Romeo and Juliet Major Paper

8/9/2019 Romeo and Juliet Major Paper

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Samantha Reichstein

Aaron Moore

ENG 314L

30October2014

Masculinity over Men Romeo an! "uliet Ma#or Essay

$hrou%hout &illiam Sha'es(eare)s Romeo and Juliet * masculinity

creates the basis o+ (o,er- .o,ever* a se(aration bet,een %en!er an!

masculinity +orms ,ithin the city o+ /erona- Romeo and Juliet un!ermines the

i!ea o+ (rominent male %ures hol!in% absolute (o,er- Sha'es(eare

achieves this by revealin% the limitations o+ a(ulet an! Monta%ue)s

characters an! (ortrayin% tra!itional masculinity in the sur(risin% +orm o+ a

+emale* "uliet-

$hou%h the lea!er o+ his +amily* Lor! a(ulet)s character (roves the

o((osite o+ a (o,er+ul %ure in Sha'es(earean society- a(ulet)s rst ,or!s

o+ the (lay* a !eman! +or his s,or!* accom(any a res(onse uestionin% the

reason +or a ,ea(on in the rst (lace- A crutch* a crutch* La!y a(ulet

uic'ly corrects him* &hy call you +or a s,or!5 61-1-127 &ith even his ,i+e

secon!8%uessin% his stren%th* Sha'es(eare +orms the initial re(utation o+

a(ulet as a (o,erless %ure* !e(rive! o+ stron%* +orce+ul masculinity-

a(ulet)s lac' o+ masculine attributes sho,s throu%h more than #ust his

(hysical !emeanor* but his situational e9(eriences as ,ell- At the a(ulet

ball* $ybalt raises uestions o+ Romeo)s (resence- :nsistent on startin% a

%ht* Lor! a(ulet +orbi!s $ybalt to* ma'e a mutiny amon% ;his< %uests- - -



Reichstein

;since< ;he< ,ill set a coc'8a8hoo( 61-=->?8@7- ene! as aban!onin%

onesel+ to rec'less en#oyment* Lor! a(ulet)s (hrasin% seems normal +or

the (ursuit o+ a (eace+ul (arty 6OE7- .o,ever* a !ee(er meanin% lies

beyon! the initial !enition- a(ulet)s choice o+ the ,or! coc'* !escribe!

