Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet - Essay Example

That was Mercutio’s role in the play. He was the best friend of Romeo, the main character. He was his confidante, his protector, his playmate. Their relationship is quite ironic since they were so different from each other yet they were able to get along with each other. This actually presents a picture of an ideal friendship, wherein two very different individuals are able to understand and complement each other. This theme, and kind of friendship, is actually evident not only in this play but in most of Shakespeare’s play.

Shakespeare loved to play with the idea of love and friendship and used his plays to identify variations of love and friendship. Romeo was the main character in the play. He was personified in the play as someone quick-witted, passionate and loyal. His character developed as a childish juvenile individual seeking to feel in love to the more mature Romeo who learned and understood what unselfish love is through Juliet. His character was very passionate, not only in love but also with other emotions.

His anger, his desire was evident throughout the play as extreme emotions that actually took over him everytime he feels them. This was made clear in the scene where Mercutio dies in his arms. His anger drove him mad and turned him into a clearly dangerous man with the intent to avenge his bestfriend’s death. . With this, he was more realistic than the idealistic Romeo. Mercutio was the life of the story in its early parts. The way he mocks, puns and jokes around definitely gave the play a more light-hearted feel that made his death even more tragic.

Mercutio was a fierce friend. He engaged Tybalt in a battle because he believed his friend was insulted and submitted to humiliation by Juliet’s cousin. This enraged him, and with Shakespeare’s intent to value friendship over romantic relationships, Mercutio taunted Tybalt into battle in order to defend his bestfriend. With this, his behavior became as passionate as Romeo’s but for friendship rather than love. Romeo, though, expressed the same kind of value to their friendship when he sought revenge for Mercutio’s death and killed Tybalt.

Mercutio’s actions actually led the play to its tragic ending. It was a preparation for the tragedy that was about to happen. As the focal theme in the play, love was always the topic of conversation of the characters. Romeo and Mercutio have opposite definitions and opinion s about this emotion. Whereas Romeo believes in unrequited love, Mercutio does not accept the idea that there can be unrequited love between a man and a woman. In Act 1, Scene 4, when Romeo describes his love for Rosaline similar to a rose with thorns, Mercutio mocks his imagery by stating that if love is rough then he should be rough with love as well, and that Romeo should beat love by hurting it as it hurt him.

Mercutio’s answer to Romeo’s wishful thinking about love cements his anti-romantic personality. Romeo represented one of the dominant spheres of Verona, but he