The Exploration of Gender Roles in Romeo and Juliet

The famous love story condemned by fate and feuding families has been an inspiration in the literary world for many decades. Known as Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, evokes such literary beauty, the presence of Verona, and strong values/beliefs. The world of men during this time in Verona was of great power, evoked masculinity and sexual domination. Women were known as objects, inferior, simply the caretakers. Romeo and Juliet challenge these ideas through the reversal of gender roles. Romeo defies the idea of masculinity and is rather portrayed with more feminine and submissive traits. Juliet is portrayed with dominance, strength and courage. Romeo and Juliet both exemplify the reversal of gender roles in this romantic tragedy by going against societal norms.

The male population of Verona, Italy was known as masculine, fighting, and hierarchy males. Courage, male-to-male friendship, and allegiance were amongst some of the things males were expected to engage in. Romeo challenges the idea of masculinity and instead merits more feminine and submissive traits. He speaks with such elegance and poetic melancholy. “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs,/ being purg’d, a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes,/ Being vex’d, a sea nourish’d with loving tears” (1.1.190-193). Romeo thinks of his true love Juliet day and night, speaking such lovely words of her. It gives Romeo such satisfaction and fulfillment when he speaks these graceful words. When Romeo enters a scene with Juliet, his masculine traits lessen. Romeo puts himself below Juliet as her submissive. During the balcony scene Romeo adheres as the submissive partner. “O, speak again, bright angel, for thou are/ As glorious to this night, being o’er...

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... not seen as morally good in these particular times but knows what she wants and who she is.

Gender roles in Romeo and Juliet are reversed. Juliet is a woman of high honor and strength and Romeo acts as the submissive one to her in the relationship. He is much more emotional and exemplifies feminine traits. Romeo and Juliet’s love is brought together under unexplainable circumstances. The love they share for one another is put above all else. The Montague and Capulet families only learn of their love affair after their tragic deaths. Pushing the boundaries on social norms is clearly present in this play. Romeo and Juliet know who they are with one another. They stay true to each other as well as themselves until their later attempts to re-conform to higher social expectations leads to their tragic demise.

Works Cited

Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare