In the famous English Play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, love is in the air for two adolescents whose families are in a feud (Montagues and Capulets). In the end, tragedy strikes and takes away the star-crossed lovers's lives as predicted by fate. In the play, numerous characters, which are foils, highlight another character’s traits usually by contrast. Mercutio, Romeo’s friend whom is unaligned with either of the feuding families, acts as a foil to Romeo. Mercutio’s joyous and playful nature draws attention to Romeo’s somber and depressing attitude.
When the idea of attending the Capulet party is pronounced, Mercutio is upbeat and lively which brings forth Romeo’s dejected behavior. When Romeo speaks of his unfortunate dream he had last night, Mercutio sees “Queen Mab hath been with [him]./ She is the fairies’ midwife…” (1.4.54-55). Mercutio describes that dreams supposedly come from a tiny fairy creature that allows people to dream of what they wish for. Mercutio’s lack of maturity portrays Romeo’s earnestness when he makes what Romeo says into needless jokes. On the other hand, Romeo is “too sore enpierced with his shaft/ to soar with his light feathers…” (1.4.20). Romeo refers to Cupid, the Roman god of infatuation and erotic love, who has pierced Romeo with an arrow resulting in his grave outlook toward his latest love that rejected him, Rosaline. Mercutio’s witty comments and mockery towards Romeo and his “love” enhance Romeo’s cheerless demeanor.
Shakespeare helps us understand Romeo’s character better by placing Mercutio’s character to amplify his flaws. Mercutio is such an opposite of Romeo that it makes the reader realize how depressed and lovesick Romeo really is. Being the young teenagers that they are, when the reader see’s one who is joyous and then one who is so somber, the major distinction highlights Romeo’s flaw, seriousness. Mercutio’s humorous actions compared to Romeo’s woeful nature exaggerate Romeo’s pessimistic and cynical behavior. Moreover, Romeo and Mercutio couldn’t be more contrary when it comes to the stance towards love.
In addition to being happy-go-lucky about love, Mercutio carries this trait to even the last seconds of his life, which augment Romeo’s solemn way of decease. When Mercutio joke fully battles with the Capulet Tybalt, he is accidently stabbed under Romeo’s arm. Mercutio’s humorous temperament complies when he immediately reassures his friends that his serious wound is just “a scratch, a scratch.” (3.1.93). Mercutio’s actions in this scenario show his light-heartedness and easygoing nature. He is underestimating his wound and everyone believes that he is not suffering at all because of his carefree attitude towards every other situation.
On the contrary, when Romeo finds his true love, Juliet, who seems to be dead lying before his eyes, he tells “the doors of breath [to] seal with a righteous kiss” (5.3.110) and drinks a vial of poison. Romeo is somber and serious when he encounters death and savors the last moments of his life. He is telling his mouth to breathe its last, and kiss his last true love, Juliet. Mercutio’s apathetic manner towards death elaborates on Romeo’s momentous outlook on the last of his life. Without Mercutio’s scene of death, Romeo would seem levelheaded and normal, but when Mercutio demonstrates carelessness and humor regarding his demise, Romeo’s actions seem much more depressing. When faced with death, Mercutio’s opposite disposition accentuates Romeo’s serious attitude toward the end of his life.
Overall, Mercutio’s playful nature draws attention to Romeo’s depressing mind-set throughout Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio differs significantly from Romeo’s character that he points out Romeo’s flaws in his temperament. Shakespeare includes characters like Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet to help the reader comprehend the character in a more precise way, and to make note of the flaws or perfections of the main character.
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