Oh, Mercutio. How I love thee. He only appears in 4 scenes in Romeo and Juliet, but if you’ve ever seen a production with a really good Mercutio then you know he always steals the whole show. He’s a crowd-pleaser. In his own way, he is a far better part than Romeo. I often wonder what would have happened to Mercutio if he had lived (spoiler for those of you silly enough to not have read this play). I often imagine what would have happened to him when he (as would be inevitable) eventually fell in love. What would that do to him? His defenses, his opinions? It would be so interesting. There are multiple ways to play Mercutio. You could go the gay way. That works. I’ve seen it done that way, and it makes absolute sense. His misogyny, seen in another light, could be a scorn for the female (not that that’s “gay” – but in Mercutio’s world it would be). And jealousy of Juliet, because of his love for Romeo. This interpretation stands up under examination and is not too off the mark, although it is not the only way to play it. Male friendship is powerful, and you can see the exclusionary aspect of it in Judd Apatow’s juggernaut, where women are seen as boring intrusions on the fun that men have. Mercutio can also fit into that. Whichever way you play him, he’s such a fun character. I have been to productions where we all walked away talking ONLY about Mercutio.
These plays are not meant to be museum pieces, stuffy and untouched. They need to live in the modern world, and Mercutio is such a modern-feeling character. An instantly recognizable “type”: full of energy and rage and competition, sexual urges thwarted because he’s only a teenager, really, and can’t find an appropriate outlet yet. Great character.
Which is why I am linking to this fantastic analysis of Mercutio, which I read at the speed of light, voracious and excited. It is part of a larger project, and I am looking forward to going back and reading more.
And I’ll be re-reading Romeo and Juliet as soon as I possibly can.
I wanted to see more than a glimpse of Ben Affleck as Edward Alleyn playing Mercutio in Shakespeare in Love. He was great: swagger and bombast. And the whole thing of Will telling Ned that the play is called “Mercutio” in order to get him cast.
I must disagree. I, too, thought he (and the audience) was cheated when the movie didn’t give him more room. I have since come to the conclusion that I like Affleck best when a movie leaves you wanting more of his gruff charm (cf. his two motivational speeches in Boiler Room)
I remember been stunned the first time I read Shakespeare with how “modern” they felt. My senior English teacher made us read a passage from every scene we read and translate it or put it into our own words. Which was a blast because once you got over that hurdle you realized that everything the characters were saying could have just been said a second ago outside in the hall. So many of the bit parts in those plays are fantastic.
Sheila, thanks so much for linking to my post, let alone your kind words about it. There’s nothing more gratifying–and humbling–than to know that others appreciate one’s work, especially when it means discovering such an extraordinarily eloquent post as yours.
Rest assured that Judd Apatow will get his when I talk about Shakespeare’s bromance, The Two Gentlemen of Verona!
Paul – it has been years since I saw Shakespeare in Love but I remember how funny Affleck was. I love the part in the bar where you overhear an exchange between two actors, one of whom plays the Nurse:
“What’s the play about?”
“It’s about this nurse ….”
Alli – I love to hear that! My sister who teaches middle school and does Shakespeare with them has some incredible stories about the kids’ “Aha” moments when they actually GET it, when they realize: “Hey! I understand what’s happening here. This is my life!”
Jim – your blog is a goldmine, and I am eager to read more. There is so much there! I’ll never catch up!!
If you don’t mind a bit of profanity I always refer to Two Gentlemen of Verona as Two Douchebags of Verona. I saw it done in Central Park a couple years ago – with Rosario Dawson – it was turned into a musical – had you heard about that production? It was actually really great.
I love how it’s all resolved in two lines – Valentine forgiving Proteus quickly and immediately. Like: REALLY?? After all that? After Proteus revealed himself as a friggin’ sociopath??
Years ago, I wrote a giant post about Two Gents, if you’re interested. I will definitely be checking in with your wonderful site again.
Thanks again, Sheila! I have no problem with profanity at all—see my all-time most popular post for example. And the old saying “If the douchebag fits, wear it” applies to our pals Proteus and Valentine if it applies to anybody–
“Humongous” fits your post, and I’m definitely interested. I’ve only had time to skim it, but I can see you tackle the issues I think need it—what Shakespeare’s trying to do, Marjorie Garber’s valiant attempt to save the play, and especially the attempted rape, which commentators tend to forget about, somehow, in their shock at the boys’ so-casual reconciliation. It looks like I’ll be hard put to know what to add—but I’ll give it a try.
oops, sorry for the double text; Saturday morning before enough coffee . . .
Jim – I fixed it! Yeah, when I saw Two Douchebags when it was in Central Park, and they apologize to each other quick quick, I thought: That’s IT??? The behavior throughout the play is such a deal-breaker – at least for me. The good thing about that production is they did not turn themselves inside out to justify it. They played the whole thing HUGE, it was a musical, there was no time to think or worry about it – and that actually helped the production.
I’ll go look at your most-popular post now. There’s so much great stuff on your site!