Shakespearean Gender Roles Term PaperWilliam Shakespeare is well known for being a poet, playwright, and actor. Shakespeare's work seems very sexist when it comes to gender roles. He uses gender roles in his play “Romeo and Juliet”. Juliette being the main and most important female role in this play; is supposed to be noble and respectful, but instead she goes against her father's wishes and comes off as more educated than she really is. Romeo being the main male role in this play is supposed to be focused and noble, but instead he is passionate in love and is not very wise in his decisions but in comparison to Paris, who is very masculine, focused and noble, shows a true rebirth. male. This article will demonstrate how Shakespeare uses gender role reversal; by having feminism and masculinity, the arrangement of marriages, and the comparison and contrast of different characters to prove the gender pattern in Elizabethan England. FEMINISM AND MASCULINITY In the play “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare uses feminism and masculinity. This is just one way he shows gender roles throughout the play. However, Shakespeare does not necessarily follow the Elizabethan life that women followed in the Elizabethan era of England. Women in the Elizabethan period had to follow certain rules: Elizabethan women were educated at home (no schools for girls) Elizabethan women were not allowed to enter universities. Elizabethan women could not take their father's titles (except royal women). Elizabethan women could not become doctors or lawyers Elizabethan women were not allowed to vote Elizabethan women were not allowed to enter politics Elizabethan women were not allowed in the army or navy Elizabethan women were not not allowed to perform in theaters Pending...... middle of paper .... ..nds. The lower you are on the social ladder, the more likely you are to have a choice in the matter. Elizabethan women were required to bring a dowry to marriage. A dowry was a sum of money, goods and property that the bride would bring to the marriage. It was also called his marriage share. After marriage, Elizabethan women were expected to run the household and provide for the children. The law gave the husband all rights over his wife. It effectively became his property. For marriage of minors, parental authorization is required. The legal age for Elizabethan marriages for boys is 14 and for girls 12. It was not usual or traditional for marriages to begin at a young age, but it still happens, although not as much as normal marriages at an older age. The actual age of consent was 21. Elizabethan men generally would not marry before this date..