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Effect of shakespeare on elizabethan era
Elizabethan society and culture
Effect of shakespeare on elizabethan era
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In Shakespeare's famous tragedy Romeo and Juliet it is clear that many social pressures affect the characters such as, death, patriarchal authority, child and sexual maturity and even religion. These pressures were prevalent in the Elizabethan era, and were seminal to Shakespeare's writing. For Juliet, the audience can see that patriarchal authority is a recurring theme in her life, although some may argue that it is actually sexual maturity.
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the social pressure that affects Juliet the most is patriarchal authority. Patriarchal authority is defined as the belief that men are more superior to women and they had control over their lives accorDing to the Kerschen Essay. This power imbalance was mostly due to religion enforcing the belief on society. It was prominent during the Elizabethan area, because of how religious they were at the time. During that time the citizens’ lives revolved around religion and they devoted their lives to God. One can see how influential this idea was in Shakespeare since it is prevalent in many of his
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Juliet was urged by her parents especially her father to start looking for love and that is why she rushes into being sexual. In Act 1 Scene 3 Juliet's mother says, “This then in brief: The valiant Paris seeks you for his love. Nurse A man young lady! Lady, such a man As all the world- Why he’s a man of wax.” Juliet's mother tells her that Paris, a much older gentleman, seeks to marry her, and the nurse mentions how beautiful he is therefore already bringing in sexuality to the conversation. If it weren't for her family Juliet would have never even been thinking of men and who is attractive. The idea was brought on by her family, hence it is evident that Patriarchal authority is the most prevalent social pressure in Juliet's life because other pressures can be linked to
The negative life changing experiences they face are a leading cause for them to refuse acting in accord with the prevailing idealistic standards which their society conveys. David suffers a lot under the oppression of Joseph, who keeps him in check by the threat of unjust force and authority that he rebels to defy the oppression present in his society. Similarly, Romeo’s banishment opens his mind to what he is forced to sacrifice as a result of the feud. He discerns foolishness of the feud that causes him to lose Juliet as a result. This illustrates how both experiences alter their beliefs and open their minds to the ugly reality of society, and therefore plays an essential role in triggering their decision to conform to its standards. In both cases, these experiences are crucial in changing their views and swaying them to transform their stance on society. Similarly, Rosalind’s and Juliet’s experiences result in the same effect. Rosalind’s fear that one of the norms will find out about her mutation causes her rebuff their sudden affection. Her experience allows her to discern the fear of rejection others like her has to endure. Juliet’s arranged marriage to Paris prompts her to reject to act in accord with her parent’s wishes. Through her experience, she perceives how blind the families’ brawl causes them to be and restricts her life. This illustrates
They were more interested in the wealth and respectability of a husband than the daughter’s happiness. Their idea of a happy marriage would be that the woman would learn to love the husband. Is it very important for a modern audience, who wish to get a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s scenes and characters, to understand the society of Romeo and Juliet. Otherwise, unwillingly, the audience may unfairly judge a character. They may see a character’s actions as unreasonable, as they would be considered in a modern society, when in fact they may have been perfectly reasonable in Shakespearean times.
In the play of Romeo and Juliet, the reader is introduced to two young star-crossed lovers who hope to fall in love and have the happily ever after. However, through the twists and turns of the play, the reader finds the story has a twisted ending. For the project, my group chose Juliet as our portrayed character. In our portrayal of Juliet, the character is well summarized as well as the characters role in the play. Beginning at her head, we summarize Juliet’s family life in a discrete but well thought out way. Upon Juliet’s head sits a golden headband to represent being of a higher family. While Juliet is no princess, she is the only child of Lord and Lady Capulet. “Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday, Or never after look me in the face. Speak not. Reply not. Do not answer me. My fingers itch.—Wife, we scarce thought us blest That God had lent us but this only child, But now I see this one is one too much And that we have a curse in having her. Out on her, hilding!”(3.5.160-168). Because she is the only daughter of the Lord and Lady, one can suspect a life filled with pressure for young Juliet.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In the age of Rome and Juliet’s creation, many values of society were. different from those we observe in modern day life. Women did not have equal rights, fathers had a lot more authority over their children and arranged marriages were still practiced.
