The "great task" in this passage is the preservation of the Union.
President Lincoln gave this speech after the events of the Civil War between the South and the North. He tried to say that it was their duty to mend the Union and to honor all those people who died during the war, protecting the Union.
Answer:
A candle
Explanation:
The longer you have the candle the smaller it becomes because the wax melts making the candle shrink.
I think it was to show how Mercutio and Benvolio were laughing and slightly mocking the capulets whilst also adding the idea that they always pick the fights and are the antagonists
