Act 1 Scene 4 Montagues go to the Ball (uninvited)

Act 1 Scene 4 Summary

-Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio make their way to the ball
-Mercutio speaks, at some length, about the need for Romeo to take some risks
-Romeo ends the scene by saying that he is fearful to attend the masked ball as his last dream
foretold something awful will happen, possibly even his death, if they go in

Romeo
“Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.”
Rejecting Mercutio’s offer to break into Capulet’s party.
-He’s still ‘heartbroken’ about Rosaline.
-He wants to mope around.
-Shows his age-he is acting like a teenager.
-Compares the rejection of his love to drowning.

Romeo
“The game was ne’er so fair, and I am done.”
Talking about the pursuit of love.
-Shows how infatuated he was with Rosaline, how quickly he becomes enamoured with.
Closer to an obsession than real love.
-He does not wish to ‘fall in love’ again, as the results were so painful the first time.
-The game...fair: the game is at its best, and a wise gambler would stop at this point.
-Treats love as a game he is trying to win by win by finding the best possible partner.
-He has given up on love and women.

Mercutio
“If love be rough with you, be rough with love.
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.”
In response to Romeo telling him that love is too rough.
-Does not see love or a rejected love as something to be overly upset about.
-Criticises those(Romeo) who become too obsessed with love.
-Highlights their opposing views of love-it is about emotional connection to Romeo, and
sex/fun for Mercutio.
-Shows his character, how Mercutio is carefree and doesn’t hold love and relationships to the
same pedestal that Romeo does. He tells Romeo here to stop playing the victim.
-Mercutio has a reputation for crude, lewd sexual puns and jokes. This is one! “Prick is slang
for ‘penis’ and the act of having sex. His advice here is that Romeo should go and have sex
with someone else, and forget about Rosaline.