Romeo And Juliet Belonging Analysis

The basis of ones life naturally revolves around the urge to gain a sense of belonging, and inturn the acquirement of this sense can be a catalyst for many decisions. An individual’s perception of belonging is constantly being reshaped by personal experiences such as upbringing, family life and relationships and inevitably leads one to gain a sense of identity and acceptance of themselves and the world around them. Factors that affect ones perception of belonging are continually changing due to the circumstances and stages of their present life, however throughout these stages a number of Impediments such as family issues or traditional gender roles may provoke a sense of division or restrict their ability to develop a sense of belonging. William
However, through disguise Rosalind is able to challenge the 16th century ideas of gender, especially that masculinity and bravery are purely inherent factors of males. Throughout her time as Ganymede, she questions this preconceived idea and concludes that masculinity is merely a role played and that the distinguishing characteristics of males and females are not so strictly instinctive but more so learned, ‘as many other mannish cowards have That do out face it with their semblances’. Rosalind’s decision to disguise her self not only provided protection and safety for their life in the forest, it enabled her to gain the freedom to explore her identity as it allowed for her to behave in ways considered socially unacceptable for a woman at the time. Without the use of disguise, the girls’ journey to the forest would have been unsuccessful as it was unacceptable for two women to travel alone. The fact that Rosalind was accepted as a man so easily by merely cross-dressing and putting on an amateur act of masculinity questions the differences we claim as the basis for the differing treatment on men and
According to Maori tradition, only a male can carry the knowledge to be a leader, however, it is blatently obvious through her natural talent and pure determination, that she is more than competent to be the leader. Her grandfathers disappointment and disapproval of her birth into the sacred blood-line is apparent from the beginning of the film where a close-up shot of his face reveals his disgust as he angrily states, ‘she has broken the male line of decent in our tribe… get her away from me.’ As Pai grows older her grandfather, Pukka, is constantly reminded of her natural suitability for the role through her successes in mastering the traditional roles of the men and being the being the only one able to retrieve the sacred whale tooth. A number of aerial long shots are used to show Pai’s seclusion from the young boys of the tribe who are being taught the traditional customs of the leaders by showing her secretly watching and practicing behind a building or wall, which also places an emphasis on the barriers to her acceptance. Pai’s struggle to be accepted by Pukka reaches a climax when blames the beaching of the whales (the tribes ancestral animal) on her as she had been meddling with the gender roles of their society. Her determination to prove herself is lastly shown through the use of