Romeo And Juliet Gender Roles

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.

From the moment we first hear about Romeo, it is in the context of his suffering at the hands of love. Romeo’s father, Montague, perplexed by his son’s behavior states that, “Many a morning hath he there been seen, / With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew, / Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs” (1.1.124-26). While this may be the first time we encounter Romeo’s melancholy humour, it certainly isn’t the last. In fact, one of the primary sources of our infatuation with Romeo rests in our sympathy for him. From the very start this poor boy is plagued by affections for girls that fate, it seems, will not let him be with. At first, it’s Rosaline, a girl who has “sworn that she will still live chaste” (1.1.210), a vow that sets Romeo reeling and complaining because “from love’s weak childish bow she lives unharmed” (1.1.204). His depression over Rosaline is enough to draw the attention of his father, Montague, who has observed that Romeo shuts himself up in his room all day in order to wallow in the darkness. These are the actions of someone who is undeniably quite

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.

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.

In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, social expectations about gender significantly contribute to the tragic ending of the play. That daughters always should obey their parents in the case of marriage and that men have ‘to keep their honour’ even if it comes to violence are just some mere examples of these backward expectations. They strip both males and females of the liberty to make common, taken-for-granted decisions, and come with no profit; only causing the untimely death of the play’s main characters.

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

    Othello represents a prime example of Shakespeare's ability to develop relationships between the sexes so as to demonstrate those relationships' weaknesses. In Othello, the sexes are divided by misconceptions and ego- centric views of the opposite gender. The men of the play, in particular Othello, maintain a patriarchal, chivalric notion of the sexes, while the women of the play yearn for more involvement in their husbands' affairs. So it is that the thrust of the play emerges from "the opposition of attitudes, viewpoints, and sexes." (Neely 214)

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in 1594-1595, within the ‘The Elizabethan Era’ when the father acted in the undisputed role of head of the household. It was a common assumption to associate men with the ability to obtain power and control, whilst the female role was more to do with having children – who were considered as property. The role of the child was to be matched with a partner that would secure the wealth within the family, to consequently pass down power continually. Women maintained no form of authority, (ie:) in the sense they could not purchase a house, use money or possess certain holds over people – yet could influence the decisions made by their husband. Shakespeare reflects themes that ran through society in his historical period, by using the character Capulet to illustrate the issues surrounding an inequality of power.

William Shakespeare, in his play Romeo and Juliet, portrayed two young individuals trapped in the times when freedom to choose personal destinies was highly restricted. They lived in a very patriarchal environment, where women had no chance to experience youth, and men were expected to resolve conflicts with swords instead of words. Romeo and Juliet did not resonate with the expectations pressured upon them. The couple was quite unique compared to the others surrounding them – Romeo was not too interested in proving his manhood, and Juliet was not just a passive female figure accepting everything that was thrown her way. Juliet possessed some masculine characteristics, whereas Romeo was more feminine than it was acceptable back then. Possibly,

In the play Romeo and Juliet, the male characters have a more dramatic impact on the audience than females. Male characters are more compulsive because they act before they think. First, Romeo makes an impulse decision at the Capulet ball. He sees Juliet across the room and falls in love. Romeo made his decision based on her looks instead of personality. Later, some male characters got in a fight. Tybalt killed Mercutio then Romeo thought Tybalt should be in Mercutio's place so he killed Tybalt. By them getting in a fight and not thinking before they act, it is another reason why the male characters have a more dramatic impact on the audience. Later in the story, Friar Laurence makes a quick decision keeping the audience interested in what

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s five act play Emilia Galotti premiered on March 8th, 1772. Almost 250 years later, it is still celebrated as one of the best “bürgerliches Trauerspiels” ever to be written. In order for a piece of literature to stay relevant for such a long time, its message has to resonate over many generations. For example, Romeo and Juliet is still an important work, because it deals with a concept that is not going away anytime soon, forbidden love. In the case of Emilia Galotti, gender-based conflict in a patriarchal society is the ageless theme that continues to engage modern audiences.

Author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou once said, “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”. When one thinks of comic books, it is very likely that the subjects that come to mind are Marvel’s Spiderman or DC’s Batman. Although comic books are stereotypically thought to be mainly about super heroes, there are a wide variety of subject matter they could be written about, such as romance. In the 1950s – 1960s, it was common for these romance comics to exploit the social norms of that time and emphasized the subject of gender roles. While the men in comic books were usually illustrated in a brave heroic manner, the women would be portrayed to be what would now be considered a stereotypical “trophy wife”. As a young child reading these comics and taking in these images, they are slowly molding their ideals to believe that what they are reading and seeing is what is accepted and normal in their society. By coding gender norms into the texts, authors are helping mold the ideology of its readers to believe that it is acceptable for both genders to follow specific rules that accommodate to the believed social norms of the time.

When observing gender in our society, women and men are stereotyped with specific roles. Men have always been seen as the family’s main source of income whereas the women take care of their home and children. However, Shakespeare challenges these gender roles in his play with the three female characters Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. While all three are independent, powerful women and even lead their armies into battle, the men seem to be foolish and weak such as King Lear and Albany. Furthermore, Mira cel Batran makes a point in her essay, “Feminist Reading of William Shakespeare’s King Lear”, that although women are regarded as dependent on men, Shakespeare explains that it can be the exact opposite. The men seem to depend on the women such as King Lear depending on Cordelia and Albany depending on Goneril. Shakespeare, in his play, King Lear, portrays women who are strong and intelligent and men who are weak or overpowered by female characters, challenging the societal belief that women are inherently less than or dependent on men.