Romeo And Juliet Patriarchal Society

Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was set in Verona which was undeniably a male-dominated society. It was thought that consequently in the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ women were viewed as subordinate. During the 1500s, women’s’ rights would not have been considered as important as they are now, let alone important at all. In the Capulet household, the Capulets’ servant Sampson stated that women were “weaker vessels”. The author uses this metaphor to show the audience that this was generally how women were viewed in a patriarchal society. The word ‘vessel’ was used to objectify women as that is how they were thought of- chattel waiting to be married off and sold like property and essentially having no real, meaningful purpose. The patriarchal treatment
Shakespeare wrote this with the intent of further epitomising that women had no value in society and that they literally would be banished if they were to oppose the men of this patriarchal society of Verona. The contrast between male supremacy and the oppression of women makes the audience aware of how although this play was written much long ago and in tougher conditions, gender inequality still exists today. However, the treatment of women being inferior to men has drastically improved and is not as strict as it was during the Elizabethan Era. There have been very recent incidences in history where women in some parts of the world were women given the right to vote, allowed to partake in the Olympics which have been around long before the 1500s, and incidences where many more rights should have been given to women much ear earlier- at the time of which men were given these same rights. Throughout history and society, man has always held dominance; it’s time for a change and the people of today are who can help make this change. The idea that women are weaker beings than males in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is very much relevant and important to modern society as it is an idea that should be completely eradicated centuries later, yet it has not