It is human nature to place blame and point fingers at someone, but it is a lot less common to take responsibility for your own actions. Sometimes, we put ourselves in positions that are detrimental to our lives or well-being. Even though we are responsible, it is likely that we will place the blame elsewhere. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio found himself with a similar conflict. Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, killed Mercutio during a fight in the town square. It would be easy to say that Tybalt caused Mercutio’s death since it was his sword that killed him, but that is simply false. Mercutio ignored many warnings and continued to antagonize the fight that lead to his death. The character ultimately responsible for Mercutio’s death is
Had Mercutio unintentionally set Tybalt off, it would be easier to place blame elsewhere. However, Mercutio made many attempts to start a fight. When Tybalt asked to have a word with someone, Mercutio’s response was “And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something. Make it a word and a blow,” (Shakespeare 117). Granted, Tybalt didn’t have good intentions, but he made no snide remarks that would call for a response such as the one Mercutio offered up. Without provocation, Mercutio made comments that he knew could start a fight. When Tybalt did not fight him after that, Mercutio continued to provoke him by saying, “Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out,” (Shakespeare 121). For no reason other than the fact that Tybalt is a Capulet, Mercutio threatens him. He told Tybalt that he must pull out his sword and fight if he doesn’t want to be an easy target. By continuously provoking it, Mercutio is responsible for the fight that caused his
Romeo was very loyal to his friends and family, and it is possible that Mercutio thought that Romeo would help him fight off Tybalt (since he was unaware of Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage that somewhat united Romeo and Tybalt). However, this argument is easily deemed invalid. Romeo was not in the town square when the fight had first began, so Mercutio expecting his help in the fight would be a far-fetched idea. A person who is not present cannot help or hinder the situation at hand. In addition, Romeo tried to break up the fight when he said, “Gentlemen, for shame forbear this outrage! Tybalt! Mercutio! The Prince expressly hath forbid this bandying in Verona streets. Hold, Tybalt! Good Mercutio!” (Shakespeare 121). Romeo tried to stop the fight and therefore gave Mercutio more time before death, albeit minimal. The blame cannot be placed on Romeo since he did all that he could to stop the fight from
In act 3, scene 1, Mercutio is dying, “No, ‘tis not so deep as a well; nor so wide as a church door.” Mercutio is on his deathbed and he is describing his wound, trying to make himself sound like a hero. Mercutio put himself in a tense situation by preparing to fight. He knew that the consequences were severe, yet he eggs Tybalt on and gives others a reason to fight. If not for Mercutio’s dramatic and attention-seeking personality, Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Paris, and he would all still be
from Odysseus, hero of the Trojan War, to Richard III of Shakespeare’s play. A prominent,
Of all the things that occur in Romeo and Juliet, the death of Tybalt is one of the most climatic parts of the story. Yet, this all started from another killing of a different person, Mercutio. Mercutio, a relative of the Prince and friend of Romeo, and Tybalt, nephew to Lady Capulet and Mercutio’s arch enemy, were in a heated conversion when Romeo walked in after getting married to Juliet and saw what was going on. Tybalt and Mercutio began to fight and Romeo tried to come in between them to stop the whole thing. Unfortunately, as Tybalt was under Romeo’s arms, he stabbed Mercutio and he died soon after. In all the rage, Romeo was furious that his friend was dead and starts to fight with Tybalt. Eventually, Romeo slays Tybalt and he falls to the floor and dies. Romeo runs away in agony before the Prince soon arrives at the scene of the fight with all the other citizens that were awakened by this fray to see what happened. Although Romeo is guilty of homicide, he is charged for manslaughter as he unlawfully killed a person in the heat of passion while defending Mercutio’s honor.
...ic face, / To fleer and scorn at our solemnity? / Now by the stock and honour of my kin, / To strike him dead I hold it not a sin." ( , , 53-58). Tybalt's attitude toward the boy he calls to get his sword is very unkind. He shows no respect to his peers and he is often found ordering people or provoking them to fights. His loyalty towards Also, Tybalt wants to go to the lengths of frightening the guests to go fight with a Montague. This shows how unsympathetic Tybalt is to people even though, his actions are not necessary. In Tybalt's place, Mercutio would have let it go or at least called him aside and then fight with him. Mercutio is a very loyal friend especially to Romeo where Tybalt treats the boy like trash. In the end, Mercutio and Tybalt have diverse families and personalities where Mercutio is the typical nice guy and Tybalt is the typical bad guy.
Also in the beginning of the play a fight breaks out between the Montague and Capulet families and the Prince intervenes and after telling them to drop their weapons he says “If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.” Although this rule was given Tybalt challenged Romeo to a duel. Romeo kept refusing to fight Tybalt which caused Mercutio to be outraged and draw his own sword. During the duel between Tybalt and Mercutio, Romeo intervenes and tries to stop them both but Tybalt puts his sword under Romeo’s arm and kills Mercutio. Romeo then fights with Tybalt and murders him and is banished from Verona. If Tybalt hadn’t been so aggressive with the whole situation Romeo wouldn’t have been banished, and Juliet wouldn’t have needed to come up with a plan that resulted in both of their deaths.
seemed to turn the play into a comedy at times: but some can say that
...hereafter, drybeat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pitcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out” (3.1 73-77). Not only does Mercutio want to fight, but he will even resort to making fun of Tybalt’s name, because it sounds like Tibbles, which was a popular name for a cat. Sadly, Mercutio’s hot tempered personality and arrogance led to his unfortunate demise.
