Why I admire Mercutio

I am currently reading “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare and so far in the play Tybalt has just stabbed (and killed) Mercutio and as a result, Romeo killed Tybalt. Although Mercutio is now dead, I still think that he is the most complex and interesting character in the play so far. Mercutio is both Romeo’s friend and confident. He is a true friend to Romeo and tries his best to keep the peace. Although Mercutio is viewed as a secondary character, I believe he is the most important character so far because not only does he foreshadow devastating events in the play while moving the action forward, but I noticed that his death is also a major turning point in the play.

One reason why Mercutio is my favorite character is because although Romeo is rash, Mercutio stays his true friend. Ultimately, all Mercutio wants is for there to be peace between the Montagues and Capulets.  In Act 2 scene 1 when Mercutio is the first to see that Romeo is deeply in love, he calls for Romeo saying, “Romeo! Humors! Passion! Lover!” Then he says, “My invocation is fair and honest in his mistress’ name.” He doesn’t want him to marry his mistress (Juliet) because he knows that the Montagues and Capulets are each other’s enemies and it will only cause trouble between the two families. I love this part because Mercutio is obviously expressing his concern to Romeo which isn’t always an easy thing to do. Have you ever felt like what your friend was doing or thinking was wrong but you never said anything because you didn’t want to get into something you weren’t involved in? Well if you think about it, Mercutio isn’t a Montague or a Capulet so even though he knows that Romeo’s love for Juliet will only cause problems in the end, he still tries to pull Romeo out of the situation he’s in and tries to help him understand. From past experiences, I know that this isn’t always an easy thing to do because although it might not seem like it, it takes courage. This is one reason why I admire Mercutio.

Another reason why I admire Mercutio is because even after Romeo says in Act 2 scene 1, “A gentleman, that loves to hear himself talk and will speak more in a minute than he will stand in a month.” (Romeo just doesn’t get the warnings Mercutio has been trying to tell him because love has already overcome him and taken over his thoughts.), he stays a true friend to Romeo. Mercutio shows loyalty and courage when he fights Tybalt to defend Romeos name in Act 3 scene 1. As Tybalt stabs Mercutio, Mercutio says, “A plague o’ both your houses!” It’s not until Mercutio is dead that Romeo realizes the consequences of his love affairs, thus making Mercutio’s death a major turning point in the play.

All in all, Mercutio is the bravest, funniest, most interesting, and overall my favorite character in the play so far. What I admire most about Mercutio is the courageous loyalty he has for Romeo. He foreshadows many important events and his death marks an important turning point in the play as the tragedy develops and the fates of the protagonists darken.

Does Yong Love Exist??

“Is there such thing as young love?” I am currently reading the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare and since young love is one of the main themes in the play, I have recently been wondering whether teenagers can truly fall in love. I have unpacked some quotes that have helped me in my understanding of whether young love truly does exist.

This play is about two family’s; the Montague’s (Romeo’s family) and the Capulet’s (Juliet’s family). At the beginning of the play Romeo is “in love” with this girl named Rosaline except she doesn’t love him back. Lady Capulet tells Juliet that Count Paris wishes to marry her. Romeo and Juliet don’t actually meet until the party. When Romeo sees Juliet, all his thoughts about Rosaline disappeared. They are instantly attracted to each other and then realize that they are each other’s enemies.

Is young love more of just the idea of being in love more than anything else? For example, In 1.1.10,

BENVOLIO
[…] What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?
ROMEO
Not having that, which, having, makes them short.
BENVOLIO
In love?
ROMEO
Out–
BENVOLIO
Of love?
ROMEO
Out of her favour, where I am in love.

At the beginning of the play Romeo is completely in love with Rosaline. He calls her the “love of his life” and when he’s not dreaming about Rosaline in his room, he mopes around in a grove of sycamore trees where those who are “sick amour” usually hang out (1.1.4). Even though Romeo knows Rosaline has absolutely no interest in him, he still goes after her. This makes me think that Romeo isn’t so much in love with Rosaline as he is obsessed with the idea of being in love.

Here is another quote when Romeo sees Juliet that makes me think that Romeo is more into the idea of being in love than anything else—(1.5.1)

ROMEO
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.

I found it interesting that at the VERY moment Romeo sees Juliet, he falls in love. What about Rosaline—the “love of his life”…the women he would rather die for than live without. This part makes me think that Romeo was never really in love with Rosaline in the first place if he’s going to forget about her so quickly. This makes me wonder, does this also mean that Romeo’s love for Juliet is nothing more than a worthless obsession?

By unpacking these quotes, I was able to make inferences on whether Romeo really is in love with Juliet. Before I started reading this play, I believed that young love did exist because love is a feeling. Replace love with the word happy for a second. How do you now if you’re truly happy? We’ve all had those moments—weather it’s when someone is taking a picture of you or you’re opening a birthday present that you don’t really like—where you smile because you feel like you should be happy even though in reality you’re not. There is always this one girl in school who always seems happy and cheerful…but how could you really know for sure if she’s really happy? People can give others the allusion that they’re happy but you can never know for sure. I guess what I’m getting to here is that it goes the same with love. Sometimes—okay, well most of the time—in young teenagers we feel like we should be in love or we’re just pulled into it because of the idea. Since love is a feeling like any other, only the person in love can determine for him/herself whether it’s true love or not.