...Shakespearean Women (Analysis on the treatment of women by Shakespeare) The role of women in society has changed drastically over time. The expectations and responsibilities varied depending upon the culture and area you lived. An analysis of the majority of women's roles globally around the time of Shakespeare was that similar to a slave. A woman belonged to her husband, and most times she was actually bought from her father by her newly betrothed. A woman's job was to do as her husband bid her and fill the house with children. Women had different duties depending on which class they were in, but overall women had little to no rights no matter what class they were in. Educating women on matters outside the home was a frightening idea, and...
Words: 1456 - Pages: 6
...Shakespeare the Sexist: A View into the Misogynistic Opinions of Shakespeare, and His Interpretation of Women You’re a woman? Well good for you, because that means you hold no value in this play. In the tragedy Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, there is a clear difference between the roles of women and men in the play. Many of these differences stand in stark contrast to what normal expectations of a female role are. Viewing the play through a feminist perspective, many of the elements regarding women contain evidence of misogynistic behavior. Shakespeare has taken no precautions in revealing the depth of his sexist views on females in the tragedy Hamlet. Through the insinuation that women are supportive characters, Shakespeare shows how...
Words: 1861 - Pages: 8
...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
...'Carol Ann Duffy's 'Anne Hathaway' presents a challenge to stereotypical ideas of women as the weaker sex.' How far do you agree with this statement? Carol Ann Duffy's 'Anne Hathaway' calls into question whether or not Carol Ann Duffy is challenging the stereotypical ideas of women as the weaker sex. In this essay I will be analysing Duffy's 'Anne Hathaway' and making my own assumption as to whether or not Carol Ann Duffy challenges stereotypes or not. Carol Ann Duffy uses 'Anne Hathaway' to challenge the stereotypical themes that have been picked out by female literary critics, these themes are: the immoral and dangerous seductress, the eternally dissatisfied shrew, the cute but essentially helpless woman, and the unworldly, 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...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...the beauty and chemistry they have towards each other away. In the three poems Sonnet 18 written by William Shakespeare, The Prologue to Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, and “Annabel Lee” written by Edgar Allan Poe, all introduce that love can be shown from different perspectives including death. In the poem, Sonnet 18 written by William Shakespeare, the speaker expresses his deep compassion for his lover by comparing her beauty and presence to summer. In he prologue to the play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, the poet portrays...
Words: 1436 - Pages: 6
...Compare and contrast the way in which Shakespeare presents the themes of love and rebellion in Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado about Nothing. In Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare presents the themes of love and rebellion by the way he presents the characters Juliet and Beatrice. He also does this by using different language and poetic devices such as rhyming couplets and animal imagery. In addition he links in the two plays to comedy and tragedy which helps the reader understand how love and rebellion effects one character more than the other. Furthermore, Shakespeare uses the role of stereotypical women in the Elizabethan Era and how it links into the plays theme of love and rebellion. For example, how Juliet and Beatrice deal with the arranged marriage laws. In both plays, Juliet and Beatrice show a similarity towards love as they are stubborn and independent when it comes to love and marriage. However they show these traits in different ways. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is fighting for love as her parents want her to marry Paris even though her heart only desires Romeo. Juliet shows more determination and desperation in declaring her love compared to Beatrice. This is due to her parents controlling her future and Romeo being their family’s enemy therefore they are against their marriage. I know this because of when Juliet speaks to her parents and says, “I will not marry yet! And when I do, I swear, it shall be Romeo”. This quote tells...
Words: 1476 - Pages: 6
...How Guilt is Portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird and Macbeth In 1623 William Shakespeare wrote his play Macbeth, 337 years later Harper Lee wrote her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Although the texts were written in entirely different eras and settings, both texts are similar in the theme of guilt. Guilt is a self-critical emotion that humans feel that compromises their sense of moral integrity. Guilt allows whoever is feeling this emotion to know that they have wronged another person or themselves and gone against their sense of responsibility or moral standards. In both Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the lead villains follow parallel paths with regard to their guilt, undertaking ill advised courses of actions which result not only in the undoing of the women in their lives, but also ultimately their own demise. Early on in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth the lead character Macbeth is at war with himself over what the correct course of action is, burdened by the Weird Sisters’ stating “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii.51), which leaves Shakespeare with the choice of taking Macbeth down the path of letting life play it’s course or taking matters into his own hands. Macbeth ultimately chooses to take matters into his own hands and kills King Duncan. This allows the play to follow the action plan of Macbeth instantly becoming king of Scotland, causing him to spend the rest of the play covering up his tracks. Similarly, in Harper...
