Mercutio is a showstopper. He's dirty, funny, and out of control. Mercutio makes Romeo and Juliet seem a little boring. Even though Mercutio is a minor character, his personality has such a great impact that maybe he has to be eliminated, otherwise, he would take over the play. In fact, English poet John Dryden said that Shakespeare himself admitted that he had to kill Mercutio—or else, Mercutio would have killed him. Mercutio helped to get the audience confused when he is actually passing, but he says it is only a scratch. Also when he cursed the families. The audience never expected this from a friend of both families. Mercutio's death was also important due to it turned comedy into tragedy.
