Shakespeare undoubtedly created some of the most dynamic and interesting characters in written history, and in Romeo and Juliet there were several memorable ones. Besides the hero and heroine, the voluble and witty Mercutio is as memorable a character as is found in all of Shakespeare's plays. He acts as an important character in terms of moving the plot forward; but more importantly, Mercutio himself is a fascinating man in many ways. Mercutio is not part of the Montague family, however he is a friend of Romeo and related to the Prince of Verona. One might think that this places him relatively outside of the family feud, but we learn that Mercutio is only too willing to play along with this adversary, and ultimately his quick and volatile nature led to his untimely death. Mercutio was first introduced to us in Act Moi, scene 4; when Romeo, Benvolio and the gang are on their way to the Capulet party. Even though it was only his first appearance, he immediately gained attention with his comments. We have the feeling that Mercutio will not remain a marginal character. He is shown joking and making puns with Romeo about heaviness and lightness and their relationship to love. The friendship and obvious closeness of Mercutio and Romeo are noteworthy. Act II, scene 4. Indeed, Mercutio is a man of many words and his language is full of jokes, puns and sexual double entenders. To fully understand Mercutio, we must first understand his words, and this can sometimes be difficult because his wordplay is easily interpreted in many ways. More than anyone else in the room, Mercutio uses puns. For an Elizabethan, it was the sign of a keen mind, to be able to see different meanings in the same word. Shakespeare knew this well and incorporated his own wit into the character of Mercutio. We come to associate Mercutio with wordplay and it seems almost characteristic of him to do so compulsively, even after receiving his mortal wound. “Look for me tomorrow and you will find me a serious man.” It's sadly ironic how Mercutio is hinting that he may be facing something serious for the first time in the play, and allowing the audience to sympathize with him.