Real Men Don’t Cry: The Reconstruction of Grief and Mourning under the lens of Stoicism from Antiquity to the Neoclassical Period
Abstract:
Exploring how those who are masculine-presenting should conduct themselves continues to be a disputed topic in our modern society. By reflecting on the Neoclassical and Antiquity with their approach to how the male form presents emotionally, an understanding of societal standards is brought forward. The titular “real men” are put on display through philosophy, literature, art, and public perceptions, framing how depictions of grief were used to promote an emotionally reserved individual in the late 18th century as Europe once again turned to the classical world for inspiration, embracing aspects of Stoicism. The centuries between these two periods allowed discrepancies to grow in terms of representations of vulnerability and the allowance of grief from the masculine form. Even when the Neoclassical attempted to reestablish Greco-Roman artistry they did so in such a way that it was antithetical to the existence of vulnerability during the classical world. Each chapter will explore both periods, looking at gathered evidence that builds on how the Neoclassical period came to implement its changes on the classical world.