Words: 1258 - Pages: 6
...Ashlee trail ‘How does Shakespeare present aspects of love within the passage’ 4.3 beginning to L04’ The play Othello is was set in a rather patriarchal society and the traditional woman was known to obey her husband regardless, it was simple principle as men are known to be superior within the relationship while women are inferior, within the passage we can see both female protagonist abiding by this principle, ‘And hath commanded me to go bed and dismiss you’, the noun ‘command’ is an authority. Othello is ordering Desdemona and she lawfully obeys even thou its rather perplexing to dismiss a lady’s maid hence as to why ‘dismiss me’ is repeated twice to exaggerate the confusion and to build up suspense within the audience, in addition to the dramatic irony is being portrayed here as well as the audience understands as to why Othello is making such drastic orders. On the other hand, the language that Othello use’s starts to become disrespectful; we can see within the play how infuriated the character actually is, for instance the character refers to Emilia as Desdemona’s ‘attendant’ Emilia does not even get the respect of being called by her name which portrays that she’s only Desdemona’s help and it devalues the relationship between the woman. Moreover even though Desdemona is petrified, as it’s abnormal for her to be sent to bed and even her maid dismissed; she still abides obediently by Othello ‘We must now not displease him’, ‘we’ is a personal pronoun and Desdemona’s...
Words: 1070 - Pages: 5
...have make love with beautiful women, to create more beautiful people in this world is one is expressed in Shakespeare ‘s sonnet. This famous man had a way to do it and did it in such a way; it should be considered an art form. Shakespeare’s ability to pour out emotions and his use of word play has transcended through the years. Many of his works can still be seen in modern day media. The sonnets that I have found fascinating are Sonnets 18 and Sonnet 130. What made me want to analyze these sonnets is because many people associate Shakespeare with romance. After reading these pieces of literature one can see this in these two sonnets exemplify such qualities. A major theme in sonnet 18 that can be felt is a love, lust, and endearment. These sonnets may have similar themes where a woman is central point, he is able to contrast and contradict his own work. In Sonnet 18 Shakespeare compares a woman to a summer’s day, which is full of life and enjoyment. Although this is true, it can be said that Shakespeare is writing the poem about himself. In sonnet 130 Shakespeare changes the dynamic of how sonnets are written. Usually sonnets put women on a pedestal, but in 130 he approach is different. I believe he does this as a joke and to be different from conventional sonnets. Shakespeare ability to speak the truth and portray it eloquently has allowed people to express oneself. In sonnet 18 Shakespeare compares the physical and emotional features of a women to objects in our daily lives...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...are nothing like the sun” Shakespeare wanted to show that one’s love does not have to be portrayed as a picture of ultimate beauty to be loved ("My mistresses eyes are nothing like the sun"). The diction in this poem is Shakespeare stating that beauty is not all about how one looks or even smells. He knows that not everyone is flawless, but everyone has flaws and should be known for their true beauty which is on the inside. He doesn’t state anything about her that isn’t true, yet he portrays her exactly as she is, his true love. Even though he is commenting on her flaws he does it in a relaxed tone. This makes the poem pleasant to read and helps to see it for what it truly means. Shakespeare’s diction has plenty of attitude by describing beautiful and wonderful things, then he states that she is the total opposite of them. She is not white as snow but a brownish gray, roses are a nice red and white beauty, but not her, she’s the opposite ("Mabillard"). “love to hear her speak, yet well I know that music hath a far more pleasing sound,” his attitude is confident by telling us that she is a normal person that we can relate to, not a fake perfect person that does not exist in our society. This diction helps us all to understand and follow the poem, almost as if we are reading about ourselves. This poem is full of imagery, Shakespeare used this poem as a way to poke fun at types of romantic poems of this time period. For example, Shakespeare writes, “If hairs be wires...
Words: 653 - Pages: 3
...time, William Shakespeare, takes us deep in to the Renaissance, in which questions of religion and man’s place in the world were the cause of much conflict. There are many insinuations that the character of Prospero is a cover for Shakespeare himself and through the protagonist, Shakespeare voices some of his views about the world he was living in. Along with themes of power, men and control, colonization also seems to be a main focus of Shakespeare throughout The Tempest, as almost every character ponders upon how he would rule the island on which the play is set if he were its king. Dr Faustus was written during the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth I by Christopher Marlowe. It focuses on the main character, Dr Faustus, selling his soul to the devil in exchange for all the luxuries the world has to offer “twenty-four years of all voluptuousness.” Both plays present men questing for power and have left their mark on the modern world of literature. Shakespeare highlights the dominant themes power and control through the characters of Prospero and Antonio. Throughout the play many of the characters are in constant battle for power and freedom sometimes resulting in them succumbing to malevolent deeds. Prospero personifies the imperialist omnipotent ruler as he enslaves Caliban son of Sycorax and rightful ruler of the island. He uses the informal pronoun and pejorative phrase “thou most lying slave” to demonise and demoralise Caliban. The play explicitly portrays relationships...
