Compare And Contrast Romeo And Mercutio

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Recommended: Character of Romeo by Shakespeare

Romeo v. Mercutio
In the play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is one of the main characters. He is a teenage boy that is impulsive, a dreamer, emotional, and dramatic. His friend Mercutio is a relative to the Prince. Mercutio is witty, realistic, and a skeptic of love. Romeo and Mercutio are very good foils to one another because they contrast in thoughts of love, emotions, and dreams.

Romeo’s obsession with being in love shows when he “falls in love” with Juliet the same day that he was heartbroken over Rosaline. (Shakespeare 381-396). Usually, it takes quite a bit longer to get over a heartbreak than a few hours. Romeo is also emotional and dramatic as seen in Act III Scene iii when he says “And sayers thou yet exile is not death?/ Hadst no poison mixed, no sharp-grounded knife,/ No sudden mean of death, though ne’er so mean,/ But “banishèd to kill me— “banishèd”?/ O friar, the damnèd use that word in hell…” (Shakespeare 435). Most would be relieved to hear that they are only banished from a town rather than facing execution, but not Romeo. …show more content…

He is voicing his opinion that dreams are imaginary and misleading. Mercutio expresses his annoyance towards love when he tells Romeo that he is more fun and like himself when he isn’t groaning about love (Shakespeare 413). Lovestruck Romeo irritates Mercutio, and Mercutio would rather just have Romeo be lighthearted and

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