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All Site ContentRomeo and JulietAct 3Scene 1
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"hazel"
Wordplay
Act 3,
Scene 1
Lines 18-20

A play on the word "hazel" in myShakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 1.

Mercutio

beard than thou hast. Thou wilt quarrel with a man for
cracking nuts, having no other reason but because thou
hast hazel eyes. What eye but such an eye would spy out

Mercutio says that Benvolio would quarrel with someone for cracking nuts because he, Benvolio, has hazel colored eyes. Besides being a color, a hazel is a tree that grows hazelnuts.