...William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. He wrote almost forty plays in a span of twenty-five years; however, he was persistent in what exactly he wrote about. When one thinks of Shakespeare, he or she thinks of tragedies, histories, and comedies, for those were the only themes he based his works from. In his comedies, particularly Twelfth Night, he uses cross-dressing and gender norms as humorous devices. Although his humor was appropriate at the time in which he wrote it, times have drastically changed since then. It's not uncommon for someone to get easily offended today, especially if the affair stems from gender. Twelfth Night is unacceptable for 21st-century audiences for numerous...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...Two, men treat the women as sex objects. Shakespeare is known for having sexual language in his plays. Demetrius has sex with Helena; nevertheless, he does not love her. In society, men target on women. Men can be charming to contract anything they want. He proves women are treated like objects in this play. For example, Helena said “…Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. / We cannot fight for love, as men may do. / We should be wooed and were not made to woo.” (II, i, 240-242) This can make the audience develop sympathy or empathize with Helena. Making her as human and a character a person in the audience would want to care about. Good literature has empathy and this gives some empathy to the play. In addition, Theseus only sees Hippolyta...
Words: 744 - Pages: 3
...Woolf says, “Be that as it may, I could not help thinking, as I looked at the works of Shakespeare on the shelf, that the bishop was right at least in this; it would have been impossible, completely and entirely, for any woman to have written the plays of Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare. Let me imagine, since facts are so hard to come by, what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say”. This statement emphasizes the theme that Virginia Woolf references throughout the essay; women were treated unequally in society (during this time in age) and thus didn’t have the freedom, time, or money to compose the type of writings men were capable of. After re-reading the first part of the phrase again, “Be that as it may, I could not help thinking, as I looked at the works of Shakespeare on the shelf, that the bishop was right at least in this; it would have been impossible, completely and entirely, for any woman to have written the plays of Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare,” it seems this part of the paragraph directly aligns with her theme of inequality. Talent, education, and time all were essential components to Shakespeare’s success as a poet and writer. However, even to this day there are critics that are unsure whether Shakespeare was a single man, a couple men, or a group of men. But, there is one thing we know for sure, Shakespeare was of the male...
Words: 745 - Pages: 3
...Gender inequality is present in any given society, whether it is in a 16h century society or the 21st, human interactions are guided by gender. As seen in the 16th century play, Othello, women have lower social status than men causing them to be treated with less respect. Today, even though the world has made progress, women face similar problems to women 400 years ago, as women still suffer the wrath of being inferior to men. William Shakespeare play, Othello reveals that in in Venetian society men are superior to women guiding the interactions of characters. However, Shakespeare argues men are no different than women as he questions the legitimacy of gender inequality that guides interaction between people can be extended and applied...
Words: 1238 - Pages: 5
...Domestic, submissive, and passive─these are the qualities associated with women during seventeenth century England. The roles of men and women within society remain somewhat consistent for the entirety of the seventeenth century England. Women in society play the mother role whereas men take on the warrior role; however, the dismissal of gender specific characteristics in literature often contradicts the gender roles throughout the 1600s. For example, Macbeth includes several characters that fail to possess the qualities typically associated with their gender. The subversion of gender roles in Macbeth becomes particularly evident during the planning of Duncan’s murder and then in the overthrow of Macbeth. These two events highlight the sharp...
Words: 1503 - Pages: 7
...equal measure. They are portrayed simultaneously by Shakespeare in his play: where one scene is comedic to one part of the audience, seriousness could be interpreted by others. The writer uses comedy not only to entertain but to portray and challenge concepts of gender, class and other norms dominant in Shakespearean times but also remain evident in contemporary society. He also uses a leading male and female character to construct this gender challenge, with a woman who will not marry until ‘God make men of some other metal than earth’ and a man she refers to as ‘no less than a stuffed man’. The forwardness with these lines are delivered in contrast with the passive expectations an Elizabethan audience would expect from the leading female, however comedy remains as the moment is unexpected. Furthermore, class and status issues can be identified in the play, an obvious example being the Prince’s brother a ‘bastard’, marginalised from society because of who he is, and a ‘watchman’ who is described as an ‘ass’. Through their comedic interchange of insults, two of Shakespeare’s main characters demonstrate the negative impact of gender issues in Elizabethan times. Benedick and Beatrice are constantly sparring with each other, starting from Act 1, Scene 1. It could be said that Shakespeare started his play with this couple to create an ambient and light mood for the opening. However this can be expanded to explore the idea of Shakespeare presenting these two characters as comedic from...
