Mercutio's Mask

The next day, Benvolio and Romeo have an encounter with Tybalt, who is still out to get Romeo for crashing the Capulet’s party. When Romeo refuses to duel with Tybalt, Mercutio steps in and accepts the duel. This duel, however, ultimately led to the killing of Mercutio by Tybalt. Out of guilt for Mercutio, Romeo attacks Tybalt killing him.

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio plays a very important role because of his impulsivity and loyalty to his friends. The first picture I used to illustrate Mercutio’s role in the story was a picture of a dog, because dogs are a very common symbol of loyalty, and the one of the main aspects of Mercutio’s personality is his loyalty to Romeo. In act three, Mercutio believes that Tybalt is insulting Romeo and attempts to defend his friend, leading to his own death. The second picture I chose was that of a smiling joker. I chose this because Mercutio is a very facetious character without a serious bone in his body. Most of his dialogue is joking around, for example, when he says “to hide her face, for the fan’s/ the fairer of the two”

Mercutio and Tybalt are about to fight when Romeo

Additionally, after Romeo’s marriage with Juliet he gets in the middle of a fight. If Romeo did not engage in the brawl between Mercutio his best friend and Tybalt his opposing rival, they would still have a fair chance at survival. Mercutio engages in a fight with Tybalt on Romeo’s behalf because Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, since Tybalt is now Romeo’s cousin-in-law. In addition, Romeo attempts to break up the progressive fight, but his actions are futile. Furthermore, Romeo getting among Mercutio and Tybalt does more harm than good because Mercutio dies. The only explanation of how Mercutio dies is that Tybalt is able to pierce Mercutio’s chest under Romeo’s arm. Romeo blocks Mercutio’s view, leaving him defenseless and feeble.

A fight breaks out between Tybalt and Mercutio, and it concludes with Mercutio getting slain by Tybalt (3.1.48-55). Mercutio ends up dying which angers Romeo because Tybalt killed him. Romeo out of sheer anger, kills Tybalt for revenge (3.1.91-97). This is a significant scene because it really shows hatred because Romeo out of just anger, kills Tybalt. After the fights are finished, the Prince enters the scene with the Montague and Capulet.

This causes tension as Tybalt and Mercutio become even more frustrated with Romeo. Mercutio draws his sword in order to defend Romeos reputation. He says “Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?” challenging him to a duel. A feeling of foreboding hangs in the air.

Secondly Tybalt sends a decree for a fight and he kills Mercutio. This is shown by “I will not budge for no man’s pleasure, I”. This reveals that Mercutio wants to have a fight with Tybalt. Tybalt wants to have a fight with Romeo the most but Mercutio gets in the way. Mercutio feels that he must stand by the Montague’s. He feels he needs to be a true Montague and fight. Romeo retaliates and kills Tybalt in anger and revenge for his friend. This is apparent in the line “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him. This conveys that Romeo felt he had to get revenge for Mercutio but he really didn’t mean to kill Tybalt and couldn’t believe that he’d actually done it.

“And but one word with one of us? couple it with something, make it a word and a blow.” [III, i, 37-38] Tybalt was not willing to fight mercutio if mercutio had not escalated tybalt's anger. Moreover, Mercutio could have avoided this situation if he had showed respect in return.This comes to show how mercutio had made impulsive decisions instead of making rational decisions. As a result, we can see Mercutio's death occurs due to his rash and impulsive decisions. Mercutio’s impulsive acts result in his own passing. When Romeo refuses to participate in a duel with Tybalt, Mercutio challenges Tybalt himself. Using words which are highly intimidating and threatening, Mercutio gives Tybalt no choice but to engage in a duel. The following violent words are exchanged between the two characters.

In contrast, Mercutio attempts to stop Tybalt’s thirst for vengeance when he tries to duel Romeo but ultimately gets killed in the process of trying to save his good friend from being killed by Tybalt which causes Romeo to take vengeance upon Tybalt by killing him.

That is when Tybalt stabs him in the stomach in anger, Mercutio tries to see the best in it and declares that it is just a scratch. Then he unfortunately falls to his death. This is a sad day for his family and friends, including Romeo. Mercutio is a funny guy who is always getting in trouble and in fights. He is energetic and a jokester.

“That feisty saucy boy deserved what was coming for him,” he says, “I’m just happy that I’m so important to Romeo that he finally stood up like a man after my injury”. Last week, there was a disturbance in the streets of Verona. The Capulets and Montagues were feuding, as they usually do, stirring a fight began between Verona’s comedian, Mercutio, and Lord Capulet’s nephew, Tybalt. Benvolio, Romeo Montague’s cousin, claimed that Mercutio decided to challenge Tybalt after Romeo turned down Tybalt’s duel. This resulted in Tybalt stabbing

Mercutio, who was a strong believer that no man should back down from a fight and shouldn’t tolerate insults, fought with Tybalt instead of Romeo, getting killed in the end. Another reason why the Capulets were at fault, is that Tybalt entered the scene of the argument full of pride, anger and arrogance. He approached the other men, saying to his followers, “Follow me close, for I will speak to them” (3.1.34.) This quote displays how he told his entourage to look up to him and listen closely as he speaks, as if he were the president, and they were the news reporters. Tybalt then proceeded to mock Romeo and made it seem that he is above and better than all of the Montagues. Tybalt tried to start a fight with a Romeo, but ended up fighting Mercutio and killing him instead.

(3.1.75-76). Mercutio becomes quickly angered and begins fighting Tybalt. In the same scene, Romeo resists the temptation of fighting Tybalt because he knows how it will make Juliet feel and harm his relationship with her. Despite Tybalt’s mockery and commands to fight Romeo immediately. “...Therefore turn and draw!”

As a friend of Romeo’s, Mercutio supports the Montague’s in the ancient feud. An example of Mercutio defending the Montague’s is when Tybalt, a member of the loathed Capulet family, abuses Romeo and Mercutio intervenes on Romeo’s behalf. Attempting to restore peace, Romeo gets between the two combatants and Mercutio “hath got his mortal hurt” (Page 149; Act 3, Scene 1) on Romeo’s account. In spite of his “life shall pay the forfeit of peace” (page 17; Act 1, Scene 1), Romeo seeks revenge on Tybalt as he loves his murdered friend. As Romeo kills Tybalt out of love for Mercutio, Shakespeare suggests that love conquered the thought of being penalized with death.

Mercutio, despite the circumstances displays his lighthearted nature. The actor should speak in a mocking voice, tauntingly circling Tybalt who should react with restrained anger, clenched fists and a hand on his sword. Mercutcio continues this, ignoring benvolios vain attempts at keeping the peace, until Romeo enters from the corner of the stage. With his entrance Tybalt finally breaks out of Mercutcios circle to face Romeo. He should say the line "here