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Romeo And Juliet Gender Roles

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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 …show more content…

Shouldn’t maids and servants be regarded similarly in society if both their jobs require them to follow and act on the demands of others? While servants and maids are both submissive roles to more powerful individuals, Samson regards himself as above the maids. This means that the ranking systems for men and women in terms of status in this society are completely separate entities all together; and that even as a lowly servant Samson’s status as a male still allows him to be superior to women in similar roles. In other words, while the jobs are comparable in their level of prestige, the social capital that servants and maids possess is hugely different because of the constructs and limitations associated with being a woman. As a servant, Samson is still able to possess noble masculine qualities like aggression and bravery. However women regardless of their status are unable to escape feminine qualities that are beyond their control. In this case, the weaknesses associated with femininity that are introduced in this scene are physical weakness and vulnerability to attack. More specifically, sexual assaults that would destroy the main form of social capital that is available to all women regardless of their class: their

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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.

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The portrayal of women in Romeo and Juliet is complex. On the one hand, the play presents women as passive and submissive, particularly in their relationships with men. Juliet, for example, is expected to obey her father and marry the man he has chosen for her, even though she is in love with Romeo. She tries to defy him so she can be with Romeo but it doesn’t turn out her way. Similarly, Lady Capulet is portrayed as a dutiful wife who defers to her husband's authority and does not challenge him.

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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

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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.

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630 Words | 3 Pages

Women’s Rights In Romeo and Juliet Juliet being forced into marriage, showed how little input women had during the Renaissance period. Renaissance is a period in which the ancient writing of Greece and Rome, “Rebirthed”, or came back into practice. During the Renaissance period, women had limited, to no rights. They were required to follow orders made by their husband’s or superior male figure. This is presented in the play Romeo and Juliet made by William Shakespeare.

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“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

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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

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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.

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William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet takes place in a society indisputably dominated by males. There is no such thing as an independent woman in Verona, as the men determine every decision. This is especially true in the case of the Montagues and Capulets, two formidable and influential families that have been in conflict for decades. In both the Montague and Capulet families, the men are the all-powerful breadwinners and decision-makers while the women truly serve no other purpose than conceiving heirs. Romeo and Juliet, the ill-fated star crossed lovers for whom the play is named, are forced into their desperate scenario because of this traditional patriarchal society.

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The poems, “When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be” and “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” written by John Keats and Dylan Thomas respectively, feature a similar theme of entropy, differ in the poets attitudes towards death and decline, and reflect the emotional perspective of the authors. We can gain insight in to the experiences that lead the authors to compose each of these works by comparing them. Thomas writes from a defiant place while Keats writes with acceptance. The authors have painted a picture of the entropic world as they saw it using different strokes and colours, the result, being these wonderful poems.

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Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus tells us of an extenct grudge between different houses of equal dignity that has broke out into a "new mutiny" that will cause blood to flow in the streets of Verona and will ultimately result in the deaths of the star-cross'd lovers. The Chorus points to the heads of these two families as the source of the strife at hand, the rage of their parents causing the deaths of their children. We soon learn the surnames of the warring clans, Capulet and Montague, and both patriarchs as well as their respective ladies appear in the flesh in the play's first scene. Even though Tybalt of the Capulets is the most aggressive character on the stage, Mercutio's twice-spoken curse, "a plague a' both houses! Makes it plain that the sides are equally to blame for his death, and by extension, for the tragedy that befalls the lovers.

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600 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout this book, many men treated their wives as if they were servants or maids. Women knew that after marriage, their sole purpose was to please their husband, take care of the house, and look after their children. This is shown in the play when Nurse talks to Juliet about marrying Paris. She prepares Juliet for what Paris will want from her during the night of their wedding. Judging by female characters in Romeo and Juliet, women didn’t have jobs; with exception of being maids and nurses.

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529 Words | 3 Pages

Masculinity by: Luc Masculinity the negative consequences of it’s power is reflected in many of the characters in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The masculinity in the story of Romeo and Juliet overrides the idea of true love and romance. This prevents Romeo and Juliet from being with each other, which ultimately causes the tragic death of the two young lovers. It is interesting that the very beginning of the play starts with an example of masculinity and it’s negative power.

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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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Within this play, there are many conflicts between feuding families and even individuals. Since societal expectations were so great of both genders, much pent-up frustration for those who did not perfectly conform was frequently released in the form of violence or aggression. It also went the other way around, where those who did not fit all of the standards were shamed and embarrassed for the way they were. Two characters in which the gender traits were partially switched are Romeo and Juliet. In their relationship, Juliet is more dominant, and Romeo is more submissive.

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