The play is set in a violent, male dominated era where men were expected to be strong, brave and able to take control while women were kind, nurturing and feminine. However these roles are subverted in particular to Lady Macbeth, as she is manipulative, strong and persuasive while Macbeth is portrayed as weak and easily manipulated by his wife. Porphyria’s Lover and Laboratory are both poems, which deal with the crimes of passion. One of Browning’s earliest dramatic monologues in Porphyria’s Lover centers on the delusions of an obsessive and emotionally
A patriarchy is defined as a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. Such systems currently exist in several forms and areas around the world; however, the most common place for these patriarchies is in our literature. Men are distorted by patriarchy both in being socially labeled as aggressive but, also shamed as they look into the mirror and see themselves. Shakespeare uses polarizing examples of feminism in Hamlet. He depicts women as completely sexual creatures and also devalues women in the eyes of men.
Creon’s Discrimination in Antigone Despite how prejudice and unjust, women have not always been treated fairly. In Antigone, a play by Sophocles, Creon, the king, displays an extremely discriminatory attitude to women and he unfortunately suffers in the end, undergoing a harsh downfall. He disregards the value that women have and shows lots of animosity towards Antigone, not only because of her “criminal” actions in going against his proclamation, but because she is a female. He then becomes impulsive with his decision-making and suffers immensely due to his nebulous view on female equality. Sophocles characterizes Creon as a sexist ruler who has little value for women, which consequently leads to his downfall.
Brabantio comments about Othello’s and Desdemona’s marriage in a judgmental tone to Iago when he says “It is a judgment maim'd and most imperfect/ That will confess perfection so could err/ Against all rules of nature”, but in reality Othello has all the rights in the world to marry Desdemona regardless of his race. Shakespeare also makes Portia from “Merchant of Venice” an outsider and a character whose gender stereotypically puts her at a disadvantage of power. In contrast to this stereotype she is one of the more influential characters in the play. In the court room alone she twists the minds of men to her will and in unison with the law saves Antonio and arrests Shylock. With Shylock the Jew in a Christian world being present in the court room, it is hard to notice that Portia is an outsider in a different way.
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. Hamlet was able to insult Ophelia with such harsh language without expecting any consequences for his foul behaviour. Women were seen as sexual tools or a voiceless body, never a
Euripides' portrays Medea as both a weak and strong woman, being able to stand up to some of the male characters and simultaneously succumb to their presence. Jason is illustrated by Euripides' as a stereotypical male in a patriarchal society, convinced that his choices are for the best while completely disregarding Medea's opinions on them. As a woman cast into the patriarchal society of Corinth, Medea is at first portrayed as powerless, a feeble person who was 'scorned and shamed' by her husband. In the opening sequence of the play, the Nurse's prologue characterizes Medea as heartbroken as well as 'raging, illogical and suicidal'. Euripides' use of extended descriptive sentences in the prologue allows him to portray two sides to Medea, a fragile woman and a strong-willed one.
For all its emphasis on power, much of the play is actually concerned with powerlessness. In what ways is powerlessness important in Richard III? In King Richard III, Shakespeare depicts Yorkist society as an utterly selfish, power-hungry world in which social standing is of the utmost importance. Antagonist and evil “villain” Richard exemplifies this egotism and avarice through his constant, ruthless manipulation and deceit of others. However, Shakespeare makes it clear that in fact others’ narrow-mindedness is key to Richard’s success.
While she prepares to exterminate the current king, she cries out “Unsex me here,/ and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty.” (Shakespeare. 1.5.48-49). Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a strong female character in the play because she goes against all expectations in order to become an ambitious and dominating female. She does not perform the typical maternal role as the weaker gender but gives up her female qualities in her pursuit of power and ambition. Because of this digression from the norms of society, Lady Macbeth stands apart from the other women of her society.
Tessie Hutchinson, one of the main characters represents women who are being tyrannized by society because of their gender. Devices such as symbolism and plot illustrate the condemned roles of women in the gender hierarchy. Also, the use of ideas such as betrayal within the strong marriage bond due to the traditional sacrifice, the senior figure of society, and the following of tradition passed down from generation demonstrate the power of females in this generation are brought up to the podium to be arguably conversed. The plot of “The Lottery” is that men had the most dominance over political decisions. This left no room for woman’s input or acknowledgment.
The Roles of Men and Women in The Oresteia In The Oresteia, Aeschylus encourages the importance of the male role in society over that of the female. The entire trilogy can be seen as a subtle assertion of the superiority of men over women. Yet, the women create the real interest in the plays. Their characters are the incentive that makes everything occur. The characters of Clytaemnestra, Cassandra, and the goddess Athena can demonstrate this.