Emily Fernandez Dr. Rachel Prusko English 387 Lecture B1: Youth Cultures February 4th, 2023 Romeo’s Rebellion: Creation and Refusal of the Masculine Identity in Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shows how the young men of Verona are obligated to perform a certain type of masculinity associated with violence and sexuality. Romeo, however, provides a counter to this as he displays both feminine and masculine behaviours throughout the play. Ultimately, Romeo’s refusal to adhere to the standards of masculinity and his inclination to create an identity of his own are an enduring example of the young male experience. Masculinity is a role that has defined parameters that young men are compelled into performing, and these roles, …show more content…
Compared to the other deaths in the play, which were violent and involved being stabbed with blades, Romeo’s death is quiet and somewhat more peaceful. His death is in notable contrast to both Tybalt and Mercutio’s, who both die in battle defending the honour of their houses. If the conflict is understood as a masculine performance, then Romeo’s refusal to engage with it and in fact his attempt to mend it through his marriage to Juliet are a rejection of the standards of Veronese society. Romeo’s actions are resistant to the adult norms of masculinity that he is expected to adhere to, and are instead a blend of masculinity and femininity that create a unique identity. The adults in his life place pressure on him to behave in certain ways, which he ultimately defies through his death. Friar Lawrence cautions him to not “dote” (2.3.82) on women and in the first scene of Act one we see that his father Montague is quick to draw his blade and prove his masculinity. Instead of adhering to their expectations of him, he chooses to die quietly in his lover’s arms. Romeo is the only one out of his peer group to behave in this way, as they die in bloody, masculine displays of bravery and honour. Romeo’s death then highlights the importance of individual identity in the face of overwhelming societal …show more content…
Certainly, youth outside of the world of the play should not be encouraged to commit lover’s suicide or to take to the streets with swords as the characters in the play do, but Shakespeare’s depiction of certain aspects of the young male experience seem realistic, from a contemporary standpoint. The playful banter between Mercutio, Benvolio, and Romeo are reminiscent of a Call of Duty lobby, and the playful flirting between Romeo and Juliet could easily take place within an Instagram chatroom. Instead of condemning Romeo’s actions, it is my belief that Shakespeare was instead presenting a realistic –if somewhat overdramatized– portrayal of what it means to be a young man. There are pressures placed upon him by adults and his peers to behave in certain ways and to conform to a certain type of masculinity, that Romeo struggles to break free from. This quest for identity and belonging within a strange, new, adult world transcends time and generations of young people, which is perhaps why youth can still identify with the characters five hundred years
This scene is also very important, as it depicts him as a lover, not a fighter. He then realizes his unusual actions; and pursues Tybalt - to avenge Mercutio 's death. Shakespeare wants the audience to question Romeo 's actions and wonder about the true heart of his character: good or evil. After taking Tybalt 's life, Romeo begins to comprehend that he has been too rash and impulsive. He
What is masculinity? Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors and roles generally associated with boys and men. In today's society, the perception of masculinity has been reinvented much like many other social issues. Studies show older generations still believe in the idea of masculinity whilst newer generations are breaking away from this very restrictive mold. William Shakespeare's work, Romeo and Juliet, presents readers with the huge part masculinity plays within society due to the characters constant need to prove themselves, Romeo’s struggle to balance his sensitive and tough side, and the role of women.
Ben Eayre DiIanni Honors English 9 29 March 2023 Minor Characters in Romeo and Juliet Every action has consequences, and ideally, people would always evaluate these consequences as part of their decision-making process. However, some people, especially teenagers, lack capacity to fully consider the consequences, and their hasty decision-making process increases the risk of pursuing actions with damaging consequences. In William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, many characters convey the ramifications of ill-advised decisions as the two fated and forbidden lovers desperately try to escape their families’ feud. The author uses various minor characters to establish the plot and theme of the play; hasty and poor decisions have undesirable outcomes.
Many people consider teenage boys to be illogical young adults who make irrational decisions. This is seen in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet about the long feud between the Montague and Capulet families that tears apart the city of Verona and causes tragic results for the star-crossed lovers. Revenge, love, a secret marriage, and terrible decisions force the young lovers to grow up quickly due to their immaturity. This is a direct correlation to the immaturity caused by the age of Romeo and trauma throughout his life.
