Mercutio

• Mercutio calls Tybalt “King of Cats”

  Mercutio is insulting Tybalt as it alludes to “Reynard the fox” showing how Tybalt is quick to anger and impulsive as Reynard is frequently mocked.

  • This juxtaposes with how it could be a compliment for how swift and nimble Tybalt is. This shows M to be impulsive and unfiltered in his words
• He cries and dies “A plague o’both your houses.”


  “Plague” creates an infectious image foreshadowing the tragic death of protagonists.

  • His death is symbolic of the consequences of the futile and worthless family feud. Innocent characters are hurt.
  • Alternatively, it was his impulsive nature to fight with T that ultimately led to his death. This shows the consequences of the folly of young man to be hasty.
  • Or it could be the Deeply ingrained masculinity in Elizabethan man that causes the violence and his death.
• He says Romeo is a “lover borrow Cupid’s wings”


  He is the epitome of chauvinistic Elizabethan male juxtaposing with R’s tenderness

  • ”borrow” diminishes Cupid’s power. connotes to steeling suggesting how everyone can have love. Diminishing the power of love.
  • “Cupid” is blind in Roman mythology. Indicating how love is ruled random by chance- pessimistic view of romance.
  • He thinks love is ridiculous by the deterministic tone.
• “When maid lie on their backs / presses them &learns them first to bear.”


  He uses his intelligence in language to prove he has the power to talk about these taboo topics in public- patriarchal and egotistic man.

  • He personifies love through Queen Mab. He slanders Queen Mab and thinks love is a corrupting influence like how she enters people’s dreams.
  • He is the complete foil to Romeo while acting as a mouthpiece for Shakespeare to critique these irrational love.