Shakespeare in the play Romeo and Juliet, includes this comic speech by Mercutio in order to illustrate the close friendship between the men.
Mercutio accuses his fellow Montague Benvolio of not picking up fights and being hypocrite suggesting pair to go inside to avoid the fight. Mercutio is neither totally Montagues nor Capulet. Due to his close friendship with Benvolio and Romeo, he is considered to be Montagues and he is the cousin of the prince. To not let Benvolio deter him, in this scene he picks up the fight with the Capulets. Through his tone of quarrel, it is clear that his attitude is none-too-serious, taking it as a joke. His fight in the above passage is clearly ridiculous and non-sensical. Through this, mirrors the fight between Capulets and Montagues is equally baseless and unnecessary. Here, they fight because they have fought and they are 'quarrelsome' like Benvolio.
