to love in the play.
• Further, the development of bodily imagery from the tamer lexis of “eyes […] forehead” to the more sexual lexus of “thigh” (and “the demesnes that there adjacent lie”, an allusion to female genitalia) highlights how Mercutio’s language is becoming increasingly indecent in his vain attempts to find Romeo.

Question 9

‘blind is [Romeo’s] love, and best befits the dark’ / ‘if lover be blind, love cannot hit the mark’ - mercutio, act 2 scene 1

Answer 9

• This dialogue between Benvolio and Mercutio is ominous in its discussion of Romeo’s love.
• It is shrouded in “dark[ness]” and according to Mercutio is doomed to fail.
• This fatalistic sentiment is emphasised by the rhyming couplet formed between “dark” and “mark”

Question 10

‘alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead: stabbed with / a white wench’s black eye; run through the ear with / a love-song” - mercutio, act 2 scene 4

Answer 10

• Whilst he is talking about Romeo and Rosaline, Mercutio’s sentiment here is equally applicable to the relationship between Romeo and Juliet.
• The juxtaposition between a lexis of death (“dead […] stabb’d […] black […] run through”) and one of love (“white […] love-song”) highlights the fragility and conflicts of their relationship. * Whilst Mercutio’s tone is jovial, his words are proleptic of Romeo’s death as a result of his lover.

Question 11

‘thou hast more of he wild goose in one of thy / wits then, I am sure, I have in my whole five’ mercutio, act 2 scene 4

Answer 11

• The familiar tone is highlighted by the use of the personal pronouns “thou […] thy”.
• Mercutio’s banterous line makes clear the mastery that Romeo has over words and thus characterises him as an educated character.
• However, when contrasted with Romeo’s foolishness throughout the play (such as embarking on a dangerous love affair, or thinking Juliet dead), this line’s espousal of Romeo’s intellect seems invalid.
• This creates the image of Romeo as a rational creature (intelligent, good with words) but who has been overridden by his passions (love for Juliet).