Question

Which of the following lines show Mercutio's feelings about Tybalt?

A)true, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air And more inconstant than the wind, who wooes Even now the frozen bosom of the north, And, being anger'd, puffs away from thence, Turning his face to the dew-dropping south.

B)Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives, that I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out.

C)No, 'tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a church-door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

D)Nay, I'll conjure too! Romeo! Humours, madman, passion, lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh!

Answer 1

B)

Step-by-step explanation:

Let us do process of elimination. First, we have (A). It does not seem right, since it does not seem to show his feelings at anybody. Next, we have (C). Here he just explains how he is going to die. Lastly, (D). That is like (A), it does not show his feelings for Tybalt. Plus, Mercutio, in that excerpt, is talking to Romeo. Thus, it is (B), because he calls Tybalt "King of Cats" (to be mean, because Mercutio and Tybalt are enemies) and uses technical terms like the "9 lives" to show his feelings toward him. Hope this helps! (P.S., I took the test, and got it right :) )

Answer 2

The answer is B. Mercutio is trying to egg Tybalt into fighting him by calling him names. Mercutio’s provocation also references how he believe he will be the winner in a fight between the two of them, hence the “nothing but one of your nine lives”.