Tybalt wounds Mercutio with his sword while Romeo tries to stop the fight. Mercutio dies soon afterward.

What does Mercutio mean by “a plague o’ both your houses”?

He is angry at both the Montagues and the Capulets, whose feud has cost him his life. He blames the quarrel, not just one side.

What is Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech?

It is a playful, imaginative speech in which Mercutio describes Queen Mab, a fairy who rides across sleeping people and gives them their dreams. It shows how quick and inventive he is.

From Romeo and Juliet

Mercutio

Romeo’s witty friend • Full of jokes

Romeo’s clever best friend, who loves jokes, wild stories and teasing.

Who is Mercutio?

Mercutio is Romeo’s clever, joking best friend, who loves wild stories, teasing and a bit of daring fun. He hands out feathered masks so the friends can slip into the Capulet party. Mercutio is fiercely loyal and quick to stand up for his friends, but his sharp tongue and fiery pride can lead him straight into trouble.

Mercutio is a character in Romeo and Juliet, the 1597 play by William Shakespeare, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Mercutio like?

Playful
Witty
Loyal

Mercutio’s story

Mercutio is a relative of Prince Escalus and one of Romeo’s closest friends. He is witty, restless and full of wild talk. When Romeo is sad about love, Mercutio teases him and tells the famous speech about Queen Mab, a tiny fairy who brings dreams to sleepers. He goes with Romeo to the Capulet feast.

In Act 3 the friends meet Tybalt in the street. Romeo, who has just married a Capulet, refuses to fight. Mercutio thinks this is cowardly and fights Tybalt himself. As Romeo steps between them, Tybalt’s sword strikes Mercutio.

Mercutio jokes even as he is hurt, but then cries out against both families. He dies soon after. His death changes the whole play, because it pushes Romeo to fight Tybalt, which leads to Romeo’s banishment.

“A plague o’ both your houses. I am sped.”

Mercutio, after being wounded, Act 3. From the original 1597 play by William Shakespeare.

A moment to remember

Outside the Capulet palace, Mercutio laughs away Romeo’s worries, spins around and hands out feathered party masks.

Romeo Montague: best friend
Tybalt: enemy who fights him

Talk about it

Mercutio loved to joke, but sometimes teasing can go too far. How can you tell when a joke is fun for everyone?

Questions about Mercutio

Who kills Mercutio?: Tybalt wounds Mercutio with his sword while Romeo tries to stop the fight. Mercutio dies soon afterward.
What does Mercutio mean by “a plague o’ both your houses”?: He is angry at both the Montagues and the Capulets, whose feud has cost him his life. He blames the quarrel, not just one side.
What is Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech?: It is a playful, imaginative speech in which Mercutio describes Queen Mab, a fairy who rides across sleeping people and gives them their dreams. It shows how quick and inventive he is.