Romeo And Juliet The Typical Gender Roles example essay topic

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. The beginning of Act one opens with a brawl in the street between the servants of the Capulets and the Montague's.

The origin of the fight introduces the important theme of masculine honor. Sampson, one of Capulets servants, shows this masculinity by saying, "Draw, if you be men". (I. i. 64). Later on in the play in Act II, scene i. the display of honor and masculinity comes up again during the fight between Mercutio and Tybault. As Mercutio lay slain Romeo says to him, "Courage, man. The hurt cannot be much". ( . i.

96). Even as his friend is dying the two men try and act masculine because they did not want to show their fears. But on the other side of this masculinity is love. For Elizabethan society believed that a man who loved too much lost his masculinity. Romeo clearly subscribes to that belief when he states that his love for Juliet made him "effeminate".

During Elizabethan times women did not have much power over their lives. They typically did as there father or husband wished. Juliet's father could force her to marry whom ever he wanted, but Juliet's status as a young woman left her with no power or choice in any social situation. In Act 1, scene ii.

Capulet appeared to be a kind hearted man and he defers to Juliet's ability to choose for herself, "My will to her concent is but a part" (I. ii. 15). Juliet's mother, Lady Capulet also has an influence over Juliet and her life and puts pressure on Juliet to marry Paris (the suitor that her father picked for her to marry). Juliet admits the power of the influence of her parents when she says of Paris, "I look to like, looking liking move; / But no more deep will I end art mine eye / Than your consent gives strength to fly" (I.. 100-101).

The specter of parental influence is very evident in this scene and it shows the influence of the society that they lived in. However, Juliet starts to show strength and intelligence that can be interpreted as a sort of passive resistance that at the end of the play ends her life. In Act II, scene iv, Juliet goes against the wishes of her father and marries Romeo. The morning after their wedding night Juliet learns that her father has moved the day of her wedding with Paris to Thursday in an attempt to make Juliet happy and to try and get her to stop mourning her cousin Tybault's death. (Romeo killed Tybault the night of their wedding in his friend Mercutio's honor.) Juliet is appalled and rejects this by saying, "I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear / It shall be Romeo-whom you know I hate- / Rather than Paris" ( . vs. 121-123). When Lord Capulet learns of Juliet's refusal he threatens to disown her if she refuses to obey him.

Juliet pretends to go along with the marriage because she knows that it is not an option, as a women, to leave society, and she knows that her father has the right to make her do as he wishes. Though defeated by her father Juliet is determined to find away out of her marriage and suicide is the only way she can assert her authority. She goes to Friar Lawrence for help in staging a fake suicide so that she can be with her Romeo. In the end of the play both Romeo and Juliet end their lives in order to be with one another. Their deaths occur in a sequence of compounding stages: first, Juliet drinks a potion that makes her appear dead. Thinking that she is truly dead, Romeo goes to her tomb and drinks a poison that kills him.

When Juliet awakes and finds Romeo dead, she stabs herself through the heart with a dagger. The roles that man and women were supposed to play had a major impact on their deaths. If women were allowed to choose whom they were to marry, than there would not of been a problem with her marring Romeo. And if Romeo did not have to protect his honor and act like a man Tybault may still be alive and he would not of been banished from the city. Due to these gender roles that men and women are supposed to play both Romeo and Juliet's life ended tragically..