ipl-logo

Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet

1244 Words5 Pages

“What would it mean for a male not to be a man in the world of Romeo and Juliet, to be a male subject without being a captive of the masculinist regime?” (Applebaum 69) The men in Verona are stuck in a system they do not know exists and in turn, make terrible decisions they cannot be blamed for. In Romeo and Juliet the men and women live in a very contrasting manner. Women are constantly worried about love and are silenced when it comes real problems. The men on the other hand, “The world of men in Verona is founded upon violence, sexual domination, and conquest.”. (Romeo and Juliet: An Exploration of Gender Roles #) In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet the men of Verona are held to a extremely high standard of masculinity, and in turn learn …show more content…

“In the world of Romeo and Julie,t the regime of Romeo and Juliet the regime of masculinity is constituted as a system from which there is no escape, but in keeping with which there is no experience of masculine satisfaction either.” (Applebaum 69) The men have to have some satisfaction in their life somehow and most learn to turn to the satisfaction of sexual dominance over the females. Romeo tries this with Juliet when they talk in secret for the first time after the party; he pleads with Juliet, “O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” (Shakespeare 2.2.125 800). Before they part, Romeo expects Juliet to please him because he is male and she is female, so he must be preeminent. “On the one hand, the man wants to take up the position that is already waiting for him, the position of his own lack: he wants to stir and occupy it, displacing his rivals, abusing their women on the other hand, the man wants to wear the mask of having the position occupied; he wants to show himself not stirring toward it but already standing there in the possession of his masculinity,” (Applebaum 69). The position of preeminence is more difficult to achieve between other men, but when the men find it easier to subdue the opposite sex in turn finding a kind of satisfaction. This isn’t an ideal situation though because without the female influence, tragedy struck. “The main belief is that male domination itself and the suppression of the feminine influences are the root cause of tragedy both in theatre and in real life,” (Bernstein

Show More
Related

Romeo And Juliet Dissents Against Elizabethan Standards

1133 Words | 5 Pages

Mercutio’s role is to juxtapose Romeo and enables the audience to see the stark contrast between the two characters. Romeo and Juliet redefine the role of men and women as they establish that both genders can be submissive, masculine and emotional because ultimately, they are stereotypes and men and women are simply words rather than realities as we are simply all,

Read More

Examples Of Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet

1097 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More

Masculinity In Susan Glaspell's Trifles

1115 Words | 5 Pages

However, the male characters’ want for strength and control influences many of the actions and conversations that are had. The short play exposes how the male characters’ masculinity affects the way the women act, are treated, view situations, and view their worth. Firstly, the actions of the female characters are greatly influence by the male characters’ masculinity. Masculinity is revealed within the first piece of

Read More

Masculinity In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

707 Words | 3 Pages

Romeo and Juliet are a different couple challenging the fact that each character displays a different gender trait that goes against what was the norm. When Mercutio dies, Romeo considers whether it is worth it to fight Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. “O sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate and in my temper softened valor’s steel!” (Act III, Scene i, 75-78) Romeo feels like meeting Juliet has made him

Read More

Stereotypical Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

625 Words | 3 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, we see people that either keep stereotypical gender roles or break those roles. A gender role is a set of societal norms dictating the types of behaviors which are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their sex. An example of a character who keeps the gender role is Capulet, who is arguably the character that keeps the strongest gender role by leading his household with a strong manner and wanting to protect his family, deciding what is best for his daughter without her input, and expecting everyone to be grateful for everything he does for them. We will also be looking at Juliet, who does not keep her gender role by rebelling against her family, expressing her own opinions, and standing up for herself and deciding what she thinks is best for herself. Finally, we will be looking at Romeo, who takes the submissive role multiple times throughout the play, down to drinking the poison to kill himself, which is viewed as a more feminine way of killing yourself.

Read More

Gender Norms In Romeo And Juliet Essay

1537 Words | 7 Pages

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is set in Renaissance-era Verona, Italy, where a rigid traditional system of gender norms dictates a lot about what our characters do. Gender norms are a recurring theme throughout the entire play, with our female protagonist Juliet at the forefront. How does Juliet navigate Verona’s traditional gender norms, and how does it affect her fate? Juliet challenges and defies these norms and vastly changes her future. Her defiance exemplifies how the underdogs can fight the system as long as they are determined and strong-willed.

Read More

Romeo And Juliet Patriarchy Essay

1141 Words | 5 Pages

Macie Abele Bohon English I H 08 March 2024 Let Freedom Reign In a patriarchal society, women are forced to make decisions beyond their control, under the rule of man. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare wrote as if Juliet were held to the same standards as all women at the time, with the exception of having the same level of courage as Romeo.

Read More

Romeo And Juliet Gender Roles Essay

950 Words | 4 Pages

In society, gender roles play an important role as it helps in building structure and assigning certain roles. However, some may not agree with these roles and expectations, which can potentially lead to their rebellious attitudes. This is apparent during the Elizabethan era in Verona, a place in which gender roles play a huge role in society and is very emphasized. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, gender roles are constantly shown throughout the play. The two protagonists, Romeo and Juliet display the consequences of circumventing gender roles as their actions later prove to result in external conflicts and tragic events.

Read More

Romeo And Juliet Gender Roles

1269 Words | 6 Pages

Romeo and Juliet Act I Scene I Analysis: Gender, Dominance, and Violence Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is perhaps one of the most readily recognized plays of all time. While it is most well known as a tragic love story, there are many underlying themes and symbols in the play that subtly shape the reader’s perceptions of the characters and the environment in Verona. In Act 1 Scene 1 of the play a foundation is built through the dialogue, actions, props, and stage directions of and pertaining to the characters; that explains the deeply embedded structure of the familial conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets, the constructs and behavioral expectations surrounding gender, and how these ideals shape life in Verona. Act I

Read More

Romeo And Juliet Men Vs Women

241 Words | 1 Pages

In Act 1 of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, men are arguably more important than the women. Men have had the most dramatic impact on the audience by having control over larger decisions, there are more men in Act 1 than there are women, and men have more dramatic outcomes from their thoughts and feelings. The first reason male characters have more impact than women is the abundance of male characters. The audience is introduced to eleven male characters, and only four female characters. The unequal exposure causes readers to focus on the issues among males.

Read More

Essay On The Role Of Women In Romeo And Juliet

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.

Read More

Examples Of Misogyny In Romeo And Juliet

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).

Read More

Gender Roles In Romeo And Juliet

1408 Words | 6 Pages

In today’s world, gender expectations and roles of men and women are a highly debated topic. However, the reconsidering of these expectations is not a new phenomenon. Set in Verona, Italy, the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare explores the reversal and fluidity of characteristics usually assigned to a specific gender. In this play, two young people fall in love and end up tragically taking their lives as a result of their forbidden love. Shakespeare suggests that men are not necessarily masculine, women are not necessarily feminine, and that when people are forced by society to act the way their gender is “supposed” to, problems will arise.

Read More

Masculinity In Othello

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.

Read More

Romeo And Juliet Social Media Advantages And Disadvantages Of Women

949 Words | 4 Pages

This shows feminism because in a patriarchal society, women are forced to follow men’s rules because they were more dominant. The play Romeo and Juliet shows feminism by forcing women to obey a patriarchal

Read More

More about Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet

Related Topics

Open Document