sorry i know this is such a hater opinion + ultimately inconsequential but i literally cannot stand mercutio x benvolio. like i'm so sorry to the shippers and i'm sincerely glad they're having fun but there's nothing in the tumblr shakespeare space that pisses me off more than the popularity of this ship. i know it's because romeo and juliet is the most commonly taught shakespeare play in schools & gay teenagers latch onto the trash-talking rebellious side character who is close friends with another side character BUT they are such a nothingburger ship 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭they're nothing 😭😭😭they're two male side characters in a popular play that became the face of gay shakespeare ships on here😭😭😭 and for what 😭😭😭😭
i do actually think the performance history of mercutio (esp. harold perrineau's portrayal in 1996) is very very interesting in relation to sexuality and gender non-conformity. and i think it's really compelling to analyze mercutio in contrast to romeo and juliet's relationship. but i cannot go on seeing these incorrect quotes and shitposts positing these two as the ultimate shakespearean gay couple. like it's not even that reading mercutio as queer isn't interesting or has no merit, it's that they're so oversaturated and taken for granted as the punchline for every fucking gay ship post on here over the legitimate queer readings of other plays 😭😭😭
if you thought mercutio and benvolio were gay reading r+j in school, take my hand. let's read coriolanus together. let's read richard ii together. let's read as you like it, even. troilus and cressida has an actual for real gay couple onstage. please. mercutio x benvolio's tumblr presence is like the shadows in the cave of the actual queer themes in shakespeare. shipping is fun and all but arguing in earnest that mercutio and benvolio were textually queer is like....... there's more to life than this. let's read the fair youth sonnets together.
