Mercutio: The Forgotten Influence of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet are probably the most recognizable names in romance. Even if you haven't read the play yet, everyone knows a little about the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. Most people know Romeo and Juliet are the main characters, maybe a true Shakespearian might even know a thing or two about the secondary characters, like Friar Lawrence, the Nurse, Benvolio, and Tybalt. I know that before studying this text closely, I had no idea who most of the people I just named are. I certainly didn't have any idea about who Mercutio was. Oh yeah, Mercutio. Did you forget about him too momentarily? Too bad. Mercutio is a way under appreciated character. Mercutio's role in the play is just as pivotal and important as that of Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and Juliet met at a party thrown by the Capulets (Juliet's family) and Romeo crashed it. (You see, the Capulets and the Montagues, Romeo's family, have been having this ancient grudge that has prevented the two families from getting along. ) The two decide to get married after knowing each other only a few hours. Romeo kills Tybalt, and he is then banished. Juliet and Friar hatch a plan where Juliet drinks a potion that will make her appear dead for a day, and when she wakes up, Romeo will be waiting to run away with her. When they got back, everyone would be so happy Juliet was alive, they would forget about Romeo's wrongdoings. Unfortunately, Romeo didn't get the memo before he killed himself by Juliet's side, and then Juliet woke up and killed herself. You might be asking yourself, what did Mercutio have to with any of this? Well, to put it simply-everything.

Mercutio was the one who persuaded Romeo to go to the party in the first place. Act 1, scene 4, is all about Mercutio telling Romeo to go to the party, and give love another chance. "And to sink in it, should you burthen love-Too great oppression for such a tender thing...If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.— Give me a case to put my visage in! A visor for a visor.—What care I what curious eye doth cote deformities? Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me." To put simply, Mercutio is telling Romeo to give love another chance, and when it brings him down, to keep trying. If you really think about it, this interaction is what sets off the course of events for the rest of the play. If Romeo hadn't gone to that party, he would never have met Juliet. Mercutio is pretty much responsible for them falling in love in the first place.


Mercutio's death is what changed the play from a comedy to a tragedy. There is a big fight scene involving Romeo, Tybalt, Mercutio, and Benvolio. Benvolio of course is the one who is trying to keep the peace between the two sides, but that doesn't really work out. Tybalt comes at Romeo because he is mad that he crashed the party. Romeo couldn't fight back because he was Tybalt's kinsman, but Tybalt did not know this. Since Romeo didn't fight, Mercutio provoked Tybalt and fought him himself. His last words were, "A plague on both your houses!" (3.1) This means that Mercutio wants both houses to suffer for their immaturity and meaningless fighting. Death was the outcome. Mercutio's cry was the unintentional wake-up call both houses needed. Without his death, Romeo wouldn't have killed Tybalt, which wouldn't have led to hin getting banished, which wouldn't have lead to Romeo's and Juliet's death. Mercutio, in his own way, set the dominos falling.


Many people believe it was Romeo's and Juliet's decisions that lead to the outcome of the play, but I believe differently. I believe that it was Mercutio had just as big an influence on everything as they did. He is literally the turning point of the play. He shapes the entire plot. He is important in so many scenes, and his actions lead to others that set up everything in the play. I will never forget the character of Mercutio. Never, ever, ever.