Romeo and Juliet, written by Shakespeare in the late 16th century, is an impassioning story of two star-crossed lovers destined for death. The story of their love and heartbreak brought with it a flurry of emotions; after all, what could be more moving than the story of a man and a woman finding in their sudden love for each other a reason to defy their families’ mutual hatred? I found myself enraptured by the language use and dialogue, letting it wash over me to understand the meaning beneath. The Old English perfectly captured and aligned with the setting, creating the sense of an old-fashioned era which I found myself falling into. My incomplete understanding of the formal language also had me relying more heavily on context clues and theatrics. Aided by the frequent soliloquies from several characters, I was able to distinguish emotions, foreshadowing, and the direction in which the story was progressing. This propelled me to appreciate the depth of emotion and how love overtook both Romeo’s and Juliet’s cognitive thoughts and predetermined judgements. Paired with Shakespeare’s use of vivid imagery, the setting and characters came to life. The vibrancy of Verona’s bustling streets set the stage for the poignant narrative. Furthermore, the complexities of identity breathed life into each character; Romeo’s passionate declarations of love, Juliet’s conflicted emotions, and even the fiery tempers of the feuding families conveyed further depth and animation. Ultimately, the narrative, through many literary techniques and nuances, wrought emotional turmoil, but also raised the concept of traditional gender roles.
Partway through both reading and watching the story of Romeo and Juliet, a central question was brought to mind: beneath the layers of romance and the nature of desire, what traditional notions of gender and identity can be observed? When thinking of the 16th century, my impression stems towards inequality, sexism, and prejudice. The social dynamics are evident throughout, most clearly in regard to Juliet’s strained circumstances as opposed to Romeo’s and the vice her parents have on her affairs. This shares the historical conflict between parental will and romantic individualism, and shows Juliet’s lack of control. My thoughts during the narrative strayed towards the intentions of Shakespeare himself. The underlying themes of sexism hint at the inequitable social state of the 16th century, causing me to wonder whether Romeo and Juliet was a way for Shakespeare to comment on the struggles that individuals face when asserting their identities and desires within a society that seeks to confine them. The ending, tragic as it was, gave me pause. Most stories regarding romance end with a “happily ever after,” a conclusion that leaves the reader with a smile and little reflection; this narrative was not one of them. The death of both Romeo and Juliet, along with multiple side characters, suggests something to me about the tragic outcome of romantic individualism and disobedience of authority. The internal devision on the grounds of gender inequalities was a large take-away from this story for me, raising important questions and pushing me to further reflect on Shakespeare’s intentions.