Webb


 * Jesse Webb **

//Paste the appropriate portion of your essay in the spaces below. Note: we may not have enough time to post every part of your essay even though there are sections for each.//


 * __Thesis Statement:__** In //Romeo and Juliet//, Romeo goes through a major change in terms of his masculinity.

__Comments:__ Good introduction sentance it's a little broad but it's pretty good.-Robert Howell What changes are they? include the topics of your paragraphs in your THesis-HEnry Quillian Um... These statement leaves alot of information to cover.- WK


 * __Body Paragraph 1:__** In Acts one and two, Romeo is very feminine through his infatuation with Rosaline. Even though Romeo thinks that he is in love, he fails to realize that his infatuation is turning him into a girl. “Love is a tender thing? It is too rough” (1.4.25). In this quote, Romeo uses feminine words and phrases such as, “tender” and “too rough”. Romeo seems to be afraid of love and afraid of roughness which isn’t masculine at all. “Tender” could mean a lot of things, but I interperate it as virgin-like, and innocent. Innocence is a very feminine trait. Romeo also says to Mercurtio and Benvolio, “Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen” (5.3.66). Romeo is letting other //men// direct him onward by saying this. By letting a man take over, he is lowering himself. He also uses a feminine word: “lusty” which means strong. He is almost acting like he is attracted to the men. By giving up power, he is giving up his masculinity. There is no doubt that Romeo is extremely feminine while “in love” with Rosaline.

__Comments:__ "By letting men direct him onward Romeo is not making himself feminen he is making himself homosexual. And Romeo is a virgin so of course he sounds like a virgin. I would consider lusty a masculine word not a feminen word."-Robert Howell

These are very interesting points that I had never thought of, some of the words being only feminine are questionable. To Robert, Romeo is obviously not a virgin.-HQ

All of these points are interesting and valid your paragraph flows together well. WK


 * __Body Paragraph 2:__** When he meets Juliet, Romeo starts to slowly change into a masculine being. During Romeo’s meeting with Juliet, Juliet says to him, “Oh for a falc’ner’s voice, /to lure this tassel-gentle back again.”(2.2.158-159). It is surprising to hear //Juliet// say this, because it is a very masculine thing to say. A falc’ner is someone who directs falcons and tells them where to go. A tassel-gentle is a male peregrine falcon. By saying this, Juliet is demeaning Romeo and saying that //she// is in control of the relationship. Romeo has become the follower and the maiden. But when Romeo sees Mercutio fall by the hand of Tybalt, he becomes furious, “…Oh sweet Juliet, /Thy beauty hath made me effeminate,” (3.1.104-105). This is the turning point in Romeo’s femininity. Finally Romeo has become some what masculine. He blames Juliet for making him feminine in the first place (which is a false accusation because it was really Rosaline).

__Comments:__ I would say that Romeo becomes less masculine in his relationship with Juliet. Anyone who tells his girlfriend that she is in control of him has definitly become less masculine.-Robert Howell

More interesting points. It is good that you have the turn around for Romeo though the beggining of the paragraph is a little misleading.-HQ

Good explanation of quotes. I like where this is going. WK

__Comments:__ Tybalt does not come during Juliet's death, I think you mean Paris. I strongly disagree that Romeo is the ideal man he constantly bows to the demands of Juliet.- Robert Howell
 * Body Paragraph 3:** After Juliet’s death, Romeo finally expresses exceptional masculinity. When Romeo is mourning for Juliet, Tybalt comes in and Romeo says to him, “Good gentle youth, tempt not a desp’rate man…/…I beseech thee, youth, /put not another sin upon my head, /by urging me to fury: O be gone!” (5.3.59/61-63). Romeo uses many masculine words like “fury”, but he also establishes his dominance by calling him “youth”. Romeo still uses some feminine words like “gentle” and “beseech” because he is mourning Juliet’s death, but once his tears turn into anger he speaks more defiantly, “Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!” (5.3.70). This time, Romeo uses purely masculine words. When Romeo says, “Have at thee, boy”, he is begging for a fight. Also, Romeo says “boy” to establish dominance. After all, Romeo has become the Ideal man.

It be Paris Romeo sayes this to not Tybalt. Im still not sure on how all these words are masculine and unmasculine but you do have some valid points-HQ

In what ways has he become the ideal man, I feel a little confused, just because he uses masculine words doesn't mean that he's masculine. WK


 * __Intro:__**  In //Romeo and Juliet//, Romeo goes through a major change in terms of his masculinity. At the beginning of the book, when he “loves” Rosaline, he expresses extreme femininity, but he goes through a change when he falls in love with Juliet, and becomes exceptionally masculine when she dies. In Act 1 scene 1 of //Romeo and Juliet//, Romeo expresses infatuation for Rosaline that he thinks is love. “Show me a mistress that is passing fair” (1.1.225). This is a quote that Romeo says while thinking about Rosaline. In this quote, Romeo says only feminine words like, “mistress” and “fair”. This could be interpreted as a sign that Romeo is purely feminine while he loves Rosaline. When Romeo meets Juliet, his mind has changed, “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” (1.5.94-95). This is the moment when Romeo starts changing (slowly) from a little girl, to a man. In this quote, Romeo uses words like, “stand” (sexual) and “rough”. But he also uses feminine words like, “lips”, “Blushing”, and “tender”. The use of masculine //and// feminine words says that Romeo is starting to grow in masculinity, but still has a strong feminine side to him. After Juliet’s death, Romeo finally becomes exceptionally masculine. “Stay not, be gone; live…” (5.3.66). “stay not” and “be gone” are commands that establish Romeo’s dominance. Romeo also states the consequences by saying that if Paris leaves, then he could live. There are no feminine words in this quote so you can tell that Romeo is completely masculine at this point.

__Comments:__ I would agrue the exact opposite. Juliet makes him much more feminine. He is very masculine in his relationship with Juliet because he dosn't even like her. Juliet makes him much less masculine.-Robert Howell

Im tired of the stupid use of "this word is masculine so he is masculin"! A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL COULD SAY "I WANT TO EAT YOUR FLESH" BUT STILL RUN AROUND WITH HER PINK PONY AND HIGH PITCHED VOICE. point being i dont find your arguments very convincing. its your essay though and its your argument.-HQ


 * __Conclusion:__** Romeo’s death is a tragedy because his feminine ways led to his downfall and by the time he learned to be masculine, it was too late. Throughout the play, Romeo slowly learned to be a man. When he found out that Juliet had died, he learned to balance love with manhood. But if he had learned to be grown up, Tybalt may have never killed Mercutio, and Romeo would have never been banished. He learned to be a man too late, and his faults led to not only his death, but Juliet’s too.

__Comments:__ I think this is a very good concludin paragraph.-Robert Howell

I agree with robert-HQ

I agree with robert too. WK Period 4 Home Page

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