<P> After Romeo receives a death threat from Juliet 's cousin Tybalt , Mercutio expects Romeo to engage Tybalt in a duel . However , Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt , because Romeo now considers Tybalt to be kin due to his secret marriage to Juliet . Mercutio is incensed at his friend 's `` calm , dishonorable , vile submission '' , and decides to fight Tybalt himself , right before which , Mercutio refers to his sword as his `` fiddlestick . '' Romeo , not wanting his friend or his relative to get hurt , attempts to intervene . He fails , however , as Mercutio gets stabbed under Romeo 's arm and dies . Before he dies , Mercutio curses both the Montagues and Capulets , crying several times , `` A plague o ' both your houses ! '' ( Act III , Sc. 1 , often quoted as `` A pox on both your houses '' ) . He makes one final pun before he dies : `` Ask for me to - morrow , and you shall find me a grave man . '' A grief - stricken and enraged Romeo kills Tybalt , resulting in his banishment from Verona and beginning the tragic turn of events that make up the rest of the play . </P>
<P> After Romeo receives a death threat from Juliet 's cousin Tybalt , Mercutio expects Romeo to engage Tybalt in a duel . However , Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt , because Romeo now considers Tybalt to be kin due to his secret marriage to Juliet . Mercutio is incensed at his friend 's `` calm , dishonorable , vile submission '' , and decides to fight Tybalt himself , right before which , Mercutio refers to his sword as his `` fiddlestick . '' Romeo , not wanting his friend or his relative to get hurt , attempts to intervene . He fails , however , as Mercutio gets stabbed under Romeo 's arm and dies . Before he dies , Mercutio curses both the Montagues and Capulets , crying several times , `` A plague o ' both your houses ! '' ( Act III , Sc. 1 , often quoted as `` A pox on both your houses '' ) . He makes one final pun before he dies : `` Ask for me to - morrow , and you shall find me a grave man . '' A grief - stricken and enraged Romeo kills Tybalt , resulting in his banishment from Verona and beginning the tragic turn of events that make up the rest of the play . </P>
who said a plague on both your houses
who said a plague on both your houses
Mercutio
Mercutio