Examples Of Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet

Both in Macbeth and in Romeo and Juliet we can find clear examples of toxic masculinity and patriarchy. Unfortunately, we still have not got rid of some of those problems yet. So, what has changed from Shakespeare’s time to today?

In Macbeth we can find a lot of examples of toxic masculinity which, sadly, is still very present today. First of all, Macbeth is presented as a strong and noble soldier at the beginning of the play. As a warrior, he has very traditional masculine traits, such as bravery and strength. However, his masculinity is often questioned by his own wife, Lady Macbeth. When the couple is planning Duncan’s murder and Macbeth hesitates, Lady Macbeth is always ready to insult his manhood. She calls him a “coward” and tells him

Here, he is saying that his love for Juliet has made him like a woman, implying that women are softer and weaker than men.

In my opinion, this is a very current problem. Lately it is probably going better, but there is still a lot of improvement to do. In fact, even nowadays, men who express their feelings and sensitive men who show what they feel are not considered “real men”. Men who cry are considered weak. Even men who have a hobby that doesn’t involve a sport are considered different (in a derogatory way). Young boys are raised with this attitude, so it is going to be a never-ending cycle, unless we start to embrace their feelings

First of all, the most important figure of public order in the plays is the Prince. Furthermore, Both the Capulet and the Montague families are under the authority of a male figure. The familial power stays in Lord Capulet and Lord Montague. In fact, the feud between the two families depends on them. It is obvious, then, that the play takes place in a patriarchal society. This is evident also when Lord Capulet tells Juliet that she will marry Paris. This makes us realise that Juliet, like all women of the time, was simply a property of her father, and she will be until she gets married. Then she will be a property of her husband. However, this consideration of women was perfectly normal for the Elizabethans. Another thing we can find in the play is masculine honour. This is a need to show strength and invulnerability, which justifies violent acts, when fighting against another man. We see that this masculine pride often pushes Romeo to do things that he would rather avoid. This is clearly shown in act 5 scene 3, when he says to Paris:“Put not another sin upon my head/By urging me to fury. O, be gone!”. Here we can see Romeo begging Paris to leave, so that he would not have to fight him and kill him, which is what will happen since Paris decides to