Mercutio of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay -- Shakespear

Mercutio of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Although the story of Romeo and Juliet does not focus on Mercutio, to many, he is unrivalled of the most interesting characters in literature. His name puns on the word mercurial which meansunpredictably changeable. His unsteady behavior makes him wise beyond his intentions. Arecurring trend in Shakespeares plays is the introduction of a witty fool and many foolish wits. People such as Romeo, mendicant Laurence, and Capulet are people who are made out to be wise, but,in the end, they make all the wrong decisions. Mercutio serves as a foil to all these characters. He is considered by every character in the play to be a fool, but, in the long run, he is the one whois the wisest. He brings a sense of comic relief as well as a reality checker to many of the characters inthe play. Although he can be seen as a laughable youth, his character serves to show how manyof the so-called wiser characters are actually fools.The sense of hearing is firs t introduced to Mercutio in Act one, Scene two . Romeo speaks of having a dream and believing it to be true. This leads Mercutio to his famous Queen Mab speech. When he breaks down after his speech, Romeo states, thousand Talkst of nothing (I.iv. 96). Mercutio responds with his first wise quote, True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of anidle brain (I.iv. 97-98). This comment does not refer to Romeos dream of love alone. Friar Laurences dream of peace in Verona proves false. In Act two, Scene four ,when the nurseappears in her gaudy attire acting as if she is the owner of the Capulets servant Peter, it isMercutio that churlishly reminds her that she is of the servant class as well. Mercutios commentprovides an alternative view of real... ... again, according to Mercutio, there is no such thing as fortune. thither is the outcome of ones actions. Romeo is unknowingly calling himself a fool for his own careless judgment.Shakespeare is loved for his story lines, but he is res pected for the characters he hascreated. It is ironic how in Romeo and Juliet characters such as Capulet, Romeo, and Friar Laurence are made out to be wise but in actuality make bad judgment. It is besides ironic that Mercutio is depicted as a childish youth when really he is the character with the most insight. Shakespeare uses Mercutios insight as a secernate to every other character to show how ridiculous the other characters actually are. If you pay attention to the plots and story lines, this play is a love story. If you understand Mercutios purpose, then this play is one of the greatest satires on human emotions ever made.