"Family feuds lead to senseless violence and tragic deaths of six young men", this could easily be the headline of a newspaper article today but it is the plot of a play written more than four hundred years ago. Romeo and Juliet (1597) by William Shakespeare is about two young lovers from Verona, coming from opposing families and constantly at war with each other, which makes their relationship impossible for them to work and tragically ends their lives. This play has an underlying dark theme of toxic masculinity affecting society, portraying the male characters as bullies, sexual abusers, dominators, and ultimately murderers. Not being able to cry, not being able to talk to someone when you feel down or depressed. Constantly hurting each other, both physically and verbally. These are all traits of toxic masculinity, a term that describes men as violent, emotionless, and sexually aggressive. It prevents men from being their best selves and seems to pass from generation to generation. The impact this toxicity can have on women today is clearly depicted through acts of domestic violence, sexual harassment and sometimes death. Even though our modern laws provide that these types of acts committed by men are punishable, this topic is still very relevant in today's society. The theme of toxic masculinity, bullying, aggression, sexual harassment and the way some men behave towards women can all be found in this play and today I will talk in more depth about why it is important that Romeo and Juliet is studied in schools as well as in children. explain why it is relevant in today's society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the very first scene of the play Romeo and Juliet, toxic masculinity is immediately introduced when Sampson and Gregory from one of the feuding families are talking. These men are full of hatred and anger and are looking for an opportunity to argue. They want to prove that they are men. They act impulsively and speak disrespectfully about women. Samson, one of the servants of the house, states: 'When I have fought with men, I will be cruel to the handmaids; I will cut off their heads.' This quote shows that men only consider women as objects and could easily dispose of them if they wanted. In modern times, this toxic masculinity is still visible, from young boys struggling to prove their manhood, to endless reports of athletic men displaying inappropriate behavior towards women, to the sexual harassment of women in the workplace, and the lack of empathy shown by some men when called out for their behavior. Another quote in the play that describes men's feelings towards women is when Benvolio says to Romeo, "Compare her face with some that I will show, and I will make you believe that your swan is a raven." This shows men as people who only see women for their beauty and fall deeply in love and then quickly fall out of love if a prettier woman gets along. Since the Weinstein affair and the ME TOO campaign people have had many more opportunities to discuss this issue of toxic masculinity and reading Romeo and Juliet would allow teenagers to discuss these issues in a classroom setting. The reason why toxic masculinity is so harmful to society is that men still have difficulty showing their emotional side. They are often bullied and teased by their peers for being "soft" or showing offtheir "gentler side" and as a result young people, due to peer pressure, often shut down emotionally. In some cases, this can lead to self-harming behavior, impulsiveness, depression or suicide. Romeo displays this behavior when he feels remorse for avenging Mercutio's death. When Tybalt leaves gravely wounded, Romeo says, "O sweet Juliet." Your beauty has made me effeminate. And in my temperament the steel of valor has softened. He felt he had to resort to fighting to prove to himself and those around him that he wasn't soft, that he was a man. When he runs away from Friar Laurence in anguish over what he has done, the Friar tells him “Hold your desperate hand! Are you a man? Your form screams you are. Your tears are feminine; your wild deeds denote'. Here, the friar calls Romeo a weak "feminine" because he cries and threatens suicide because in Romeo and Juliet boys don't cry. This aggression, impulsiveness and need to "be a man" is still seen today. Instead of swords to deal with a problem, modern men use guns and fists. The “One Punch” wave of deaths is due to the alcohol-fueled impulsiveness of young people to prove themselves. This campaign is a program that was developed out of necessity and shows that some men still have difficulty containing their reckless and impulsive behavior and are unable to turn the other cheek or walk away without believing that it will make them look weak or weak . 'soft'. The negative attitude that men had towards women is also explored in the plot of this play. The belief that a man owned a woman and that she should obey him without question is highlighted when Juliet's father "chooses" her husband. Capulet says: "Hang yourself, young baggage, you disobedient wretch!" I tell you one thing: go to church on Thursday, or never look at me again. Juliet's father cannot accept that Juliet refuses to marry Paris and treats his daughter like a piece of property that he can simply give to another man. This is repeated when talking about how men's love depends on a woman's beauty and the lack of respect shown towards women through verbal and sexual harassment both inside and outside of relationships. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Many might argue that in modern society only a small percentage of men display these traits and that men have many more positive traits and this may be true, however, this minority of men who grow up and display these negative traits are number big enough that incidents of domestic violence and sexual harassment are frequent headlines in the news. It shows that toxic masculinity is still one of the biggest problems in our society today. The violent nature of these men means that statistics on domestic violence are incredibly high: 1 in 4 women have suffered emotional abuse from their partner, 1 in 5 women have suffered sexual abuse, 85% of Australian women have suffered sexual harassment and one woman a week was killed by her partner. . These statistics show how toxic masculinity is harmful to modern society. It's also why women fight for gender equality in the workplace and the right to feel safe in their homes and on the streets. So while some people may believe that toxic masculinity is just a small problem, it is obvious that as a society we still need to address it and try to repair the relationship between men and women today that has been built by the misogynistic ways of the past. . Works Cited Anderson, K. (2009)., 11(4), 433-450.