Masculinity

• Shakespeare challenges traditional views of masculinity by depicting characters who exhibit vulnerability and tenderness alongside traits of strength and dominance.
• The theme of masculinity is further explored through the societal expectations placed on male characters in the play, highlighting notions of honor, courage, and violence.
• Tybalt represents an extreme form of toxic masculinity, embodying aggression, anger, and violence towards those perceived to be threats or enemies.
• Romeo's character embodies both traditional and unconventional aspects of masculinity, as he displays qualities such as bravery, loyalty, and love while also exhibiting weaknesses like impulsivity and recklessness.
• Friar Laurence's role highlights the importance of wisdom and guidance in shaping masculine identity, emphasizing the need for men to seek counsel from trusted sources.
• Juliet's decision to marry Romeo against her father's wishes demonstrates her agency and defiance, breaking free from patriarchal constraints and asserting her right to choose her own path.
• Shakespeare presents aggressive male behaviour, reinforcing the idea of dominance only being achieved over women and not other men. Alternatively, from a modern perspective, this could be inferred as a critic to the patriarchal society where toxic masculinity involved men with the expectation to act with aggression.
• 'Draw, if you be men' Act 1, scene 1. imperative is antagonistic, and the conditional clause evokes their masculinity depends on their willingness to fight. By beginning the play with a fight, the audience learns that male violence will pervade this play.
• 'Holy shrine' 'Pilgrim' Act 1, Scene 5. (Romeo) Use of religious imagery places Juliet on a pedestal, depicting her as of something sacred and to be worshipped. The love Romeo has for Juliet is pure and devoted- transcends Elizabethan ideologies of love, typically focusing on sexual relationships. Completely juxtaposes Sampson and Mercutio's depiction of women.