Home > Romeo and Juliet Summary & Study Guide > Romeo and Juliet Group > Question and Answer

Question:

Answers:

1. 
   cburr Teacher
   Middle School

   It's not clear where Shakespeare got the idea for Queen Mab -- it may have been a Celtic goddess named Madb in Ireland and Mabb in Wales.  

   Mercutio describes Queen Mab as a tiny fairy who visits people as they sleep and gives them dreams.  The dreams are of what the person would wish for, and his description suggests that these things are usually vices -- like violence, greed or lust.

   In the play, Mercutio refers to Queen Mab to tell Romeo that his dreams of love are basically nonsense.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/romeo/q-and-a/scene-4-romeo-juliet-...

   Rate answer:

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by cburr on Friday December 12, 2008 at 7:20 AM
   
   

2. 
   mwestwood Teacher
   Community / Jr. College

   Queen Mab is a tiny fairy who enters the heads of dreamers and makes them believe that they have come up with ideas of their own so that they are justified in their cupidity. Mercutio's monologue plays upon the fancy of this little fairy as he cynically jests about Romeo's having fallen in love with Juliet.

   See the links below as similar questions have been asked.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/romeo/act-three

   http://www.enotes.com/romeo/q-and-a/what-does-shakespear-...

   http://www.enotes.com/romeo/q-and-q/what-bing/said/act-I-...

   Rate answer:

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by mwestwood on Friday December 12, 2008 at 7:21 AM