Examples Of Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet

Emily Fernandez

Dr. Rachel Prusko

English 387 Lecture B1: Youth Cultures

February 4th, 2023

Romeo’s Rebellion: Creation and Refusal of the Masculine Identity in Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shows how the young men of Verona are obligated to perform a certain type of masculinity associated with violence and sexuality. Romeo, however, provides a counter to this as he displays both feminine and masculine behaviours throughout the play. Ultimately, Romeo’s refusal to adhere to the standards of masculinity and his inclination to create an identity of his own are an enduring example of the young male experience.

Masculinity is a role that has defined parameters that young men are compelled into performing, and these roles,

Compared to the other deaths in the play, which were violent and involved being stabbed with blades, Romeo’s death is quiet and somewhat more peaceful. His death is in notable contrast to both Tybalt and Mercutio’s, who both die in battle defending the honour of their houses. If the conflict is understood as a masculine performance, then Romeo’s refusal to engage with it and in fact his attempt to mend it through his marriage to Juliet are a rejection of the standards of Veronese society. Romeo’s actions are resistant to the adult norms of masculinity that he is expected to adhere to, and are instead a blend of masculinity and femininity that create a unique identity. The adults in his life place pressure on him to behave in certain ways, which he ultimately defies through his death. Friar Lawrence cautions him to not “dote” (2.3.82) on women and in the first scene of Act one we see that his father Montague is quick to draw his blade and prove his masculinity. Instead of adhering to their expectations of him, he chooses to die quietly in his lover’s arms. Romeo is the only one out of his peer group to behave in this way, as they die in bloody, masculine displays of bravery and honour. Romeo’s death then highlights the importance of individual identity in the face of overwhelming societal

Certainly, youth outside of the world of the play should not be encouraged to commit lover’s suicide or to take to the streets with swords as the characters in the play do, but Shakespeare’s depiction of certain aspects of the young male experience seem realistic, from a contemporary standpoint. The playful banter between Mercutio, Benvolio, and Romeo are reminiscent of a Call of Duty lobby, and the playful flirting between Romeo and Juliet could easily take place within an Instagram chatroom. Instead of condemning Romeo’s actions, it is my belief that Shakespeare was instead presenting a realistic –if somewhat overdramatized– portrayal of what it means to be a young man. There are pressures placed upon him by adults and his peers to behave in certain ways and to conform to a certain type of masculinity, that Romeo struggles to break free from. This quest for identity and belonging within a strange, new, adult world transcends time and generations of young people, which is perhaps why youth can still identify with the characters five hundred years