Mercutio as Catalyst in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet Essay

Mercutio as Catalyst in Shakespeares nobble, Romeo and Juliet In Shakespeares play, Romeo and Juliet, the quick-witted portion Mercutio is a nonorious scene-stealer (Utterback 105). Mercutios major function in the play is to be a catalyst for the plot. Mercutios purpose as a character is most significantly revealed in his relationship with Romeo, his baiting of Tybalt, and his death. more than importantly, Mercutio functions as the catalyst for the pattern of disasters in the play that follows his own sadal death, making him, as described by critic Stephen Greenblatt a pith that seems to challenge the very possibility of romantic love or tragic destiny (856). Mercutios role in the play is directly think to his relationship with his very friend, Romeo (III.i.108). This bond and camaraderie of the men provides the basis for the manifestation of Mercutios character as a foil to Romeo. These basic roles for the deuce friends mean that, through the badi nage, Mercutio is essentially active and Romeo reactive or resistless (Porter 103). For example, Mercutio tells Romeo Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance (I.iv.13). He playfully pushes Romeo to scoop out cupids wings / And soar with them above a common natural spring (I.iv.17-18) and advises his friend that If love be rough with you, be rough with love. / sobbing love for pricking, and you beat love down (I.iv.27-28). These lines demonstrate Mercutios sign need for urgency and action. Romeo by contrast characteristically replies that he is unavailing to comply with his friends exhortationshe wont dance, weart ask himand his most urgent words, Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace (I.v.95), urge not action but its cessation (Porter 103).... ... Pennsylvania State University Press, 1965. Phillips, Brian. Character Analysis. SparkNote on Romeo and Juliet. 24 April 2003. http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeoandjuliet/canalysis.html.Porter, Joseph A. Shakespe ares Mercutio His History and Drama. Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press, 1988.Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Baz Luhrman. Perf. da Vinci DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, and John Leguizamo. 20th Century Fox, 1997.Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, and Milo OShea. Paramount, 1968. Shakespeare, William. The virtually Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York Norton, 1997. 865-939.Utterback, Raymond V. The Death of Mercutio. Shakespeare Quarterly. 24.2 (1973) 105-116.