Mercutio's Sagacity

“A plague o’ both your houses” (III.i.87)

From attending wild parties, spurring fights, and making derogatory comments often with sexual innuendos, there is no doubt Mercutio adds flair to Romeo and Juliet. Through innately witty and entertaining, Mercutio serves more than just a comic relief amidst a sinister plotline. Besides the fountain of overflowing puns, jokes, and teases, Mercutio possesses a steely sensibility that belittles the play’s resonating themes of romance and fate.
Mercutio ridicules Romeo’s decadence and lack of moderation as he scorns Tybalt’s egotism and fondness for fashion. No one is spared from Mercutio’s shrewd remarks. Using his sharp tongue, Mercutio breaks the “rose-tinted glasses” his cotemporaries gaze out from and adds pragmatism to the play. He believes all events are earthly interlocked and can be logically explained. Unlike the other characters, when Mercutio dies he blames the feud between the Montagues and Capulets as the cause of his demise rather than fate, a force he believes otherworldly and gripping no relevance.