Romeo and Juliet Group

Question:

hopesfall
hopesfall
Student
Graduate School

In Romeo and Juliet, what does Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech reveal about his personality?  What do you think of Mercutio as a friend?

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Posted by hopesfall on Friday March 6, 2009 at 4:39 PM and tagged with characters, friendship, mercutio, romeo, romeo and juliet, shakespeare.

Answers:

  1. ms-charleston-yawp
    ms-charleston-yawp Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    Mercutio is quite the character:  a free spirit and a true friend.  Mercutio always makes me laugh with his desperate attempts to snap Romeo out of his lovesickness.  Mercutio's very first line in the fourth scene speaks volumes:  "Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance."  In other words, "Come ON, friend, have a little bit of FUN!"  And all of Mercutio's further words in this scene are all attempting the same thing, including the Queen Mab speech.  It's silly.  It's crazy.  It's meant to make Romeo smile, at the very least.  Romeo finally just gets sick of it.  Romeo, you see, is the definition of a melancholy lover (not a free spirit in the least).  Mercutio can be played in such a variety of ways that it is one of the most enjoyable parts of the play to see how Mercutio will come out this time.  Will he be the trusted and true, serious friend?  Or perhaps the drag-queen free spirit?  Or even the scorned lover who Romeo has turned down for women?  One can only guess!

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/romeo/act-scenes-3-5-summary-analysis
    http://www.enotes.com/romeo/mercutio-character-analysis

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    Posted by ms-charleston-yawp on Friday March 6, 2009 at 8:30 PM