Staging Masculinities. Romeo, Guilty or not Guilty at the “Cesare Beccaria” Youth Detention Centre

Margaret Rose

doi:10.54103/st.227

Staging Masculinities. Romeo, Guilty or not Guilty at the “Cesare Beccaria” Youth Detention Centre

Authors

Margaret Rose

University of Milan

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5519-3266 (unauthenticated)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54103/st.227.c427

Synopsis

This paper explores the complex representations of masculinity in Romeo and Juliet, examining how Shakespeare portrays young men caught between love, aggression and societal expectations. Through a close analysis of key characters such as Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio and Tybalt, the study shows how their actions reflect different aspects of masculine identity, from romantic idealism to violent assertiveness. The play’s depiction of the volatile nature of masculinity, influenced by family feuds and personal honour, provides a lens through which to understand the destructive consequences of rigid gender norms. By examining the tragic outcomes of these characters’ lives, the paper links Shakespeare’s portrayal of masculinity to contemporary issues such as gang violence and the pressure to conform to traditional male roles, offering insights into ways in which masculinity is constructed and challenged at the “Cesare Beccaria” youth detention centre.

Author Biography

Margaret Rose, University of Milan

She held the Chair of British Theatre Studies and Performance at Milan University until her retirement in 2019, after which she taught the M.A. programme in Theatre Studies until 2024. Since Milan’s Expo, Feeding the Planet, she has researched Shakespeare and the natural world, both as an academic (Exposhakespeare, il sommo gourmet, il cibo e i cannibali (co.eds, Milano University Press, 2016); Shakespeare, Our Personal Trainer: Teaching Shakespeare in Secondary Schools (co.eds., Cambridge Scholars, 2020); Shakespeare, Arlecchino and Green Passion, a documentary (script, Maggie Rose, directors, James and Liz Willets, 2021); My Green Shakespeares, Critical Stages\Scenes critiques, 2022, https://www.critical-stages.org/26/my-green-shakespeares/); Play Your Part. Climate Change Theatre (Milano University Press 2022) and as a playwright. She has written about 20 stage plays, many performed in Italy and the UK. Her retellings of Shakespeare include A Walk in Shakespeare’s Garden, Caliban’s Castle and Ophelia, Herb Women (see the trailer on YouTube), which have been performed in theatres and botanical gardens. Other plays, like Tristan Martinelli. A World full of Harlequins and Shelley. A Diet for Peace place historical figures centre stage. She was co-creator of and dramaturg for TYPUS (Transforming Young People Using Shakespeare) 2022-24, a Creative Europe programme involving a consortium of partners from Italy, Norway and Greece, with long-standing experience in the field of intercultural theatre, social inclusion, and justice. Since 2015, she has co-led the annual Shakespeare Prison Workshop at Milan’s “Cesare Beccaria” Youth Detention Centre. She is Chairperson of English Theatre Milan, a non-profit association producing and importing new writing in English to Milan as well as retellings of Shakespeare.