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Worksheet: Discussion Questions: · Does love make Romeo effeminate and Juliet masculine? How so? · Taking Prince Escales as the ideal masculine/patriarchal figure in Romeo and Juliet, what does our school’s presentation of the play say about current masculinity? · Paris is not portrayed as evil or undesirable in the play; why does Juliet not want to marry him? · To what extent are Romeo, Juliet, and other characters in the play only performing the gender roles expected of them by society. Main Tenets of Feminist Literary Criticism: Feminist literary criticism is political in nature. Stereotypes of women in literature must be exposed. The canon should be revised to include females. Sex and Gender are different. Approaches of the Feminist Literary Critic: Analyze power structures within literature. Analyze the female experience in literature. Analyze the differences between the sexes in literature. GENDER ROLES IN ROMEO AND JULIET MALE GENDER ROLES: There are two definitions of masculinity Violence on behalf of fathers/families Sexual union with women and separation from fathers/families Romeo cannot balance these two opposing sides Love makes Romeo effeminate FEMALE GENDER ROLES: Women’s roles in society are defined by their reproductive capabilities Women who were not marriageable were sent to convents Juliet transcends the normal boundaries for women and becomes sexually independent MARRIAGE FOR POLITICAL POWER: Women had to be accompanied by a dowry to be worthy of marriage Capulet’s family name and heritage depend on Juliet’s
good marriage |
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