MERCUTIO

CAMERA SHOTS

This is a close up shot of Mercutio and Romeo both smiling having a good time. This shows how Mercutio is a good friend and can always cheer a mate up. That he is always up for a laugh and fun. Also that how two people can have such different personalities but be so close and such great of friends.

This is a medium shot of Mercutio this shows he has a very different personality. As this is him dressed up as a drag queen. It shows he is different and weird character. That he has different thoughts and ideas. He has very unique sort of way and he wants to stand out to be a show stopper.

This is a two shot with Romeo and Mercutio. This shows he is loyal friend that he would fight any battle. But he is angry though that Tybalt has insulted him and Romeo. This shot shows the angry dark side of him, that it’s not all games and his immature side that he can get angry and violent very quickly.

This is a close up shot of Mercutio it is when he has been making fun and teasing Tybalt and then Tybalt makes a comment about him and Romeo being a couple. This shows that, that is a weak spot for him and he is quite sensitive. He gets very angry and tries to retaliate. Tybalt made that comment because he wanted to agitate Mercutio and get a reaction out of him.

This is an over the shoulder, close up of Benvolio and Mercutio when they are playing out the fight that will happen between Romeo and Tybalt. This shows that there is a childish and immature side to Mercutio and Benvolio. We never know when to take Mercutio seriously or not because of his childish behaviour. It also shows that they are trusting of each other because they are playing with the guns and not even worried about it.

This is when Mercutio has been stabbed by Tybalt and he realises he is very seriously injured. He then yells “Plague on both your houses.” because he is punishing both of them but predicting bad things at the same time. It shows he regrets getting mixed up in the fight because has lost his life to silly feud between two families.

A This is a mid shot of Mercutio and Romeo after he has been stabbed by Tybalt. Mercutio is facing away from Romeo because he doesn't want to show him that he has been seriously injured. Also he doesn't want the others to see him in pain or to show that he is weak because he is the one that never worries about anything.

This is a mid-shot / close up of Mercutio just before he and Romeo go to the party. This shows Mercutio’s crazy and unique side. Mercutio is dressed up as a drag queen to show that he is different, whether Romeo is dressed as a knight. This is also when Mercutio gives Romeo “Love drugs”, this shows that Mercutio is into crazy and out of the ordinary stuff.

This is a close up of Mercutio. Mercutio is a very unique and crazy person but under all that he is still scared and vulnerable, as we see in his facial expression. Mercutio is like this in this shot because he has just been stabbed by Tybalt. Mercutio is mostly crazy and childish but throughout the film we see his serious side.

This is a mid-shot of Mercutio at the beach waiting for Romeo to come back. This shows that Mercutio trusts himself enough to be able to joke around with guns in a public area.

COSTUMES

Mercutio in the party scene dresses up as a drag queen. This shows how he is different minded and has a weird sense of character. It shows how he has a different spirit and a way of life. As many of the other costumes where normal and traditional. It shows that he is an outsider that wants to stand out and he is also immature. The drag queen look is a complex design. Mercutio normally wears a white shirt undone and black jeans. The white shirt shows us that he is neither a Montague nor a Capulet as Montagues wear Hawaiian shirts and Capulets wear black leather. It helps us see that he doesn’t belong to anyone. Also the fact that he is African-American shows he is an outsider.

REALTIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

Romeo: Is best friends with Romeo, we see this at the start of the film when Mercutio is cheering up Romeo because he has just had his heart broken. Mercutio then takes him to the Capulets party were he meets his true love. But their relationship changes when Mercutio’s death occurs. Mercutio puts a curse on the Montague and Capulet families. This relationship of Mercutio and Romeo shows us how two families feud causes innocent people harm and death.

Benvolio: Mercutio is powerful in this relationship as he is stronger and isn’t afraid of a fight. Their relationship doesn’t change throughout the movie. It shows us that outsiders can join a family and can be even more important.

