Jul 25, 2008

Romeo and Juliet | Mercutio's Queen Mab Speech

A discussion of the meaning and significance of Mercutio's Queen Mab speech in Act I, scene iv. Touches on the speech in light of Mercutio's character and within the wider context of the play.

Mercutio’s speech about Queen Mab in Act I, scene iv, seems to have nothing to do with Romeo and Juliet whatsoever. In fact, some Shakespearean scholars have argued that it was added to the script during the printing of the Second Quarto and was not, therefore, a part of the play as it was originally written. Other scholars argue that even if the speech was in the original script, it contradicts what we know of Mercutio: a hot-tempered and lusty youth who has no patience for the dreams and visions discussed in the Queen Mab speech. The Queen Mab speech, however, does hold consistent with...