Queen Mab in Romeo and Juliet is a tiny fairy described by Mercutio in a famous speech in Act 1, Scene 4. She is called "the fairies' midwife" who rides in a miniature chariot made from natural materials like a hazelnut shell and spider's legs, traveling over the noses of sleeping people to deliver dreams that reflect their deepest desires and fantasies

. Mercutio portrays her as a mischievous but not malevolent figure who influences the dreams of various people—lovers dream of love, lawyers of fees, soldiers of violence, and so forth. However, these dreams are often unrealistic and fleeting, symbolizing the illusions and desires that distract people from reality

. Queen Mab's influence can also turn darker, causing nightmares or even physical afflictions like blisters on the lips of women who dream of kisses

. Though Queen Mab herself does not appear as a character in the play, Mercutio’s speech serves to highlight Romeo's youthful romantic idealism and foreshadows the tragic consequences of such dreams and desires. The speech contrasts Mercutio’s pragmatic wit with Romeo’s dreamy nature, underscoring themes of fantasy versus reality in the play

. In English folklore, Mab is known as the queen of the fairies, and Shakespeare’s depiction draws on this tradition but adds a playful and somewhat cynical edge to her character

. In summary, Queen Mab in Romeo and Juliet is a symbolic fairy figure who embodies the power of dreams and fantasies, used by Mercutio to mock Romeo’s lovesickness and to caution against being lost in illusions