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Gender Roles Of Elizabethan Men And Women

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Social media today, women are pressed to be sexually attractive, while men are represented as being physically desirable, aggressive and violent. Back in the Elizabethan era, when Shakespeare's classic tragic star-crossed love story of Romeo and Juliet was performed, this standard of men and women would have been considered as normal. In Elizabethan times women were considered as objects that could be used to forge alliances with other powerful families through arranged marriages whereas men were of higher rank than women. With the exception if Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare reinforces the stereotypical Elizabethan man and women. But, in Baz Luhrmann, 1996 film of the play, does he follow or challenge the way Shakespeare originally represented males and females? …show more content…

Elizabethan era gender stereotypes were clearly defined, with men reigning superior over women, while women were subservient to men. In Verona men were violent, sexual domination, and conquest. Tybalt is violent and hot-tempered, his notion of honour is all in the masculine code of revenge and doesn't fight back against any insult, then his reputation as a Verona man is in danger. Elizabethan Women were subservient to men, they were expected to know how to govern the household and perform domestic duties so when they were marriages of their husbands would want to support them. Juliet’s father is quick-tempered and impetuous and angrily demands that Juliet obey his wishes to marry Paris. Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife, is a woman who married young, she was eager to see her daughter Juliet marry

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1702 Words | 7 Pages

Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet, wants nothing to do with her own daughter, since she does not want to marry the person her mother has chosen for her. Lady Capulet shows no empathy towards Juliet's pleads, and makes it clear that she does not even want Juliet speaking to her, even though Juliet is crushed over the fact her parents are forcing her to marry someone that she does not want to be with. Lady Capulet does not consider or even take the time to let Juliet explain how she feels. Instead, she walks away from her daughter leaving her to be miserable by

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1040 Words | 5 Pages

That connects to Juliet's identity, specifically as a woman in society. Her family believes Juliet's sole purpose is to marry into a good family. Here, Juliet's duty to her family conflicts with her duty as a woman, as she wishes to pursue love despite circumstances prohibiting her from doing so. Later in this scene, Lord Capulet expresses his anger at his daughter for defying his orders and gives her an ultimatum. He tells her that if she does not marry Paris, the Capulets will disown her,

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772 Words | 4 Pages

Over time values have greatly changed, for example, gender roles and courtship. Literature has coincided along history and it 's a great way to view how these values have changed. William Shakspeare’s Taming of the Shrew is a great example of how gender roles and courtship were portrayed in the 16th century. Although it was controversial in its time because the lead,Katharine, is a strong-willed woman who believed she didn’t need a man in her life. It is obvious that everybody 's obsession in this time period, and some small-minded people now is that a woman absolutely needs a man to survive.

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1643 Words | 7 Pages

Juliet’s personality develops hugely from the outset to the end of the play. She transitions from this young naïve law-abiding 13 year old to a cunning love struck grown up girl. The opening prologue gives a lot of the story away, without taking the suspense away. The chorus informs the audience that Romeo and Juliet are ‘star-crossed lovers’ implying that the couple are governed by fate and somehow linked to the movements of the stars. The Elizabethan period was very patriarchal and a way that Shakespeare exemplifies this is by making Capulet have absolute power over his wife and daughter or so he thinks.

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648 Words | 3 Pages

Maddy Pierick Miss. Murphy English IV 5 Jan. 2023 Feminist Lens The 1500s were considered the Elizabethan era. Elizabethan society was quite patriarchal; women were considered the “weaker sex” and always in need of protection. Women were married off at an early age and had one main purpose, childbearing.

