Gender Conformity In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

In a world filled with gender conformity, Romeo and Juliet stand as a shining beacon of gender nonconformity, especially for the time period. Shakespeare argues that girls do not have to do do the same things as their mothers and can be their own independent people, a pioneering idea for a time when the primary model for womanhood in the play did not marry for love and had borne a child by a young age. Juliet’s role as a strong female character with independence and personality begin to form when she meets Romeo. Juliet’s refusal to obey her parents’ and the nurse’s commands, her willingness to engage in physical feats in order to be with Romeo, and, finally, her courage to brave fears not only by faking her death but by her readiness to stab

Juliet evidences her desire to be with Romeo by listing the terrifying things she would do to be reunited with Romeo, including,“ hid[ing] with a dead man in his [shroud]”(4.1.86). She concludes by saying “I will do it without fear or doubt/ To live an unstained wife to my sweet love” (4.1.89). Her willingness to commit acts of physical bravery without fear shows Shakespeare’s reversal of gender roles. Juliet continues to show emotional bravery when she fakes her own death. Father Lawrence suggests a potion to cause a deathlike trance and that it“ free thee from this present shame/ If no inconstant toy nor womanish fear/Abate thy valor in acting it” (4.1.120). Father Lawrence assumes that Juliet is a normal girl who does not have courage, yet Shakespeare contrasts traditional girls to Juliet’s fearlessness.By drinking the potion, she shows tenacity as she tries to protect Romeo from Tybalt’s ghost, saying, “Stay, Tybalt, Stay! Romeo, Romeo, Romeo!/ Here’s drink, I drink to thee”(4.3.58). Simply to protect Romeo, she puts aside all fear of death and plunges headlong into a trance. She thereby dispels Father Lawrence’s stereotypes by not acting upon her ‘womanish’ fears and by instead acting masculine and trying to protect Romeo. Her willingness to die because life without Romeo is not worth living displays a knightly commitment that leads her to the brink of

When Juliet’s parents tell her she must marry Paris, Juliet goes to Father Lawrence to get a potion that will allow her to avoid marriage to Paris; skeptical of its efficacy, she puts those doubts to rest when she pulls out her knife and says, “No, no, this shall forbid it”(4.3.24). With this declaration, Juliet shows her brave willingness to die to not be with Paris in order to only be with Romeo. Her bravery is more important because she still has doubts about everything that could go wrong with the potion, listing them all :“How if, when I am laid into the tomb/, I wake before the time that Romeo/ Come to redeem me?”(4.3.32). Due to her love for Romeo, facing these troubles, Juliet goes ahead with her plan and overcomes those fears due to her love for Romeo. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Juliet in this manner reverses traditional gender roles and by setting up a dramatic final scene in which Juliet makes the ultimate sacrifice for Romeo. When Juliet sees Romeo lying dead in the vault, she rushes to him, sees that he had died of poison, and says, “O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop/ To help me after!” (5.3.168). Without hesitation Juliet decides that life without Romeo is not worth living, unlike Romeo who shows fear when he waffles over the concept of death. Once Juliet realizes that there is no poison left for her,