Toxic Masculinity | Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet

Explore how masculinity is portrayed in a modern stylized version of Shakespeare’s iconic play in this video from Great Performances: Romeo and Juliet. What does it mean to be a “man?” How is our understanding of masculinity reflected in the interplay of Shakespeare’s words and the way in which this production interprets the text? Support materials ask students to analyze the fight scene in Act I of the play and whether Romeo accepts or rejects the ideas about masculinity introduced in that opening scene.