Even though, Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet over 500 years ago the struggles and social pressures portrayed in the play are still present in the cutthroat society of high school. Two perfect themes that are shown tremendously throughout Shakespeare’s time and our modern times are; “Love” and “Fate”. These are constantly running through people’s minds all day as they try to unravel them. No matter the time period there will always be similarities especially between the teenager years.
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 decision of pursuing personal desire or choosing to conform is a conflict that every person in life experiences. In his play, Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare portrayed that the aforementioned conflict was existent in everyone’s life, and, depending upon what they chose, there would be corresponding repercussions. Shakespeare displays this conflict when the protagonist, Romeo, attends the ball, marries Juliet, and kills Tybalt.
A woman during the 16th century did not have the freedoms that a woman today enjoys. During Shakespeare’s life wives were not allowed the independence they take pleasure in today. Therefore, the role of the mother for Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is not commanding or authoritative because of the time period Shakespeare lived.
Imagine yourself, dear reader, transported to Shakespearian Verona, a bustling, peaceful city (aside from the occasional death or two), with its obligatory social classes going about agreeably (aside from the occasional brawl or two), and all people happy and successful (aside from the occasional poor wretch or two). The Verona in which Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet takes place in is made sinister by the deadly consequences than ensue from its strict, unbending society. Romeo and Juliet paints a tale about two young lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, whose attempts to be together are cruelly thwarted by society. Society’s fixation on honor and disgrace, poverty-creating laws, and austere social roles all have crucial functions in causing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Authority of the family from the father of the household can be spread to the servants. the nurse advises Juliet in the end to marry Paris. This is not her
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy of an ancient feud where the children of two families at war fall deeply in love with each other. Set in the 16th century William Shakespeare’s play has many different themes running throughout it, which include love, hate, death and conflict. The play opens with a fight but ends with suicide that creates peace between both families who unite from their losses. The conflict, violence and aggression in the play happen from revenge and an ancient family grudge. An audience from the 16th century would have enjoyed Romeo and Juliet because of the real life drama and tragedy the play goes through. The patriarchal society gave women absolutely no rights and they had to obey their man’s ordering a patriarchal system. The theme of conflict is revealed as the characters argue over Juliet’s disobedience.
Romeo and Juliet has different roles for different genders. During the Shakespearean period, when Shakespeare writes, most women had to marry when they were teen, when they were in adolescence or even before. However, the men who they were marrying were in their early to late twenties. In the household that the women lived in, the men basically owned them. The women always followed men’s word, which says that the male was the dominant gender of the society. Romeo and Juliet reflects this in a number of ways. Juliet was forced to marry Paris, by the word of her father, who said that if she did not marry Paris, she would go to the streets(Shakespeare, 3.5.154-62). Women were thought to be weaker and less important than men in Romeo and Juliet because men are trying to be the strongest out of everyone, women have a lower social status, and men think they owned women in Romeo and Juliet.
Youth and family play a big role in this tragic story. "Shakespeare delineates the hold of the patriarchal family on its children" (Kahn 18). This statement is true both then and now. Parents and elders will always have a hold on the children, but only to a certain extent. The two "noble" families of the play feel control and protection over both Juliet and Romeo; yet in the end, the only effect they have on the two lovers is that they have pushed them to the drastic measure of self-slaughter.
To become part of society or not to become part of society, that is the question. In the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet must answer the question of being an individual or letting society overcome them. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are star-crossed lovers that fight a patriarchal society that causes them to make the ultimate sacrifice to be in a world where their love is pertinent. Embracing individuality is favored in Romeo and Juliet causing secret meetings, a fear of morning, and lurking around tombs which reinforces the notions that isolation is necessary to be free and night provides safety.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet centres on the relationship between two young protagonists, but much of what occurs during the play is as a result of the inequality between men and women. Juliet’s arranged marriage with Paris, as well as the ancient feud between Capulets and Montagues eventually contributes to the deaths of their children.