Even though he does not like the Capulets , he is still a good friend. Though Mercutio can make jokes at the worst of times, he is also a brave and loyal friend.
Mercutio is the joker within the play. For example: when Tybalt asks if he consorts with Romeo, Mercutio if picks up a stick and calls it a fiddle stick, then he says (waving the stick like a maestro would) "..... here's that will make you dance. Zounds Consort." Mercutio also shows that he is a joker(when he is dying) by making a joke. One can see how Mercutio can be a joker, even at the worst of times.
Mercutio can also be a brave man at many times. One scene he shows this is when he take the challenge of fighting Tybalt away from Romeo, so that Romeo would not have to fight, even though Mercutio knows that he could die while he was fighting Tybalt. Another scene is where Mercutio and some friends go to the Capulets party because they were Motaques. Mercutio is not worried about getting caught because the party is a costume party, and he and his friends were wearing masks. As the reader can tell Mercutio is a brave character within the play.
Mercutio also remains to be a loyal friend towards Romeo. Mercutio shows this by persuading Romeo to go to the Capulets party so that Romeo can find someone else and gets his mind off of Rosaline. Another scene that Mercutio shows he is a loyal friend, is when he finds a letter addressed to Romeo from Tybalt saying that Tybalt is challenging Romeo to a duel. Mercutio never tells Romeo about the challenge. Mercutio accepts the challenge for Romeo because he thinks Romeo is still upset that Rosaline does not like him. So, Mercutio goes and fights Tybalt. As one can see Mercutio's actions prove he is a loyal friend towards Romeo.
Overall Mercutio shows that he is brave, a loyal friend, and at the same time funny throughout Romeo and Juliet. The reason Shakespear probably put a character like Mercutio into Romeo and Juliet was to give the story more than one genera so that it would not be just a sad story but also a comedy and an adventure. All of this proves that he is one the best characters within the play.
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