Words: 1866 - Pages: 8
...Carrol Allen Savannah Swinson ENG – 450 Professor Sherwood 28 Jan. 2016 “The Heart of a Child” The plays of William Shakespeare have stood against the test of time. Even today they are used in education, personal leisure and of course entertainment, as they were always meant for. Today, plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, have been made into movies. But how well do the actors portray the timeless characters in Shakespeare’s world? Can modern day actors do Shakespearean characters justice in their portrayal? In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck is one of the most significant characters. In the 1999 film adaptation the character of Puck is played by actor, Stanley Tucci. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow is the mischievous sprite who serves Oberon, the Fairy King. He spends his days playing annoying tricks on people or helps them out with their chores. In the play, Puck brags about when he has been a nuisance to women in the village, “Sometimes for three-foot stool mistaketh me/Then slip I from her bum. Down topple she” (Shakespeare 2.1 52-53 857) more than anything else, Puck enjoys a good practical joke. After he changes Bottom’s head into the head of an ass, he delightedly proclaims, "My mistress with a monster is in love" (Shakespeare 3.2 6 870). Puck can be considered the heart and soul of the play because of his playful spirit, enthusiasm and disposition to prank anyone. His sense of humor and the tricks he plays infuse A Midsummer...
Words: 1284 - Pages: 6
...‘victim’? How does Shakespeare’s presentation of Shylock in The Merchant Of Venice incline you to one view or another? William Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant Of Venice’ explores how a society so dependent upon money and power can be divided so strongly by religion and women. Shakespeare’s contemporary audience may well have seen Shylock as the ‘fierce villain’ or the ‘bloody minded monster’ (1). Today, the presentation of Shylock is more complex, with both Henry Goodman and Al Pacino showing the human and injured side to the character. Liking to find his ingredients in existing stories of his time, such as The Jew of Malta, and inventing only when he had to, Shakespeare enriched what he took with new motifs, ideas and feelings, such as his modern and somewhat controversial views of women and Jews within society. By this stage of his career, his resources of mind, verse and language gave his plays a unique, orchestral quality with theme and motif echoed everywhere. Shylock is presented as a religious man throughout the Merchant of Venice, which is undoubtedly a factor the play constantly revolves around, and a basis upon which Shakespeare can build themes and conflict on. Shakespeare not only uses religion in Shylock’s language, but also as a main theme to provide a social rift between Shylock (The Jew) and the Christian characters within the play. Jews were banished from England in Medieval times and there was still an anti-Semitic feeling in the 16th Century. Shakespeare tampers with...
Words: 2564 - Pages: 11
...Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, and is widely regarded today as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet. As quoted in an article,” The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry"”. In the 20th century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance, and is currently an active part of education curriculums. His plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world. It is safe to say that although Shakespearean plays were set in the Renaissance Era, they are still the epitome of English literature and are revered by theaters, performers and audiences alike due to their remarkable credibility in portraying everlasting political, social and moral issues. http://www.neptunetheatre.com/content/Shakespeare_hat_trick His plays move from romantic to tragic, humorous to serious so much so that he not only caters to all tastes but also all times by portraying the political situation of his times as well as the way of living. Even Romeo and Juliet, considered by many as a die –hard romantic scripture actually highlights political issues. One of the main political aspects of the play was when count Paris uses...
Words: 3064 - Pages: 13
...Kady Franklin Final Paper Shakespeare I Viola: A Pure Heart Disguised in Drab Clothes In a time when women were not even allowed to portray themselves on stage, Shakespeare often incorporates female characters that cross-dress as men into his comedies. These women disguise themselves as men in order to deceive other characters and accomplish their own tasks, yet this act was a serious crime during the time period and was socially unacceptable. The character of Viola in Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night serves as an ideological tool to question the cultural discourse and contempt for women that cross-dressed in the Renaissance time period. As is the norm with most of Shakespeare’s heroines, Viola is a nearly faultless character that is very likable throughout the entire play. While the audience may be confused or turned off by her decision to dress as a man, it is easy to write-off because it is the basis for the entire plot of the play. After being shipwrecked and separated from her twin brother, Viola decides that she wants to serve the Countess Olivia, but finds it impossible. Instead, she decides to serve the Duke Orsino, and she must disguise herself as a boy in order to do this. Thus begins Viola’s second life as a young servant named Cesario. However, it should not be so easy to write-off this decision to cross-dress, and if the reader looks deeper into the implications behind this then they might be able to understand the cultural discourse of the times a little...
Words: 1569 - Pages: 7
