Is Mercutio Gay?

Mercutio, One of theatres most sot after roles in Shakespearean history. As the years have past his character has been changed and rearranged and brutalized and been lived up to, but there is one question on everybody’s mind that has seen his variations in action. Is Mercutio in fact homosexual? Well first and foremost as many professionals would tell you that is up to the actor who is facing the challenge. The Actor chooses the journey and the sexuality of the character if it is not written. However Mercutio has been written to have homosexual tendencies, for example after his queen mab speech (when he was dressed up like a woman) it is written that Romeo and Mercutio embrace for a long period of time almost looking as if they are going to kiss. Benvolio breaks this apart almost feeling uncomfortable. This could just be a strong friendship, but it is clearly written that Mercutio is hostel towards women. Romeo and Mercutio Have there own personas, as one is romantic the other is imaginative, but Mercutio seems to dislike anyone Romeo falls in love with making them his enemy’s. Could this be because he is jealous and is deeply in love with Romeo himself? Or is it because Mercutio knows that Romeo will be hurt again and hates seeing his best friend heartbroken. Simply put Mercutio has homosexual like tendencies, it his clear in the lines he says to Romeo, Benvolio, and even Tybalt. His friendship with Romeo is very close, so close he would risk his life for him either out of love or masculine bravado. So is Mercutio really gay?





As written above I have looked into Mercutio’s sexuality, but what about Romeo’s? Are Romeo and Mercutio secretly in love with each other? The only written proof of this would be in the scene containing the queen mab speech, When Romeo and Mercutio embrace and whisper into each others ears. The truth is the speech is very boring, what makes it interesting is the weird pity and twisted darkness that is beneath it. Most of the speech is associated with sex, and transmitted infections, but Mercutio is secretly wooing Romeo although Romeo is completely oblivious to the fact Mercutio keeps going, opening up and soon revealing his true feelings about there situation in tears and upset. Romeo finally clues in and goes to comfort Mercutio in a very loving manner. Could this be a past encounter of love between the two finally revealed because Mercutio is still heartbroken and needs Romeo to come back to him? This possibility can be easily denied as Tybalt insults Mercutio with this possibility. This seemed to have struck a nerve in Mercutio, as he angrily yells at Tybalt he challenges him to a fight, but as tension raises Romeo arrives. Mercutio’s reaction to Tybalt’s insult might have been the regular guy reaction at being called gay, but was it because it is really true and somebody laughing at the fact he really is gay makes him upset. All this questions will never have a correct answer for it is the actor to decide these decisions. Shakespeare’s intentions were to create a dynamic character that is deeper than one would expect, he succeeded.

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