Words: 1680 - Pages: 7
...What is the definition of being a man or a women? Women were seen as lesser beings during the time period of Shakespeare but he decided to show them as strong and influential. In William Shakespeare's play “Macbeth“, Shakespeare shows the challenges of the ideas of traditional gender roles, like power, masculinity, and leadership. In act 1 there is a quote that I believe is a good example for my thesis. Lady macbeth finishes reading the letter of the witches prophecy and then says “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/Make thick my blood“ (1.5.47-54). she is calling the "spirits" to make her into a man that she believes her husband can't be. She refuses to act how her society suggests she should. Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as ruthless and evil instead of obedient and nurturant, which is how females are usually seen as....
Words: 600 - Pages: 3
...How far does the humour in Much Ado About Nothing derive from Shakespeare’s presentation of gender? Much ado about nothing is one of the most famous comedies written by Shakespeare. It is written in the modern style, and is mainly in prose form. It was written for the audience in the Elizabethan era of England, which was the age when females were considered significantly inferior to their male counterparts. Shakespeare has used this concept of gender for creating humour in his play. The characters Benedict and Beatrice are involved in a complex relationship which contrasts between love and hate. Both Beatrice and Benedict are strong willed, intelligent characters, who fear that falling in love will lead to a loss of freedom and eventually heartbreak. Various theories have been proposed which govern humour and comedy. The superiority theory proposed by Plato describes the darker side of comedy that Is often laughed at over unfortunate situations and social standings. Infirmity in others as compared to our own is often laughed at. These same principles has been applied to the story of the play, and the inferiority of females has been used as the basis for creating humour. [quick quote & example to back this up?] The characters Shakespeare's “Much Ado about Nothing” contribute to build the humorous essence of play through their roles. Several characters of the play presented comical language and gestures such as Benedick and Beatrice’s unromantic backbiting...
Words: 1851 - Pages: 8
...The twentieth century saw a number of diverse and rich readings of the play emerge as a result of the turbulent social changes of the century. A. C. Bradley saw this play as an individual coming to terms with his personality; that Lear was a great man and therefore the play is almost unfathomable. A feminist reading of the play reveals a number of Lear's misogynist remarks and has fueled the debate over whether the play's chaos occurred because power was given over to women, with order restored only when men were returned to their leadership roles. King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, and is considered one of his greatest works. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman king. It has been widely adapted for stage and screen, with the part of Lear being played by many of the world's most accomplished actors. King Lear is one of the Shakespear’s achievement talked about a family with three daughters and the father. Father really loved his children however he loved the youngest one the most. In contrast, he got disappointed from the one whom he loved the most because she did not mention how much she loved him back. During his furiousity, he did a judgment about those three daughters. He considered the other two is better so he would love those much more and gave the heritages to those two. His decision was totally wrong because he did not get what he expected to get back. ...
Words: 2257 - Pages: 10
...Many say Shakespeare had his own language. People nowadays do not even notice that the words they use daily might have been originated because of Shakespeare. “Shakespeare's Non-Standard English, begins with the general prefatory aim to provide the student of Shakespeare with a series of authoritative guides to the principal subject-areas covered by the plays and poems. While demonstrating authority and command.” Says article writer, Curren-Aquino, Deborah T. Curren-Aquino explains that Shakespeare had his own way with words when it came to talking about women, music, food, etc. Curren-Aquino gives us an example of a word people use in today’s time that was created by Shakespeare himself, swagger. Swagger was used in Hamlet as a verb to describe...
Words: 1006 - Pages: 5
...Not so Lady Macbeth Gender roles play a huge part in history as women have always been seen as soft, very primitive, and especially proper. Lady Macbeth challenges these gender roles to an extreme as her character is highlighted as a power thirsty and sinister woman who will do anything to get to the crown. In the traditional gender roles of Elizabethan society by being characterized by Shakespeare as a very sinister woman who will goes as afar as murder and treason to obtain her darkest desires. The Elizabethan times took place during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign on the English throne. During this time period, prosperity was extremely rapid, which resulted in gender roles being exemplified even more than before. Men were the obvious superior to women and treated them like objects. Women typically...
