The opening scene reveals a situation of conflict; Viola’s reaction denotes strength and emotional stability which are not characteristic of females. Viola forms the foil to Olivia and Orsinio who are saturated in an excessive display of emotion. However the difficulty of Viola’s abandonment of her gender is discussed in a passage from Nancy Taylor’s book, Women Direct Shakespeare in America, As a woman impersonating a boy, an action that both protects her from detection and excites erotic energies that are sometimes misdirected, she can deconstruct the concept that either gender is fixed or innate while also exposing the personal and societal difficulties of moving between the poles of male and female (Taylor 165). Viola is able to appropriate her sexuality though a newly established gender identity to a certain extent with concern to the fact that limitations exist in order to maintain deception. Viola therefore becomes marginal and sexless in the mode of disguise which only allows her to connect to others in a superficial way.
Shakespeare fostered his own tradition of women who control events in their plays – sometimes aided by disguise sometimes relying on sheer force of wit and wisdom. How far do you agree with this statement in relation to ‘much ado about nothing’? In much ado about nothing we are shown the culture and tradition of Elizabethan society at the time. We are shown the roles of men and women in society and the roles of different people in different classes. We are shown these aspects through Shakespeare’s use of comedy.
These two excerpts from the plays, while both recognisably depicting the Shakespearean lover, are doing so in very different forms, with language and theatrical issues creating different forms of ‘the lover.’ Several distinctions between Richard’s exchange with Queen Elizabeth and Hermia and Lysander’s conversation easily highlight the differences between the Shakespearian lovers. First, Richard’s declarations of love are directed towards a third party, Queen Elizabeth. Richard is attempting to obtain her favour and/or permission to woo her daughter, Elizabeth. His amorous words about Elizabeth are directed towards Elizabeth’s mother, not Elizabeth herself. This indicates that there is not a strong bond between Richard and his potential wife, rather he is marrying for convenience, she is the ideal wife for his situation.
William Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet, offers detailed and often callous insights into the role of women, and men, in the Renaissance period in which the playwright lived in. Throughout this time, traditional women were often constantly criticised and treated as inferior to male counterparts. As such, Shakespeare has constructed his female characters to fulfil these traditional roles; however by taking a feminist approach these female characters appear marginalised and degraded. Ultimately, through the playwright’s representation of women, they can be see as worthless, sexual objects , both weak and inconsiderate in nature. Through a modern perception on the playwright’s female characters, women can be seen as worthless, sexually corrupt indiviudals.
Both Isabella and Lucrece are characters built around an idea of chastity. How far do ‘Measure for Measure’ and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’ question the notion of chastity and its definition of women? Both central female figures in ‘Measure for Measure’ and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’, Isabella and Lucrece respectively, are mainly defined by their chastity as it not only consumes their choices in regards to their own fate but it also empowers them as they can influence other male characters . Chastity in preservation and loss, therefore, is presented as an influential political and social force by Shakespeare both in performance and poetry and women become defined by this power they hold. Chastity, for both Isabella and Lucrece, is considered the primary concern of their character and Isabella, particularly, has an aversion to losing this chaste title, and this is epitomised by her claim that “more than our brother is our chastity”(II.iv.184).
Carol Nguyen English Literature Q: Explore Carol Ann Duffy's reversal of traditional gender roles in her collection of 'The World's Wife' with a particular focus on the poems 'Little Red Cap', 'Mrs Beast' and 'The Kray Sisters'. Carol Ann Duffy challenges traditional gender roles through the satirical subversion of classical myths in her collection 'The World's Wife.' Duffy employs a critical feminist tone in order to place emphasis upon the female perspective and undermine societal perceptions of women within literature as 'cute but essentially hopeless.' She aims to invert the stereotypical gender roles by reinterpreting the archetypal 'female' through empowering the voices of the female character whom would usually be overshadowed by males. Although, it has been disputed that Duffy's poetry is misandrist due to her dismissive persona towards men.
I think Chaucer was trying to voice his opinion about feministic ways through a female speaker, hence Alisoun (the Wife), though contradicted his ideas in both the Prologue and Tale. In my opinion this lead to both feminist and anti-feminist thing about the text. Some essayist also address the anti-feminist views present in” The Canterbury Tales” and that maybe Chaucer’s use of the character Alisoun was meant to overthrow these views or possibly reinforce them (Trudeau). Chaucer begins the Prologue with Alisoun, the Wife of Bath, described as bawdy, lusty, strong-willed and one of the most fully developmentally discussed women in medieval literature (Trudeau). Viewed as an early precursor of feminist thought, some scholars argue that the majority of her Prologue can be seem as anti-feminist rhetoric (Trudeau).
The Methods Shakespeare uses to allude to homoeroticism in As You Like It William Shakespeare’s plays cover an array of topics focused on sexuality, from gender reversal to adultery to bestiality. But perhaps the most consistent and emphasized topic is homoeroticism. This focus on homoeroticism proceeds from the prohibition of women on the English stage and the subsequent female roles young boys would play.When looking at As You Like It Shakespeare is subtly hinting at the acceptance of Homoeroticism. When Rosalind decides to dress up as a man ‘And therefore look you call me Ganymede’ she is highlighting gender as a main theme in the play and showing women as clever and powerful who are capable of looking after themselves, but the idea of cross-dressing brings homoeroticism into the themes. In this essay I am going to talk about the different methods Shakespeare uses to allude to homoeroticism in As You Like It.
Ironically, nowadays some of the most interesting work on gender is happening in the Early Modern specialties. How would you characterize the ways in which the figure of Ophelia now works as a cultural trope? How do you think your play has added to the discursive resonances around Ophelia? Ophelia is the stereotypical female victim. If you look closely at Shakespeare's play she is a girl neglected by all who should hold some responsibility for her: her father, her brother, her boyfriend and the court.
Write about the significance of disguise and mistaken identity in Twelfth Night Shakespeare’s use of disguise and mistaken identity is significant to the plot of Twelfth Night as it is the thread that runs through the entire fabric of the play; and is instrumental in providing confusion, misunderstanding, and ultimately – love. Almost all of the characters in this play either carry out some sort of identity deception, or are deceived by someone else doing much the same thing. Primarily we have the play’s protagonist, Viola, who resorts to gender deception in order to get a job in what is essentially a male dominated society. It is noteworthy to mention that in Shakespeare’s time, female roles were played by males, and the idea of a male playing a female who disguises herself as a male is doubly ironic, creating an even greater comic element, and in effect would have been hilarious to the theatre goer. We also have Malvolio, who dresses in what is effectively a disguise to impress Olivia, and Feste who acts like a fool when he clearly is not, and disguises himself as a pastor in order to trick Malvolio.