Romeo and Juliet Theme of Gender

Machismo rules the day in Verona, the city where Romeo and Juliet takes place. Male honor –and male sexual posturing – are sources of both the play's humor and its final tragedy. The rivalry between Verona's two warring families, the Montagues and the Capulets, is driven by the testosterone-charged fighting between the young men of each family. Romeo Montague, the play's protagonist, is constantly torn between the male bonds he shares with his friends, especially his friend Mercutio, and his love for Juliet, a Capulet. Juliet, the only daughter of a well-to-do family, also faces some gender challenges that are pretty typical for young women in Shakespeare's literature – her parents choose a husband for her and threaten to disown her if she disobeys.

1. How do the young (and old) men of Verona prove their masculinity?
2. What is the relationship between honor and masculinity in Romeo and Juliet?
3. Do the values of masculinity come in conflict with other values in the play?
4. Often in literature, male friendship is threatened by the intrusion of a woman. What are the tensions between love and friendship in Romeo and Juliet? How are they resolved?
5. What kinds of challenges do Juliet face as a young daughter? How does her gender shape her experiences with her family?

In Romeo and Juliet, the pressure to be a "man" leads Romeo to kill Tybalt in a duel and causes much of the play's tragedy.

Romantic love triumphs over male friendship in Romeo and Juliet – but not before love is seriously threatened by the conflict.