After Tybalt killed Mercutio and Romeo challenges him to a duel, Romeo demands, “That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio’s soul/ Is but a little way above our heads/ Staying for thine to keep him company/ Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” (Shakespeare Act III scene i, lines 119-123). This quote shows how Romeo’s downfall is partly his fault because he is defying the prince’s command to no longer fight with the Capulets by challenging Tybalt. Since Romeo is aware that he is defying the prince and fighting anyway it is proven he is contributing to his own demise or downfall. When Mercutio is wounded after fighting Tybalt , he cries, “I am hurt/ A plague o’ both your houses!” (Shakespeare Act III scene i, lines 84-85). The excerpt shows how even Mercutio recognizes the feud between the Montagues and Capulets being destructive, and how it is now gotten so out of hand he has been dragged in it. Mercutio tries to open Romeo’s eyes on how if this feud continues there will be a demise for both families; but by Romeo choosing to ignore this advice and killing Tybalt he is setting himself up for his failure/downfall. Thus, Romeo is shown a tragic hero because his demise is partly his fault and not an
Even though Mercutio did die, his actions were not the best to make. People would not think that Mercutio had caused the death of the two teens. If he had not started the fight, then Romeo’s banishment would have been unnecessary. That did not happen, and with his banishment, Juliet had agreed with Friar Lawrence for the plan he had made, to bring the two lovers together. His plan was to stop the feud between two families by marrying their son and daughter. If the texts were not there, nobody would think that the Prince’s cousin would have been the cause in death of a Montague and
Mercutio in the 1967 version of Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zeffirelli is the opposite of violent and dark. The Mercutio shown in this film is a jester and makes light of a situation. This shows through during his fight scene with Tybalt. The scene starts off not very serious. Tybalt and Mercutio are in a fencing with a group of encouraging people standing around in a circle. After Tybalt accidently stabs Mercutio, the scene turns solemn and Tybalt becomes
When Tybalt, who had a disagreement with Romeo, sends out a letter to fight Romeo, Romeo refuses the offer. To defend to honor, Mercutio, who is Romeo’s close friend, steps up to fight Tybalt. Tybalt then slays Mercutio, but Romeo blames himself, saying, “This gentleman, the Prince’s near ally, / My very friend, hath got hurt in this moral hurt / In my behalf,” (3.1.116-118). Romeo realizes that because he didn’t accept the offer, his friend had died for him and because of him. Not only was Mercutio Romeo’s friend, but Mercutio was also the Prince’s close friend, so this murder now had resulted in a personal loss for the Prince. To avenge Mercutio, Romeo then attempts to kill Tybalt and succeeded, but the Prince was arriving after hearing about the duel. However, when punishing Romeo, the Prince mercifully states, “Immediately do we exile him hence,” (3.1.204). Even though the Prince had promised to kill all who would partake in a brawl, he realizes that Mercutio was Romeo’s friend and had no intentions to fight. The punishments were discriminatory against Tybalt and his family, as Tybalt’s death was not balanced out with Romeo’s death and was not justified by the Prince’s previous promises. Personal affairs often influence the enforcer’s mindset when serving as the authority in charge of the law and enforcing
Mercutio, though a minor character, had and enormous impact on the outcome of the play. Before the Capulet Ball, Romeo had been debating whether to go or not. Mercutio persuaded him to go by giving a big speech to him about a dream he had. This makes him partially responsible because the Ball is where Romeo first met Juliet. Mercutio also caused Romeo to be banished from Verona. Mercutio got in a fight with Tybalt and ended up dead. His death enraged Romeo enough to make him kill Tybalt in revenge. When the Prince saw what happened, he sent Romeo into exile. Romeo's banishment to Mantua made it near impossible for Romeo and Juliet to see each other. Mercutio was to blame, though only partially for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
One of the people I think is responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death is Mercutio. Mercutio had evoked a fight with his enemy Tybalt.During the fight, Mercutio was killed by Tybalt and Mercutio put a curse on both of their families.
Mercutio can be blamed for Romeo and Juliet’s peril because he initiated the fight with Tybalt and forced Romeo to go to the Capulet’s party. At the beginning of the play, Romeo gets invited to the Capulet’s party by a servant, unless he was a Montague. At first, Romeo did not want to go, but Mercutio eventually convinced him under the pretext that Rosaline, Romeo’s love, was going to be there. The next day, Tybalt, a Capulet, went looking for Romeo because he knew that Romeo was at the Capulet party. Instead, he stumbled upon Mercutio and Benvolio and asked them where he could find Romeo. However, Mercutio did not want to tell him and insisted on having a duel. Tybalt killed Mercutio during the fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt because he has the need to avenge his friend. Unfortunately, Prince Escalus punished Romeo by banishing him from Verona. This made Romeo and Juliet’s love
I love people think that Mercutio is responsible for most of the deaths in the famous play Romeo and Juliet people also commonly think that it could be Romeo spot too. In my opinion it was all the fires fault. The fire was doing the right thing at first when Romeo first confronted the fire about Mary and Juliet. The fire turn Romeo down saying that it was a crazy idea. He was right to say that because Romeo was just in love with Rosaline less than 24 hours before that. But unfortunately it doesn't stop there. The fire it's an idea. He thinks they're from you and Juliet get married then maybe the two households. She didn't come together for the power of true love. His idea eventually did work, but under different circumstances. The first is to Romeo to