as the male +orm o+ !omestic +o,l* she!s li%ht on his !isassociation ,ith

masculinity 6OE7- Sha'es(eare)s (hrase choice rein+orces a(ulet)s

!isconnection ,ith male attributes by +orbi!!in% $ybalt not #ust +rom %htin%*

but %htin% s(ecically li'e a violent male rooster- Many other (hrases

re(resent a bra,l* yet a(ulet)s rm re+usal o+ coc'8a8hoo(in% rein+orces

his !isassociation ,ith male characteristics- :nstea! o+ ta'in% a (o,er+ul

action to,ar!s the un,ante! Monta%ue visitor* a(ulet (roves (o,erless by

!isconnectin% +rom any masculine res(onse- enyin% any +orm o+ masculine

%htin% creates a se(aration bet,een Lor! a(ulet)s (o,ers base! on his

title versus (o,er base! on his actions- Sha'es(eare creates a lac' o+

stren%th an! +orce in both the (hysical an! mental state o+ Lor! a(ulet-

eemin% him as the o((osite o+ a masculine %ure in Sha'es(earean

society* he becomes the o((osite o+ a (o,er+ul %ure as ,ell-

Both (lace! in lea!ershi( roles throu%h their +amilies* Lor! Monta%ue

an! a(ulet +ail to act as lea!ers in their society- .ol! me not- Let me %o*

Monta%ue com(lains to his ,i+e* as he rst a((ears onsta%e- $hou shalt not

stir one +oot to see' a +oe* she uic'ly !ecrees 61-1->@8?07- :nstantly*

Sha'es(eare creates a !iminishe! %ure ,hose (o,er +ails throu%h lac' o+

masculinity since a ,omanChis ,i+eCcontrols his actions- Lor! Monta%ue)s

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Reichstein

(ortrayal o+ a (o,erless %ure +ollo,s him throu%hout the (lay* as Romeo

has no +ears o+ !isobeyin% his +ather 6A((lebaum* Stan!in% to the &all*

"S$OR7- Not once !oes Romeo ever uestion his +orbi!!en love ,ith a

a(ulet* somethin% rea!ers 'no, as unacce(table to Lor! Monta%ue- &ithin

Lor! Monta%ue* as ,ell as Lor! a(ulet* masculine or!er o+ /erona (roves*

!is(erse! amon% a number o+ im(er+ect masculinities 6A((lebaum*

Stan!in% to the &all* "S$OR7- Sha'es(eare)s !is(lay o+ both Lor! a(ulet

an! Lor! Monta%ue lac'in% masculine attributes +orms a rm consensus o+

both lac'in% absolute (o,er ,ithin the story-

Sha'es(eare)s basis o+ (o,er* !ene! throu%hout Romeo and Juliet as

tra!itional masculinity* sur(risin%ly lies ,ithin the +emale character o+ "uliet-

Brea'in% a rm %en!er convention "uliet acts ,ith im(ulse an! aDrmation*

%ainin% control over somethin% Lor! a(ulet an! Monta%ue coul! never

attain a stron% unyiel!in% behavior- As the !ominant character in her

+orbi!!en romance "uliet sho,cases stren%th mentally an! (hysically by

ris'in% her o,n li+e on re(eate! occasions- $hou%h initially ,orrie! o+ riar

La,rence)s motives "uliet (roclaims* Romeo* Romeo* Romeo - - - : !rin' to

thee*64-3-=?7 isre%ar!in% the (arental control Lor! an! La!y a(ulet hol!

over her* "uliet attains (o,er by choosin% !eathCor even +au9 !eathC

instea! o+ the (arental rule to marry Faris- "uliet)s rec'less (hysical actions

an! !isre%ar! o+ authority !is(lay a sense o+ (o,er Lor! a(ulet an! even

Lor! Monta%ue never attaine!- :n !eman!in% situations* both (atriarchal

lea!ers unsuccess+ully (rove! social (o,er to match their societal titles-

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Reichstein

Lor! a(ulet +ails at !ominatin% his o,n (arty ,hile Lor! Monta%ue not only

(roves +rail an! (o,erless to his ,i+e* his o,n son !isre%ar!s any authority

by (ursuin% a a(ulet behin! his bac'- .o,ever* "uliet succee!s in stan!in%

behin! ,hat she believes- Even ,ith a chance to re!eem her rec'less

rebellion* "uliet continues to stic' ,ith her ori%inal motives ,hen she a,a'es

+rom slee( by stabbin% hersel+ ,ith Romeo)s !a%%er- $his violent choice o+

!eath* com(are! to Romeo)s (assive (oison* only reaDrms the values o+

masculinity ,ithin "uliet)s character- Sha'es(eare un!ermines the tra!itional

male (o,er %ure by %ivin% "uliet motives that (rove resistant to society*

unli'e the (reconceive! male (o,ers o+ the (lay-

$he re(resentation o+ (o,er in Romeo and Juliet coinci!es ,ith a

masculine !emeanor that only a +eminine character success+ully attains-

"uliet)s im(ulsive !ecisions an! stren%th to stan! +or her belie+s contrasts the

,ea' attitu!es o+ e9(ecte! (o,er such as Lor! a(ulet an! Lor! Monta%ue-

Sha'es(eare)s t,ist on a +emale hol!in% absolute (o,er achieves the i!ea

that inHuence hol!s not necessarily ,ith men* but those ,ho act ,ith

masculine elements-

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Romeo and Juliet Major Paper