In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, sexist prejudices and coercion into arranged marriages reveal the role of women in the late 1500s. In this era, men typically make objectifying remarks about women. The verbal assault of females appears mundane in men's banter. For example, when Sampson trash-talks Montague and his men, he, out of the blue, threatens to thrust “women, being the weaker vessels,” to the wall (RJ 1.1.14). Montague’s maids have absolutely nothing to do with the feud between the two families; however, Sampson brings them into his argument with his companion, Gregory. He equates seizing a girl’s maidenhood with violent beheadings using a disturbing pun. Women, always the butt of sexist jokes, get viewed as weak and inferior, and men use the discourtesy towards girls to define their …show more content…
It seems as if women only exist to defend a man's honor because their sexualities are regularly mocked and used against them. Sampson’s belittling treatment exemplifies many men in this time period, and Shakespeare uses this derogatory humor to catch the audience’s attention at the start of the tragedy. Secondly, the play proves that women are always prone to be targeted with offensive comments, even in a first encounter with a man. For instance, when Mercutio and Benvolio first take sight of the Nurse, Benvolio sneers, “A sail, a sail,” and Mercutio approves of her requesting a fan “to hide her face, for her fan’s the fairer face” (RJ 2.4.87, 92). Benvolio’s comment compares himself to a sailor because the portly Nurse resembles a ship in the ocean while Mercutio jokes that she should conceal her face. This disrespect continues throughout the entire conversation, and when the duo exits, the Nurse angrily scolds Romeo and her servant, Peter, for not interfering. She believes that they excused Mercutio and Benvolio’s behavior because mocking a person’s looks seems like a normal