Gender Roles in Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare...

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 Montagues. The origin of the fight introduces the†¦show more content†¦In Act 1, scene ii. Capulet appeared to be a kind hearted man and he defers to Juliet’s ability to choose for herself, â€Å"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, â€Å"I look to like, looking liking move; / But no more deep will I endart mine eye / Than your consent gives strength to fly† (I.iii.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, â€Å"I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear /Show MoreRelatedGender Roles Of Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare1259 Words   |  6 PagesGender Roles in Romance Comics Author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou once said, â€Å"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. 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