Gender Roles In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Aarushi Agrawal
Ms. Stuart
Lit/Writing Period 6
1 April 2018
Gender Roles:
The award-winning novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde expresses the thought, “My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly.” We have all either heard, read, or seen acts of sexism, whether you be a man or a woman. Every act of bias displayed affects one in both large and small ways, influencing and changing how one views the world. The play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is no different in terms of displaying this bias. This tragedy tells the story of Romeo and Juliet, a young couple who fall in love, despite their feuding families, the Capulets and Montagues. They

Romeo and Juliet have not even been married for three hours before Romeo kills Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Upon committing this act of treason, he goes to Friar Laurence's cell for refuge and advice. After hearing of his punishment, banishment, Romeo cries out and begins to sob, lamenting his fate. He would rather die than be separated from Juliet. Once Romeo begins to cry, Friar Laurence is furious and responds with “Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art / Thy tears are womanish” (III.iii.119-120). Friar Laurence, a man who numerous people look up to, displays the set mindset that men and women have certain roles in life. Since he is the pastor, he plays an important role in countless people's lives, including Romeo’s. His point of view will affect copious amounts people as he is a trusted figure of religion, instinctively causing several people to seek him out for advice. The father role he takes on for Romeo naturally causes him to have a heavy hand in how Romeo develops and changes. Since Friar Laurence also believes in gender roles, he will consequently impart this point of view to Romeo, affecting how he sees the world and how he grows up. Romeo will grow up believing that there is something wrong with crying, that it displays weakness and that only girls can do it. One will be exposed to gender roles while growing up, controlling one’s understanding of the