Mercutio

Question 1

“Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word”

Answer 1

1 - classical allusion to Venus, roman Goddess of love, showcases Romeo’s infatuation is something mythic and transdescendant

2 - mocking tone in which Mercutio references this goddess signals his disillusioned outlook on romantic love - he is the foil character of Romeo - he presents a more flippant and base stance on love, and showcases that age is not the reason why Romeo is like how he is.

3 - compounded through the mock-formal tone of “speak..one fair word” positioning himself as a realist, but also uses irony to mock the absurdity of Romeo’s obession - comic relief