IMPORTANCE OF MERCUTIO

Mercutio is an important role because he looks out for Romeo and is always sticking up for him and is willing to put his life on the line to save him. Mercutio is Romeos best friend, he is always worried about what he’s doing or where he’s going, for example When Nurse comes for Romeo and Mercutio shoots his gun to get Romeos attention and asks where he is going?, why aren’t you telling me where you are going?. Mercutio is also important as he brings the humour to the film, for example when he dresses up as a drag queen for the Capulet’s party. Mercutio is also a very big part of how Juliet and Romeo meet, he was the one who persuaded Romeo to forget about Rosaline and go to the party where he falls in love with Juliet.

CHANGE IN PERSONALITY

The audience doesn’t see much change in Mercutio’s personality throughout the movie as he only is around for part of the movie

BEGINNING OF THE FILM

At the beginning of the film we immediately see that Mercutio is quite a joker as he dresses up as a drag queen for the Capulet’s party. Mercutio also likes to be the centre of attention, so by dressing up and acting up everyone gave him the attention he wanted.

MIDDLE OF THE FILM

In the middle of the film just before Mercutio’s death he becomes quite serious and worried about not only Romeo’s life but his own. Mercutio still finds a way to act up and be silly though, for example just before he gets stabbed by Tybalt he still finds enough courage to act up in front of him and results in him getting stabbed, even before he dies he still jokes about and acts up. Mercutio becomes very angry causing him to curse on both the Montagues and Capulets houses, “A plague o’ both of your houses. I am sped” Meaning “I’ve been hurt. May a plague curse both your families I’m finished.”

KEY QUOTES

QUOTES: ‘And to sink in it, should you burthen love—Too great oppression for a tender thing.’ MEANING: ‘If you sink, you’re dragging love down. It’s not right to drag down something as tender as love.’

This quote shows that Mercutio treasures love and believes it is a special thing. It shows that he has a sensitive and soft side and is not always childish. He also wants Romeo to treasure love and treat it right. QUOTE: ‘A plague on both your houses.’

MEANING: ‘May plague curse both your houses’

This quote shows that Mercutio is cursing the houses as well as predicting what is going to happen to them. This shows how Mercutio wants revenge because he lost his life to a silly feud between two families.

QUOTE: ‘She is the fairies' midwife, and she comesIn shape no bigger than an agate stoneOn the forefinger of an alderman,Drawn with a team of little atomiOver men’s noses as they lie asleep.Her wagon spokes made of long spinners' legs,The cover of the wings of grasshoppers,Her traces of the smallest spider’s web,Her collars of the moonshine’s watery beams,Her whip of cricket’s bone, the lash of film,Her wagoner a small gray-coated gnat,Not half so big as a round little wormPricked from the lazy finger of a maid.’

MEANING:‘She’s the fairies' midwife. She’s no bigger than the stone on a city councilman’s ring. She rides around in a wagon drawn by tiny little atoms, and she rides over men’s noses as they lie sleeping. The spokes of her wagon are made of spiders' legs. The cover of her wagon is made of grasshoppers' wings. The harnesses are made of the smallest spiderwebs. The collars are made out of moonbeams. Her whip is a thread attached to a cricket’s bone. Her wagon driver is a tiny bug in a gray coat; he’s not half the size of a little round worm. It was believed that worms sprung from the fingers of young girls who sat about doing nothing. Worm that comes from the finger of a lazy young girl.’

Mercutio says this quote when he is on drugs so that effects it. It shows that he is supernatural and believes in things like fairies. It also shows that he thinks in a different way to others and is different. He also believes in things that any other person wouldn’t.

SOMEONE ALIKE

Mercutio is like Fin from the notebook. He is like him because he is the one that introduces them and then he makes sure that they see each other by organising them to meet at the movies. Fin like Mercutio is Noah’s ‘wing man’ and is always loyal to him. Fin can always cheer Noah up when he is down. He is always by his side and like Mercutio and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet Noah is by Fins side when he dies.