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Romeo And Juliet Gender Roles

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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. In Romeo and Juliet, men are not necessarily masculine, contrary to the expectations of …show more content…

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. 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 / And in my temper soft’ned valor’s steel!” (3.1.115-117). In this quote, Romeo is expressing how Juliet’s beauty weakened him. He feels almost a hatred towards her for making him cowardly and not able to save Mercutio’s life. Since being strong is an expected characteristic of men, Romeo feels that the absence of his bravery is to blame for the tragedy. Mercutio’s sudden death suddenly enraged Romeo, and led him to commit a fierce act of violence that was Tybalt’s murder. In another instance to showcase the problems caused when the perfect traits are not exhibited, Lord Capulet had a bad reaction to Juliet’s refusal to marry Paris. At the start of Paris’ courtship, Lord Capulet has a particularly

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Romeo is very fixated on love, easily heartbroken, and depressed. These traits are more obvious as Mercutio’s humor and his ability to be reasonable lighten the rather dark shadow Romeo carries. Mercutio’s line, “If love be rough with you, be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.” (I, iv, 27-28)

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When Tybalt approaches Romeo for a duel, he declines. However, after Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo seeks revenge and makes it clear that “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him”(3.1.134). His loyalty to Mercutio causes him to act impulsively and kill a member of the Capulet family, who is now connected through marriage with Juliet. He fails to consider that Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin and if he kills him, Juliet will have to endure mental pain. Romeo acts recklessly because his loyalty has a stronger impact on his behavior than his reasoning abilities.

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With all of this stated, Romeo is portrayed as a typical male of the time since he married Juliet despite the fact that she was so

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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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The underlying theme of the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare was the clash between the company pursuing their personal desires or deciding to conform to what is socially expected. The circumstances of this affray were on display when Romeo presented his plot of marrying Juliet to Friar Laurence. The consequences of Romeo deciding to pursue personal desire were also on display when displayed his disapproval to his punishment for extirpating Tybalt. These instances culminate Shakespeare's idea of that the pursuit of personal desire not always rewarding the aspirant. The asininity of carelessly pursuing your personal desires and not thinking about the ramifications was on display when Romeo presented his notion of espousing Juliet.

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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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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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This quote is spoken by Romeo after he kills Tybalt in revenge for Mercutio’s death. This quote also highlights the fact that Tybalt does not show any regret or remorse for his role in Mercutio’s death, despite the consequences of his actions. Tybalt’s lack of remorse only adds to his responsibility for Mercutio’s death, as he demonstrates a disregard for the lives of others and a willingness to engage in violent behavior. Tybalt is responsible for Mercutio’s death in Shakespear’s play “The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet.” Tybalt takes offense to Romeo’s presence at the Capulet party and challenges him to a fight, despite attempts by Mercutio to claim the situation.

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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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Men were seen as masculine and powerful. Shakespeare heavily illustrates the sixteenth century stereotypical gender roles throughout his play, Twelfth Night. During Shakespearean times, women were prohibited from performing on stage, instead, men played their roles. In Twelfth Night, the imitation of the opposite gender originates from necessity and fear. Viola dressed as a man named Cesario to protect herself when she arrives upon foreign land.

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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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In Romeo and Juliet, men are not necessarily masculine, contrary to the expectations of them

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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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Society norms are unwritten rules on what behaviour is acceptable amongst a community and often considered somewhat constraining. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare illustrates how Juliet, Romeo, and Friar Lawrence breaking societal norms or laws lead to the young couple’s eventual death. The play further portrays that not following such societal norms can often be the cause of life- altering events and chaos. To begin with, women are expected to be blindly obedient and show no defiance in the mostly patriarchal environment of Verona. During Act 2, Juliet agrees to marry Romeo despite being fully aware her parents would never consent to her marriage to a Montague.

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Today, men and women have equal rights, but that does not mean life has always been simple for both genders. When Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are roles, behaviors, and expectations for the dominant men and submissive women. This literature portrays the major changes in the lives of both sexes throughout the years, which shows the advances women gain with time. The gender issue of men being dominant and women being submissive used in the drama, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shows the differences in the roles, behaviors, and expectations appropriate for each gender and is an example of an outdated stereotype.

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