Considered by many as Shakespeare's most interesting and
entertaining character in Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio is also
intrinsic to the tragedy of this drama. For, his death in Act III, Scene 1 is the
catalyst for the tragic events that follow.
Acting as the
bridge between the comic and tragic events, Mercutio is witty when he is stabbed,
calling it "a scratch," and saying that his wound is "not so deep as a well nor so wide
as a church door," then telling Romeo that tomorrow Romeo will find him "a grave man."
But, Mercutio is a lethal jester who asks, "Does Mercutio make Romeo look bad?" as his
wit turns to curses: "A plague o'both your houses!"
This
curse is uttered no less that the very symbolic and significant three times. And,
it launches the unfolding tragedy as, indeed, the houses of Montague and of Capulet are
indeed plagued. For, it is a very plague which deters the message of Friar Laurence
from reaching Romeo. It is a curse upon the lovers that Friar Laurence abandons Juliet
in the tomb when she awakens because he hears the guards. And, finally,it is a
curse/plague that Romeo does not wait for only a few minutes as Juliet awakens so
shortly after his suicide.
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