Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has always been considered an engaging canonical masterpiece that explores universally-experienced themes. I propose an adaption of Shakespeare that allows a contemporary audience to relate even more to this literary genius. My genre – a drama focused on the modern business environment – will use the motifs of time and celestial imagery to support the theme of masculinity through a corporate setting.

Romeo and Juliet works in line with the theme of masculinity through Shakespeare’s construction of his male characters. For example, the first male characters we meet are Sampson and Gregory – who immediately establish the social expectation of men: boisterous, ever-striving for dominance and holding the opinion

The establishing overhead view shot will introduce the setting of the brawl, 24th street, an alleyway darkened by the Metropolitan Life Towers on either side. The controlling idea of masculinity will be utilised through the use of pace of the actors’ speech and camera angles. The actors’ lines will all be spoken quickly and evenly until line 50, at which there will be an over-the-shoulder shot to increase tension when Tybalt states that he has found Romeo and need not talk to Mercutio any longer. To this Mercutio replies that Romeo’s actions prove him to be in no way masculine. Mercutio’s line demonstrates his disappointment in Romeo’s lack of boisterousness and masculinity and will be utilised through the use of a low-angle shot to display that because Mercutio is manlier than Romeo, he is considered more superior. Secondly, at line 60, when Tybalt calls Romeo “Boy” instead of “Man”, the medium shot of Romeo will have a slightly higher angle, to portray that Romeo is the weaker of the pair. Thirdly, Romeo will repeat line 108 three times, “O sweet Juliet, Thy beauty hath made me effeminate And in my temper softened valour’s steel”, portraying Romeo’s shame in himself that he has lost his masculinity, and he blames it on his infatuation with Juliet. This is only one of many scenes in Romeo and Juliet that we can utilise to portray the theme of masculinity to the modern