Act 1, Scene 4: Mercutio's Madness

Alex Minshull

1.4: After Mercutio monologues, Romeo says to him, "Peace, Mercutio, peace. Thou talks't of nothing." In my opinion, this sums up the dynamic between Mercutio and Romeo. In a way, Romeo is Mercutio's foil, at least in the aspect of sensibility. As Mercutio drifts into what seems like a rant about nothing, Romeo gently tells him to come back to the world. They balance each other out in a way. This interaction is one of the many examples of Romeo's lucid view of the world, although the roles are ironically reversed in the next scene.