Throughout history, women have often been regarded as inferior to men, confined to roles as mothers and wives, and denied the opportunity to pursue their ambitions. In her work Response of the Poet, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz challenges these limitations by advocating for women’s rights to intellectual and creative expression and critiquing the assumption of male superiority based solely on gender. Her overall argument demonstrates how women are just as capable as men to participate within society, and how men only fear a woman's contributions and inherent power. In contrast, Shakespeare’s The Tempest illustrates through characters like Prospero and Sycorax a fear of female intellectual freedom and the exploitation of power dynamics, reinforcing traditional gender …show more content…
They go on about how these specific women, even through limitations, were able to contribute in ways that are not notably recognized, with complete disregard for their gender and the limitations imposed on their gender. This is visible in the quote: “Jucia, Corinna, Cornelia, in short, all the great number of women who deserved fame, whether as Greeks, muses, or pythonesses, for all of them were simply learned women, considered and celebrated and also venerated as such in antiquity.”(Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Response of the Poet, 187) Sor Juana references historical women who were celebrated for their learning and intellectual achievements, arguing that their contributions were recognized and venerated in ancient times. By highlighting these figures, they challenge contemporary societal norms that seek to restrict women's intellectual and creative roles. Sor Juana argues that women, like their historical counterparts, are capable of significant intellectual and artistic achievements and should be afforded the same opportunities to contribute to society without gender-based