0
Mercutio's name would have made the Elizabethan audience think of the planet Mercury. Mercury was the messenger of the gods; it is also the quickest moving planet in the sky, the planet that regularly appears to move backwards (against the motion of all the other stars and planets), and the bringer of change.
Mercutio has a lot of qualities of the planet he takes his name from. He seems noticeably bipolar - shifting from a manic and irrelevant speech about fairies (Queen Mab) on his way to the ball, to an obscene and cruel taunting of the Nurse when she is looking for Romeo (he is probably hung over). Romeo even seems half aware that his friend is hovering on the edge of a nervous breakdown:
"Peace, Mercutio, thou talks't of nothing"
is how Romeo stops the famous Queen Mab speech.
At the end of II.vi Romeo and Juliet have just got married, secretly, in Friar Lawrence' cell. Everything is set fair for a 'happy ever after' ending.
Tybalt is out looking for Romeo, to challenge him to a duel. They meet, but Romeo refuses to fight, and walks away.
Mercutio is disgusted by Romeo's cowardice, and accepts Tybalt's challenge on Romeo's behalf. Mercutio is killed.
Mercury is the planet that brings change. Mercutio completely changes the direction of the play. Without Mercutio this would all have ended happily, now a tragedy is almost guaranteed.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What part did Mercutio play in his own death?
Mercutio challenged Tybalt to a fight when there was no need to do so. Indeed Mercutio was spoiling for a fight with him from the start. When Tybalt asks if he can have a word with Mercutio, Mercutio says, "why not couple it with something? Why not make it a word and a blow?" which is about a provocative as you could get.
What are mercutio's actions in the play?
The only one I can think of is mercutio fighting Tybalt
Why did Shakespeare have Mercutio killed in the play early?
The play isn't about Mercutio. It's about Romeo and Juliet. Therefore Mercutio, even though he's a great character and all, was disposable.
Who was the first killed in the play of romeo and Juliet?
Mercutio
Is Mercutio a believable character?
Mercutio's character is believable because he embodies the nature of the play which is a tragedy. Unlike the other characters, Mercutio acknowledges his awareness that specific people are the cause of his death and not outside forces that represents the superstitious elements found in the play.
What does mercutio do?
Mercutio is in the House of Escalus, however he is very good friends with Benvolio and Romeo who are both in the house of Capulet.
In Romeo and Juliet did Mercutio say 'I must split'?
Not in the play.
What year did Mercutio die?
Mercutio dies in Act 3, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet," which is believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595. The exact year of Mercutio's fictional death is not specified as the play is set in the 14th century.
How did romeo get away from benvolio and mercutio in act 1 scene 2?
He doesn't. Mercutio is not in that scene, and Benvolio and Romeo do not part company.
When was mercutio born?
Mercutio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet," so he was not born in a specific year. The character was created by Shakespeare in the 16th century when the play was written.
What role did John Barrymore play in Romeo and Juliet?
He played Mercutio in the 1936 film of the play.
Who is Romeos best friend?
Romeo's best friend is Mercutio in William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet." Mercutio is a loyal, witty, and bold friend who provides comic relief and support to Romeo throughout the story.
