Romeo And Juliet Gender Roles Essay

One might think that masculinity is only a mental and ethical issue, yet throughout the tragic play of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, masculinity proves to be a two headed beast that not only is a mental but also physical problem. All the way from the beginning in scene 1.1 to the final scene of act 5, there was constant conflict occurring with short breaks of love and triumph collapsed by more ensuing conflict. Furthermore, a majority of this clash between the two families, Capulets and Montagues, was indirectly or directly evoked by the masculine behavior exerted by the men in the story. All things considered, the tragedy where two lovers upon many others meet their ultimate fate of death would have never been a tragedy without all of the masculinity that all of the men characters seem to exude. All throughout this essay, it will become more apparent that the idea of the internal and external need for masculinity in the men has consequently kindled the fire of conflict between the Montagues and Capulets in the tragedy because of the status quo, disrespect for women, and mindset of a masculine man.

Lady Capulet is even more inconsiderate of her daughter’s wishes than Lord Capulet. She had little role in raising her daughter that Juliet considers the nurse more of a mother than Lady Capulet. Lady Capulet shows her desire for revenge when

Shakespeare places Juliet in interior, domestic settings as a metaphor for the how females were viewed as property. Initially Juliet fits the role of a designated daughter who yields to her parents matchmaking with Paris, claiming she “won’t let myself fall for him any more than your permission.” The use of formal phrasing and need for “permission” highlight her docile acquiescence.

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in the 16th century, at a time where the role of the woman was to be subservient to men and act as a wife to their husband and a mother to their children. Women were expected to conform to the expectations of society, and were seen as possessions by their fathers and husbands. Fathers arranged their daughters’ marriages, usually for financial or social gain for the family. In Romeo and Juliet, the unfair treatment of women is conveyed through characters such as Juliet, a young girl who is growing into the expectations of society, and Lady Capulet, who represents a traditional side of love and values social position rather than men themselves.

In a patriarchal society, women are expected to conform to social restrictions by demonstrating reverence and obedience to the males in their lives. Shakespeare's tragic play, Romeo and Juliet, explores the effects of patriarchal authority exerted over women and how the patriarchal structure left no escape from it, save death. Through Juliet, Lady Capulet, and the Nurse, Shakespeare establishes a common understanding of this type of society, but illuminates three different reactions to the social oppression by portraying the responses of a passionate lover, an idyllic housewife, and an attendant.

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in the 16th century, at a time when the role of the woman was to be subservient to men and act as a wife to their husband and a mother to their children. Women were expected to conform to the expectations of society, and were seen as possessions by their fathers and husbands. Fathers arranged their daughters’ marriages, usually for financial or social gain for the family. In Romeo and Juliet, the unfair treatment of women is conveyed through characters such as Juliet, a young girl who is growing up within the expectations of society, and Lady Capulet, who represents a traditional side of love, and values social position rather than men themselves.

In Act 3 Scene 5 Lady Capulet is very fickle in making her decision to stand up for Juliet when she decides to go against her father’s orders and not marry Paris. This lack of the ability to stand up for her own daughter just emphasises the distance between Lady Capulet and Juliet as Mother and Daughter.

In order to understand Romeo and Juliet, it must be remembered that these two heralds of love were little more than children. In Renaissance England, the category of adolescence was not recognized (Cox 391). A person went from childhood to adulthood without the liberty that is allowed to modern adolescents. Nowadays, the teenage years are accepted as a turbulent period in which defiance of authority and assertion of "self" are not only allowed, but also expected. Adults explain away even the most inexplicable behavior of teenagers as "just a phase". However, as this was not done in Shakespeare’s England, both Romeo and Juliet were expected to take on the roles of adults, and were chastised for their refusal to enter in the adult world as their parents would have them. Juliet is first presented to the audience as a young woman who has come to marrying age: “Well, think of marriage now; younger than you, / Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, / Are made already mothers…Thus then in brief: / The valiant Paris seeks you for his love”(1.3.69-74). Juliet is presented with the idea of marrying Paris with

Throughout Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there is an overlaying presence of the typical roles that men and women were supposed to play. During Elizabethan times there was a major difference between the way men and women were supposed to act. Men typically were supposed to be masculine and powerful, and defend the honor. Women, on the other hand, were supposed to be subservient to their men in their lives and do as ever they wished. In Romeo and Juliet the typical gender roles that men and women were supposed to play had an influence on the fate of their lives.

Although some may blame his stubbornness for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, others may argue that Lord Capulet is driven by a desire to protect his daughter. Readers may interpret Lord Capulet’s behavior as that of a protective father when he agrees to the marriage of Juliet and Paris. Lord Capulet’s motivation for doing this is to bring joy to Juliet following the death of her cousin, Tybalt. This is apparent from Lord Capulet’s quote: “Tybalt being slain so late,/ It may be thought we held him carelessly” (III.iv.24-25). However, upon learning that Juliet is reluctant to marry Paris, Lord Capulet is outraged and calls her a “minion” (III.v.151), a spoiled child. Clearly, Lord Capulet is not concerned with the happiness of his daughter and is, in fact, adamant that the marriage take

Compare and contrast the presentation of gender in two films we have looked at on the course

In Shakespeare's time, there was an expectation that daughters were understood to have. Daughters were obedient and had to act like a mature woman with respect and obedience to everyone, especially their parents. Juliet was the daughter of Capulet, a well-respected and wealthy man. Juliet is expected to always do what her demanding parents ordered or a punishment could be given. She is an obedient and modest thirteen-year-old girl until she discovered her first true love. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s character changes from an obedient daughter into an independent and rebellious teenager.

Shakespeare's Juliet completely breaks with convention and culture by assuming female sovereignty. A daughter in Juliet's social class should marry a man of her father's choosing. Juliet refuses to marry Paris, forcing Capulet to give her an ultimatum:

A woman during the 16th century did not have the freedoms that a woman today enjoys. During Shakespeare’s life wives were not allowed the independence they take pleasure in today. Therefore, the role of the mother for Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is not commanding or authoritative because of the time period Shakespeare lived.

Juliet is the daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet. When the play begins, we learn from the nurse that Juliet is soon turning fourteen (“Even or odd, of all the days in the year come Lammas-Eve at night shall she be fourteen”). In Juliet's first meeting with her mother and the nurse, she seems to be an obedient and responsible child. She comes immediately when they call her and answers always respectfully to her mother: "Madam, I am here, / What is your will?" (“Act 1, Scene 3). She is also clever as when her mother asks her what she thinks about marriage, she gives an ambiguous answer by saying what her mother wanted to hear really: “it is an honour I dream not of” (“Act 1, Scene 3). We learn that she is