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998 Words | 4 Pages

Shakespeare believes that Gender roles shouldn’t be the stereotype of any relationship because the roles can be switched, and them being switched can cause a lot of trouble. When a woman thinks for men it ends up pretty bad. The play Macbeth shows that when a man follows a women's word because they love them, that's when

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542 Words | 3 Pages

Each female character is treated by men as a possession. However, there are also moments when they are presented as confident and challenge a male authority. This would have been exiting for Shakespeare’s female Elizabethan audience as women

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600 Words | 3 Pages

Today, in the 21st century, most women are fairly respected and have the freedom to make their own choices; but when reading Romeo and Juliet, from the Shakespearean age, I have learned that women were viewed very differently. Using clues provided by this book, it is clear that whether women were housewives, royalty, nurses, or children, they didn’t have equal rights to men. Men were very masculine; they ordered their wives around and expected women to obey. Whereas women were very obedient and unfortunately were often taken advantage of. In this paper, will be examining the stereotypical role of a woman in the Shakespearean age.

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At that time in history, the status quo and social norm was simple. Patriarchy was the predominant force as men were regarded as superior to women, both in society as well as the relationship scene. Shakespeare attempted to change this perception through his multiple works of literature. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare uses the theme of gender roles to express the idea that the status quo and social norm in the Elizabethan era can be challenged through courtship, father-daughter relationships, and wedlock. The play commences with the courtship of multiple individuals.

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It may seem like Shakespeare treats his female characters worse than his male characters, but it is his female characters that drive the plot

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1386 Words | 6 Pages

Lady Capulet tried to talk Juliet into marrying Paris by saying, “Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, Here in Verona ladies of esteem, Are made already mothers: by my count, I was your mother much upon these years That you are now a maid. Thus then in brief: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love…(Doc B)” This was her mother's way of saying that Juliet should marry Paris, because he is a good man that can take care of her. Also she is trying to point out that she was much younger than Juliet when she married her father. When Juliet doesn't see eye to eye with her mom, her father steps in and tries to convince Juliet to marry Paris.

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1721 Words | 7 Pages

The Elizabethan Era was a time where men were in charge and women and children were expected to obey. Nowadays, men and women have equal roles in society and one gender is not better or smarter than the other. During the Elizabethan Era, men, women, and children all had specific and defining roles. Men had a dominant role in society during the Elizabethan Era. Men could do many things that women were not allowed to do.

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778 Words | 4 Pages

Their tough archetypes were always present in many plays and reinforced the idea of male superiority. This fact held true, especially for a certain tragic classic by William Shakespeare. There was a misogynistic mentality towards women in Romeo and Juliet, evident through the way women were shown as objects, portrayed as weak, and made to seem unable to dictate their own lives. Men in Romeo and Juliet could be seen acting like owners towards women. Women were seen as nothing more than possessions, as illustrated when Romeo first described Juliet as, “My lady…/my love” (II.ii.10).

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1408 Words | 6 Pages

These attributes are commonly associated with the opposite gender, and Shakespeare uses this exchange of traits to accentuate the irregularity of the situation being represented. The more dramatic features, though, are Romeo’s, and Shakespeare shows how difficult it is for him not to fit in the box of “being a man”. When Tybalt came to kill Romeo, Mercutio interfered, and it ended up costing him his life. Due to the death of his close friend, Romeo grew enraged and decided to “be a man” and get revenge on Tybalt. “O sweet Juliet, / Thy beauty hath made me effeminate /

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1010 Words | 5 Pages

For Shakespeare’s plays to contain enduring ideas, it must illustrate concepts that still remain relevant today, in modern society. Shakespeare utilises his tragic play Othello, to make an important social commentary on the common gender stereotypes. During early modern England, Shakespeare had to comply to the strict social expectations where women were viewed as tools, platonic and mellow, and where men were displayed as masculine, powerful, tempered, violent and manipulative. As distinct as this context is to the 21st century, the play exposes how women were victimised by the men who hold primary power in the community in which they compelled women to conform to the ideal world of a perfect wife or confront an appalling destiny for challenging the system. Moreover, Shakespeare utilises the main antagonist, Iago, to portray how men are desperate to achieve what they want and to indirectly fulfil the stereotype of masculinity and power through manipulation.

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