1. Mercutio’sstatus at as a tragic hero revolves around his reversal of fortune. This reversal begins with his tragic flaw, a trait of all tragic heroes. For Mercutio, the tragic flaw is an unquenchable temper that constantly causes him to get into trouble. When Tybaltangrily comes looking to have “one word” with Romeo, instead of trying to defuse the situation, Mercutio taunts him saying, “And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow” (3.1.39-40). Without this provocation, Tybalt might have walked away. Instead, he ultimately draws his sword and attacks. Mercutio’s reversal of fortune follows soon after, as he utters, “Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man” after he is stabbed by Tybalt in the fight (3.1.97-98). Following many tragic heroes before him, Mercutio’s reversal is his own death. More important than the death, however, is how he dies. In his last living moments, Mercutio cries out to Romeo, “Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm” (3.1.102-103). A tragic hero must elicit pity from the audience, and Romeo’s interference fulfills this trait. Mercutio is not only killed, but killed because of the betrayal his best friend. Regardless of his tragic flaw, a tragic “hero’s action is guilty from one point of view and innocent from another. “(McCollum 53). Mercutio may have started the fight, but death is much too great of a punishment for a friend trying to protect his own. Due to Romeo’s error, the audience mourns his life, and Mercutio earns the pity needed to be a truly tragic hero. Mercutio’stragic flaw leads into his reversal of fortune, which is made dramatically more pitiful by the betrayal of Romeo. These three traits are essential for a tragic hero, so there is no doubt Mercutio fulfills the role.