Words: 633 - Pages: 3
...self-sacrificing angel. In Duffy's poem, Anne Hathaway doesn't fit into any of the stereotypes of a woman. In the Elizabethan times, the husband owned all possessions, which included the wife and all possessions that she held dear to her, in other words, the husband had complete control over the wife and the household. Duffy's poem 'Anne Hathaway' doesn't challenge the stereotypical ideas of women as the weaker sex, as Shakespeare has to bequeath their marital bed to Hathaway, for her to cherish - “Item I gyve unto my wife my second best bed...” The husband owning the wife's possessions and herself, is stereotypical of the male patriarchy that was around in the Elizabethan times, that with standing, the same patriarchy can be found in today's society within some cultures, and so Duffy's poem 'Anne Hathaway' doesn't challenge the ideology that the weaker sex of the two, is women. Duffy seemingly portrays Anne Hathaway as her husband's equal, by creating a poem that has 14 lines, more commonly known as a Sonnet, which was a signature move for Shakespeare. It is not coincidental that Duffy did this, it could be suggested that Duffy...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...Performance – Formative Assesment To what extent are the plays you have studied on this module concerned with issues of gender? Both The Crucible by Arthur Miller and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare are highly evocative pieces of theatre that have transcended the category of brilliance and have had a profound effect on the course of Western literature and culture. Both plays explore a broad range of themes, from the supernatural to comments on the power of religion in society. However, I have chosen to explore the ways in which they portray the theme of gender. Firstly I will examine the issues regarding gender in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in particular the oppression of the female characters. I will explore Shakespeare’s portrayal of Titania and Hermia and his ability to disguise the deeper feminist consciousness that is at work. I will then look at the way in which gender is presented in Miller’s The Crucible, ranging from the heroic depiction of John Proctor to the oppositional presentations of Abigail and Elizabeth. William Shakespeare is a famously suggestive author in terms of highlighting issues regarding gender ideology. Although in some works, such as Othello, he reflects and arguably supports the stereotyping of men and women, he is also seen to challenge such representations. A Midsummer Night’s Dream dramatizes tensions between genders, from a young woman quarrelling with her father for the right to choose her own husband, to Theseus marrying Hippolyta...
Words: 2021 - Pages: 9
...William Shakespeare, often called the English national poet, is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time. They believe he was born April 23, 1564 around the day he was baptized, which was April 26, 1564. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men company of theatrical players. Written records give little indication of the way in which shakespeare’s professional life molded his artistry. Al that can be deduced is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict. Smith, Peter. The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors. Vol. I. Ed. Charles Wells Moulton. Gloucester: The Moulton Publishing Company, 1959. 447. Talks about how Shakespeare as a child apprenticed his father as a butcher in the family trade. It describes how later on Shakespeare broke away from the family and relocated to London with his wife, Ann Hathaway, to write and perform plays. I am skeptical as to the level that Shakespeare actually disliked his family’s trade, as described here. He always gave prolix orations before slaughtering a calf, which makes me think he was not entirely opposed to being a butcher. Bradley, A. C. . "Shakespeare the Man." Oxford Lectures on Poetry (1909): 330-334. Bradley argues an interesting parallel between Shakespeare’s intense feeling expressed in his works and the “high-flown language of the time” (333). It is suggested...
Words: 595 - Pages: 3
...Women are only seen minimally in Macbeth. Written during a time when female actors were never cast, maybe that is why. Although, most likely Shakespeare did that on purpose, trying to make a statement. Even though they have been given small parts, lady macbeth, Hecate, three witches, and Lady Macduff leave the play dramatically different when they stop speaking. Lady Macbeth defies gender roles with her willingness to be a leader in her marriage. Similarly, Lady Macduff shows a gentler side of women than seen in Lady Macbeth showing the complexity of a woman's nature. The weird Sisters and Hecate also step out of the dome of domesticity as they play with Macbeth's ambition. Lady Macbeth is first scene in Act 1 scene 5 when she receives the news that Macbeth has been named Thane of Cawdor. Upon that news Lady Macbeth’s ambition automatically takes over. Lady Macbeth realizes that there is still an opportunity to gain an even more prestigious position “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised” (1-5. 14-15). Then what is really important is she takes the role of gaining that prestigious position on herself as she views Macbeth as “too full of the milk of human kindness” (1-5. 39-50). Lady Macbeth then asks...
Words: 663 - Pages: 3
