Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2.7, University of Heidelberg (Anglistik), language: English, abstract: The term paper analyses how the play “Dying City” by Christopher Shinn takes up the picture of stoic, cliché masculinity, and shows how some characteristic features can easily convert into toxic masculinity. Masculinity is often a term not easy to define. In recent times, the popular opinion has tended to consider masculinity to be more sensitive and emphatic – a man shows strength if he allows himself to be weak. This progressive view is fundamentally different to the John-Wayne-like picture – strength, heroism and fighting spirit – which defined the life of so many men, especially some decades ago and even in the present day.