| Mercutio | |
|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet character | |
 Romeo and Juliet Act III Scene I The Death of Romeo's Friend, Mercutio. Edwin Austin Abbey, 1904 | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| In-universe information | |
| Affiliation | Romeo Benvolio Juliet |
| Family | Valentine (brother) Prince Escalus (uncle) Count Paris |
Mercutio (/mərˈkjuːʃioʊ/ mər-KEW-shee-oh,[1] Italian: Mercuzio) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the play with the ability to mingle around those of both houses. The invitation to Lord Capulet's party states that he has a brother named Valentine.
Though often fun-loving and witty, the latter demonstrated in his Queen Mab speech in the first act, Mercutio's sense of humour can at times be facetious or even coarse, much to his friends' annoyance. He is also moody and given to sudden outbursts of temper, one of which sets a key plot development in motion.
- ^ Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam Webster, Incorporated. 1995. p. 753. ISBN 978-0-87779-042-6. (The pronunciation mər-ˈkyü-shē-ō was transcribed to IPA per Pronunciation respelling for English.)