The Corrupting Power of Women The portrayal of women in Of Mice and Men is limited and unflattering. We learn early on that Lennie and George are on the run from the previous ranch where they worked, due to encountering trouble there with a woman. Misunderstanding Lennie’s love of soft things, a woman accused him of rape for touching her dress. George berates Lennie for his behavior, but is convinced that women are always the cause of such trouble. Their enticing sexuality, he believes, tempts men to behave in ways they would otherwise not.
He depicts women as completely sexual creatures and also devalues women in the eyes of men. The way we have viewed women from the 1600’s to now has changed dramatically. In the 1600’s, the approximate time period Shakespeare had written Hamlet, women where viewed as helpless, dependent and had no place in society. Women today are looked upon with respect and dignity because they have earned self respect, value and a place in society as hard working, knowledgeable and yet compassionate. I believe Gertrude from Hamlet, is a depthless individual who only thinks about her body and external pleasures.
#1 Hamlet portrays how society would perceive a submissive woman in the Elizabethan era. This shows the deception, naivety and sly behaviour women were thought to have. “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourself another; you jig, you amble, and you lisp and nickname god’s creatures, make your wantonness your ignorance” (III.i. 143-137) This quote reflects the argument because it is evident that men in the Elizabethan era had a patriarchal attitude which caused them to treat women with no respect.
Feminism in Hamlet If one wants to clearly understand the feminist implications in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are no better characters to observe than Gertrude and Ophelia, who are portrayed as mere tools, weak minded and senselessly obedient. Instances where Gertrude and Ophelia illustrate these stereotypical traits are peppered throughout the play. Before identifying the sexist parts of Hamlet, one must be familiar with the feminist style of criticism. Feminist criticism typically and most often studies how women are repressed in old writings. Shakespeare appears to portray women realistically according to the Elizabethan era of his time because at the time when this play was written, the ideal woman was subservient and dependent on men.
Module A: Comparison of Texts Individuals challenge the values that permeate time, in a manner that is relevant to their society. This rebellion is evident in William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew and Gil Junger’s film 10 Things I Hate About You whereby Katherina and Kat initially disregard the social expectations for women of their context. The composers portray this comparably, using textual integrity so the women’s misunderstood, shrew-like behavior is suited to their culture and society. This in turn, provokes both characters to experience a transformation of self and their values. In The Taming of The Shrew, Katherina challenges the values and themes of courtship and marriage, dismissing the female etiquette when meeting her suitor.
During her trail scene, she is accused of being a whore and it is at this point in the play that she gains a voice. In this scene Vittoria exploits the constraints held over women by men. She refused to listen those talking in Latin, “I will not have any accusations clouded/ in a strange tongue” and begins to personate masculine virtue. As Vittoria speaks she is damned because she breaks her silence, her bad reputation is her ‘public fault’. A women who publicly speaks ultimately becomes a public women and is guilty of public sexuality: she is publicly accused of being a whore in this scene.
Lady Macbeth’s Direct Influence of Macbeth The downfall of Macbeth is caused by two unparalleled sides of the same road that is merely Macbeth’s own personal weak conscious and the dominated physiological abuse of Lady Macbeth. The constant manipulation of Lady Macbeth directed at her husband operates as an assault to his duties as a man and spouse, along with substituting her husband’s ambitions and aspirations with her own thriving greed for power. The ability to think to beyond what is needed encourages not only the collapse of sanity in Macbeth but also the rationality of Lady Macbeth. “What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our pow’r to accompt? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”
Curley treats her as if she were an object, and Steinbeck puts more ‘loneliness’ to her by not giving her a name because she’s merely a property belonging to Curley In her moment of greatest vulnerability, Curley’s wife seeks out even greater weaknesses in others, preying upon Lennie’s mental handicap, Candy’s debilitating age, and the colour of Crooks’s skin in order to steel herself against harm. Curley’s wife has a racist attitude towards Crooks, George and Lennie. “You bindle bums think you’re so damn good', talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs, a ****** an' a dum-dum and a lousy ol' sheep”, I believe this shows even though she is younger, she has no respect and thinks herself a lot better than them because she is married to Curley. She made a
His disgust at his mother’s “incestuous” marriage is also revealed in this soliloquy. The corrupt imagery used by Hamlet – “unweeded garden” – is reflective of the current state at which the nation is in. It is also indicative of Hamlet’s struggle to find meaning in a “weary world” that is corrupt. To further his disillusionment, his mother has married Claudius. He expresses his clear disgust for his mother’s “incestuous” deed – “Frailty, thy name is woman.” Hamlet’s disillusionment with women can be said to begin with his mother.
“No, you two infinitely stupid male creatures: the problem of what is to be done with her afterwards.” (Shaw, 65) Mrs. Higgins shows she doesn’t see the girl as some experiment un like the men in the play who do not seem to view women as the same value. Having a women who respects and has morals for other women is very important for this play. “Do without, I’m afraid, Henry. The girl has a perfect right to leave is she chooses.” (Shaw, 84) This is Mrs. Higgins explaining to her son that he can’t control the young women that she has some rights of her own, and he is to blind to see this on his own. Making the role of women important to see that the young Liza Doolittle has some rights of her own.