Animal Imagery In Goodnight Desdemona

Animal Imagery Being Linked to Gender Norms During the Elizabeth ear, it also became known as a Shakespearean society, but was represented as a masculine hierarchy. Women’s roles consisted of taking care of children alongside with keeping the house clean and well put together. While researching, Shakespeare’s play it became well known he would use animal imagery to describe characters’ personality. But primarily he would write about women’s relationship with men and society. My goal for this research paper is to bring awareness to animal imagery that was used in Goodnight Desdemona written by Ann-Marie MacDonald to express Constance’s female gender role in a masculine society. In the play, Goodnight Desdemona, Constance was described as

“The hierarchy of status and rank was just as firmly embedded as the gender hierarchy, and, like the gender hierarchy, it was sanctioned by law and religion and reinforced by customary behaviour.” (Rachin, 27) On page 28 Rachin gave the example from The Taming of the Shrew about Kate’s final speech. In summary of Kate’s final speech: the wives do not worship their husbands but are submissive to them. She also explained the physical differences between male and female based on external bodies. (Rachin, 28) Rachin used a reference to John Knox’s published work, First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women; “any authority held by a women above a man was a monstrous usurpation, forbidden by God, repellent to nature, and condemned by ancient authorities.” (Rachin, 30) In the Shakespearean society women was seen as “feme covert” (Rachin, 38). During this time in history women were usually never seen without their husband, but were seen as a nurturing object for the children and somebody to take care of the house. I agree with Rachin perspective on how women are perceived in society but otherwise I disagree with wives being subordinate to their husbands. Rachin made a valid point in his writing about how female are perceived as subordinate but in reality they have more authority then the male in the house. In paragraph one and two of my research paper, I have explored the ideas of how women and men are equal, alongside how Constance over came the gender norms. In Goodnight Desdemona; Constance, Juliet, and Desdemona fought back against the norms in society and proved the they are just as equal as men are. A perfect example of women and men being equal was the sword fight in Act Two, Scene two, Constance was disguised as a male while sword fighting