In class and at home, I've been reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We are introduced with the Capulets and Montagues. The rivalry between the two families are very well known. Tybalt, Juliet's cousin and Capulet's kinsman is always trying to start up and fight, while Romeo's cousin, Benvolio is the one trying to keep the peace between the two foes. The character I find most interesting so far is Romeo's friend, Mercutio. The thing I find really intriguing about him is that he has two sides to him. There is one where he is really serious about the matter Romeo and he talk about. Then there's the funny and outgoing side to him.
Mercutio gets serious with Romeo when he's giving advice to him. Well, he's not technically serious and straight-faced, but he is sincere about the advice he gives. For example, in the play, Act 1 Scene 4 pages 43-45, he's trying to get Romeo to go the the Capulet party because Romeo's love, Rosaline is going. (She was his love before he met Juliet.) He gives advice to Romeo as Romeo tries to counter what his friend is trying to help him. Romeo says,
"Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes
With nimble soles. I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move." In response, Mercutio responds, "You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wingsAnd soar with them above a common bound."
Mercutio is trying to help Romeo by trying to boost his confidence. While Romeo feels down and lonely, his friend is giving him a boost of self-confidence so he's not moping around. Basically, Mercutio is helping out a friend which I can connect to everyday. When I'm comforting a friend, I'm not all giggly. I would be trying to convince them that they're who they are and no one should be stopping them.
On the other hand, Mercutio has this really funny and out-going side to him. Even when he's being serious, he has this really fun side to him. For example, Act 2 Scene 4 page 93-99, he is making fun Juliet's nurse, who comes by to deliver a message to Romeo. Mercutio repeatedly makes fun of the nurse,
"Good, Peter, to hide her face, for her fan’s the fairer face."
"'Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon."
"A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! So ho!"
"No hare, sir, unless a hare, sir, in a Lenten pie—that is, something stale and hoar ere it be spent."
"Farewell, ancient lady. Farewell, lady, lady, lady."
He's making fun of the nurse shows me that he spends his times having fun and relaxing when he's not helping Romeo out with his problems or in an argument with the Capulets. I can relate to his fun side. Whenever I'm not trying to help my friends out in any kind of way, I'm always goofing of with them. I mean everybody had those two sides them.
In my opinion, that's exactly what I think of a normal person, a person who has a fun and a serious side. But in the play, the characters seem to have only one side to look at. Romeo has the most romanticist side ever. Tybalt seems to be in an aggressive state while Benvolio seems to be the nice person. I mean Mercutio seems to be the only person I can really relate to in any way.
I love your post! I also said that Mercutio was my favorite character, but for totally different reasons than you, and you raised some great points about his personality. I thought her was the most interesting because i really COULDN'T relate to him at all, unlike you. i looked at parts of the book like the 'queen Mab' monologue and how Mercutios character also involves a dark, kind of twisted side to it, which makes him hard for me to read. I really agree with you though on how he is a good friend to Romeo. great post!
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