Essay On Romeo And Juliet Powerless Women

For many years, men have been portrayed as powerful figures and women as powerless or weak. “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare, written in approximately 1595, demonstrates this dynamic. As one of the men in the play, Capulet is very powerful, while Juliet and Lady Capulet as women are powerless. Women’s rights were only introduced in the late 19th century and early 20th century, leaving women in the 16th century powerless and feeble to men. Accordingly, women are portrayed as powerless to men who are portrayed as powerful.

Undoubtedly, Capulet is portrayed as a very powerful man. He is the father of Juliet, husband of Lady Capulet and the superior of the Capulet house. Since Capulet is the superior of the family he controls Juliet and Lady Capulet. Unfortunately, Capulets only priority is his family’s reputation, not Juliet's emotions, and because of this, he agrees to allow Paris to marry her without considering her desires. Paris is a noble bachelor with a high status which is why Capulet is extremely angry when Juliet refuses to marry him.
When Juliet tells her mother that she does not wish to marry Paris, Capulet is told and ridicules her. “Unworthy as she is, that we have wrought/ So worthy a gentleman to be her bride?” (5.5.144-145) says her father and essentially telling Juliet that she is unworthy and should be so lucky to be married to a man of his stature. After Juliet begins to beg her father for leniency, Capulet says “Hang thee young baggage, disobedient wretch!” (3.5.160) telling her just because she is a woman that she must obey his wishes although she does not love Paris. If she were but a male she would not be verbally abused, ridiculed unworthy and forced into marriage. Juliet feels helpless in achieving her parents approval and therefore retorts to desperate measures. Juliet is a woman in Shakespearean time and because of this she is powerless to the men around