In the 16th century tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses metaphor and diction, aimed at Tybalt and the 2 families, to reveal Mercutio’s own negative tone/attitude behind his outlook on those whom he had blamed for his death. For example, after Mercutio had been fatally struck from a sword blow by Tybalt in swords dual, Mercutio realizes he is going to die from being stabbed by Tybalt, and says “ I am peppered, I warrant, for this world. A plague o' both your houses! Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat to scratch a man to death! A braggart, a rogue, a villain that fights by the book of arithmetic!” (3.1.101-106). Being “Peppered” and “warrant, for this world” is equivalent to being doomed to leaving the earth, i.e, death. Mercutio reference towards Tybalt, calling him “a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat to scratch a man to death” and “A braggart, a rogue, a villain that fights by the book of arithmetic” is equivalent to Mercutio referring to Tybalt as a dog, rat, mouse, or cat that scratched him to death, and a worthless, scoundrel, that fights like he learned swordsmanship from a manual!