Because of his focus on his love life, Romeo was increasingly worried about the consequences of fighting to defend himself or his friends, thinking that it would either ruin his family’s reputation or damage the possibility of him and Juliet getting married. This can be seen in the moments preceding Mercutio’s death, when Romeo tries to break up
The prevalence of gender stereotypes can be observed through the play's depiction and imagery of Romeo's emotional impulsiveness, Lord Capulet's patriarchal power and enforcement of restrictive gender roles, and finally Romeo’s portrayal of hyper-masculinity. Romeo's impulsive
1 Introduction In Shakespeare 's time gender roles mattered a lot more than they do now and they contributed to many aspects in life. To identify if the plot of Shakespeare 's play “Romeo and Juliet” was influenced by gender roles I am going to lay out what gender roles are and their importance in the Renaissance. Further I will examine scenes and the whole of Romeo and Juliet on characteristics of gender roles and their embodiments by different characters. Additionally, I am going to take a closer look on the main characters Romeo and Juliet and analyse if they match or challenge the expectations they are supposed to fulfill based on their gender.
William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet depicts the hardships that come along with questioning or being oblivious to the validity of these set notions. Romeo and Juliet, two young teenage protagonists from feuding families, embark on a journey of maturation as their forbidden romance evolves into an overpowering love that transcends all their values and beliefs. Through the course of several, short-lived days, they encounter many tribulations brought by society’s expectations that breed
We have all either heard, read, or seen acts of sexism, whether you be a man or a woman. Every act of bias displayed affects one in both large and small ways, influencing and changing how one views the world. The play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is no different in terms of displaying this bias. This tragedy tells the story of Romeo and Juliet, a young couple who fall in love, despite their feuding families, the Capulets and Montagues. They
The youth in this play are shown as chaotic and hard to take control of. On the other hand, the adults in Romeo and Juliet hold grudges until drastic measures happen. They smother their children and do not let them have their own path. Even so, in Romeo and Juliet, both age groups were not afraid to show their full capability throughout the
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare presents the idea of defying and showing the inaccuracy of gender norms. Shakespeare shows his defiance of gender norms in his characterization of Romeo, Romeo's defiance to fight against the capulets is an example of him defying gender norms. In the text Romeo is faced with a possible altercation between him and Tybalt, though the altercation could result in his death he refuses to fight against him. Romeo starts this interaction with saying " I do protest I never injured thee/ But love thee better then than thou canst devise/ Till thou shalt know the reason of my love./
Oftentimes, the period of adolescence represents a time of finding oneself through a process of reflection and revision. Because of this, impressionable youths frequently become a product of those whom they fraternize with, specifically those they share a mutual infatuation with. Within the context of the classic literature, Romeo and Juliet, the calamitous thoughts and actions of Romeo prove to cause him tragic misfortune, leading to the deaths of his lover Juliet, her fiance Paris, her cousin Tybalt, Romeo’s closest confidant Mercutio, Romeo’s mother, and even Romeo himself. Romeo’s ruinous attributes disperse themselves around all those he holds dearest; therefore, accountability for many of the play’s tragedies can be rightfully assigned
Gender Norms in Romeo and Juliet In Elizabethan England, women were not allowed to act on the stage, so in the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet was likely played by a young boy, women were viewed as so much less than men that men had to portray them in plays. Nowadays you have women that can play men in plays, such as plays on broadway. Romeo and Juliet set in the 15th century was a play written about two ill-fated lovers that ended in their suicide. In Romeo and Juliet, gender played a substantial role in showing Juliet’s rights regarding her marriage and her general life. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare reveals the beliefs of traditional gender norms in Elizabethan England through Romeo's behavior when he fights with Tybalt to prove himself,
Romeo’s initial infatuation with Rosaline and his eagerness for her love indicate his desire to prove his worthiness as a man. However, when he stumbles upon Juliet and falls deeply in love, his sense of pride intertwines with his search for honor. After Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, is stabbed to death by Tybalt, Romeo proclaims, “Either thou or I, or both, must go with him” (III.3, 120). Romeo’s actions are driven by a desire to protect Juliet’s honor and retaliate against Mercutio’s death. His deluded sense of honor leads to the tragic climax of the play when Romeo kills Tybalt and is later banished from Verona due to his emotional state.
Male role models teaching from a young age to be rugged and strong. Being ridiculed when standards are not meant. Masculinity is defined as the way a man should act in points of their lives,following the universal standards of manhood that have existed around the world for thousands of years. The word “masculine”relates to habitual behaviors