The Treatment of Women in Shakespear´s Romeo and Juliet Essay

In the play the Nurse is perceived as the only real maternal figure in Juliet’s life. This is most evident in Act 1 Scene 3 of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ when she is shown to be needed by Lady Capulet, who wishes to talk to her daughter. Lady Capulet sends the Nurse away and then orders her to come back as though remembering that she doesn’t know her daughter as well as the Nurse does, this can be suggested when Lady Capulet says “I have remembered me; thou’s hear our counsel” by saying this Lady Capulet makes it clear that the Nurse is necessary so she could almost translate for her. It could be seen that the Nurse takes advantage of the role she plays and starts to speak out of turn. This is made evident when she says “For I had laid wormwood to my dug” signifying the fact that she breast fed Juliet, reminding Lady Capulet of the strong maternal relationship she has with her daughter. The idea that the Nurse is Juliet’s main maternal figure is constant across all three adaptations. The Nurse says “An I might live to see thee married once, I have my wish” which shows us that she has a genuine care for Juliet, the fact that that is her

In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the patriarchy, the feud between the Capulets and Montagues, and Friar Laurence are to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. In Verona, patriarchy is very big there. The men have a say in everything the women do. The feud between the two families is also a big factor. Romeo and Juliet must sneak around and can’t come forward about their love. Friar Laurence has responsibility because he doesn’t make the right choices. He’s Romeo’s guide to an extent and he didn’t come through with the right guidance. These circumstances make the two lovers destined to not be together.

The role of women constantly change throughout history. In the Elizabethan era, women were not offered female employment and almost no rights. This era fostered a playwright, William Shakespeare, who wrote the play Romeo and Juliet, a play that illustrated the story of two star-crossed lovers from opposing families. Much like the status of women in his society, Shakespeare portrays women in Romeo and Juliet of similar menial roles. Throughout the play, the role of women was to follow men, please others, and to be of a lower and weaker status.

After Lady Capulet springs on Juliet the fact that she wants her to marry Paris, Juliet is confused because she has never given thought to marriage. Lady Capulet is insisted on making her marry someone with money and power. The nurse then, calms Juliet down by saying, “Go, girl, seek happy nights to happy days.”(1.3 106-107) This really calms Juliet down and by just saying that, ensures Juliet’s mind in knowing someone cares about her happiness. Juliet's mother Lady Capulet is aware of how close the nurse and her daughter are. If there is news or important information the nurse is always a part of it. “This is the matter. Nurse, give leave a while, we must talk in secret. Nurse, come back again” (1.3 8-9) What Lady Capulet is trying to say is that before she tells Juliet about Paris and the marriage she needs the nurse to be there to hear what she has to say. This follows with the Nurse interrupting her and rambling on about Juliet when she was younger. The mentorship that the nurse and Juliet share comes with a long history and trust that allows Juliet to confide in

As Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, the fiction was set in the Renaissance era and therefore the persona of women was reflective of that period. The natural stereotype of that time viewed women as weak, fickle, and dependent of the men in their society and subject to the decisions that men make for them. It was an exceedingly common depiction and very rarely was it proven wrong to the men of that time. Women’s rights were nonexistent in this time period so it wasn’t unusual for the portrayal of women to be so negative and offensive. Given that women of that age had known nothing else they attempted to fit the stereotype to please the ‘natural order’.

Romeo and Juliet, a romance tragedy written by William Shakespeare, is a love story of two star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. To demonstrate the intensity of the young couple’s love, Shakespeare even uses iambic pentameter, poetic structure which creates a rhythm that imitates a heartbeat. Despite the fact that they are enemies, Romeo and Juliet are drawn to one another. Juliet changes from an innocent and obedient young girl to one who lies for her love she has for her enemy. The article, “Of Household Government,” discusses the role women played in Juliet's time period, the 1600s, and the expectations for a good daughter. Women like Juliet were to always be obedient and polite, honest and chaste.

Now, this is a sad truth that men aren’t always the best, or as good as women when it comes to expressing emotions. It’s not that they don’t feel any pain or happiness, the hidden truth is they don’t show what they are feeling.

The female costumes accurately show how love is nonexistent in the play because it shows how women were truly portrayed during the time. By revealing the true view on women, it is clear that Romeo and Juliet fall in love because of physical attraction rather than true love. In the first dialogue of Romeo and Juliet, Samson says the following:

Men have had a more dramatic impact on the audience than women in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

I feel that the female gender makes a more dramatic impact on the play. Juliet’s independent personality and stubbornness with her parents isn’t something that normal girls would do at that time. The fact that the nurse decided to help Juliet shows just how determined the female gender can get, because if Juliet’s parents had found out they would have gotten rid of her immediately. Also, when Juliet goes to friar Lawrence’s to request help, he helps her. This could have caused him a lot of problems with the prince.

William Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, tells the story of a Montague and Capulet falling in love in spite of their family's aging feud. It highlights the profound love between two star-crossed lovers, whose endearment was smothered due to the impressing rules and views of society. These restrictions eventually drove the pair into darkness and the impending consequence of suicide. However, a variety of certain aspects came in play between the destiny the two lovers longed for. During the fourteenth century, the societal aspects of medieval courtship, marriage, and the roles of women made Romeo and Juliet’s relationship difficult to pursue.

Women relied heavily on men for their livelihood and secured this through marriage. As a woman, Juliet is dependent on marriage for survival; women had no power and relied on a husband for food, shelter and comfortable living. The nurse points this out by stating, “women grow by men” (Shakespeare 1.4.95). Being a kinsman of the Prince, Paris is an excellent choice in Capulet’s eyes to marry his daughter. The marriage would create an alliance and raise the status of all Capulets. In this way, Juliet’s father treats her as a pawn for his own gain. The doctrine of marriage is under the control of men. Juliet, like the women of this era, is a possession of her father to be married off when he deems fit. Despite her disinterest, she submits to meeting

Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, reflects the minor roles women possessed during the Elizabethan era. Women of Verona were raised to obey their parents and keep their opinions to themselves. After being married off at an adolescent age, women were perceived as possessions to their husband and were expected to remain at home and take care of their children. Women were not treated with the same respect as men and were sexually objectified.

Women in medieval times were tasked with the life-long expectations of caring for both a husband and their children, while men had the freedom to earn money through an occupation of their choice. As a result, men have claimed both superiority and control over the women who were expected to obey their husband and guardian who provided their financial security. Consequently, this lack of freedom towards women has created a gender divide that still exists today. Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare portrays this relationship clearly as two star crossed lovers attempt to find a way to stay together at all costs. Furthermore, after the Friar married Romeo and Juliet, Romeo found few troubles that denied him the right to marry Juliet.

Each character in Romeo and Juliet has a different impact on the foretold woeful end. One of the main themes that is highlighted in this story is the effect that gender roles have on love. Often times in history women, especially daughters or young girls, answered to or belonged to their fathers. The father made the rules and decided the marriage mate which affected how people loved. It is possible that without Capulet the story would have ended differently. Juliet’s father Capulet, had a great affect on her and the story with his response to her refusal of marrying Paris, the ultimatum he gives her, and the way that he talks to others concerning the validity of his daughter’s right to choose her own husband.