ipl-logo

Discussion Of Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Othello

2038 Words9 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the subject of gender roles is predominant throughout. The constant pressure of the patriarchy makes it impossible for women to possess any control over their lives or of the decisions they may make. This is reflected through abuse, adultery, and objectification as seen in the Shakespearean era.

Domestic violence and abuse is prevalent throughout Othello. Men seemed to be more aggressive, controlling, and entitled to do whatever they please. On the contrary, women are portrayed to be weak, obedient, and loyal. In the Shakespearean era, men were the breadwinners within their families. This is seen in the play as men served in the armed forces, while women were ordinarily stay-at-home wives. Furthermore, violence …show more content…

The women in the Shakespearean era lack power and seek it through marriages and relationships, along with pleasure. One significant way in which the patriarchy openly favours men is through adultery. A woman committing the act of adultery is considered to be a crime sometimes punishable by death. On the contrary, a husband's disloyalty is viewed as much less of an ordeal. In fact, failing marriages and the disloyalty of men are blamed on the women in the relationship. Often times, a woman committing adultery was deemed to be reasonable grounds for her execution. When Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has cheated on him with Cassio, Othello says, "I will chop her into messes. Cuckold me!" (4.1.200). He declares that he will kill his wife Desdemona, because Iago has convinced him that she has been disloyal However, there is no direct evidence that suggests that Desdemona has an affair with Cassio. Women in this time period were expected to be more loyal to their husbands than to themselves, along with having the burden of proving their innocence without having committed a wrongdoing. Othello believes that all men are destined to be cheated on, referring to women as creatures and stating that they all are disloyal to their husbands as they have large sexual appetites. He also says to

Show More
Related
2325 Words | 10 Pages

Patriarchal mentality in Shakespeare’s female characters In my present time, I have considered women as presidents, ministers or leading figures, who have the same potential equally as men, so they play significant roles that have effect on the society in some part of the world, such as, European countries, USA and Australia. One the other hand, in other part of the world, I observe non-educated and oppressed women who are neglected and deprived of their rights to be influential partner with male gender in their societies, especially in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. And if there are few exceptions of strong female figures, they are portrayed as evil and manipulative in assisting the male ruler to usurp the power and rule the country with an

Read More
1345 Words | 6 Pages

In his play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare comments on the gender roles of the Elizabethan era through the actions and dialogue of the characters in the play, specifically those of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are young lovers in Verona, who have fallen for each other despite their families’ long-standing feud. The Elizabethan era had a very patriarchal society; men were the heads of the households and ruling voice, and masculinity was measured in power, authority, and aggression. Women were expected to be delicate and obedient and depended on their husbands for everything. Shakespeare expresses his disapproval of these ideals by challenging them, through the actions and personality of characters in the play.

Read More
328 Words | 2 Pages

The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare. Can best be examined through a cultural, historical and feminist perspectives. Othello can be viewed by using all of these different lenses. By looking into the dominate beliefs of Shakespeare time. By seeing “Othello through a feminist perspective.

Read More
786 Words | 4 Pages

1 Introduction In Shakespeare 's time gender roles mattered a lot more than they do now and they contributed to many aspects in life. To identify if the plot of Shakespeare 's play “Romeo and Juliet” was influenced by gender roles I am going to lay out what gender roles are and their importance in the Renaissance. Further I will examine scenes and the whole of Romeo and Juliet on characteristics of gender roles and their embodiments by different characters. Additionally, I am going to take a closer look on the main characters Romeo and Juliet and analyse if they match or challenge the expectations they are supposed to fulfill based on their gender.

Read More
787 Words | 4 Pages

It’s no surprise, that Shakespeare’s Macbeth was clearly constructed as a rebellion against femininity roles of the time. During the Elizabethan era, women were raised to believe they were inferior to men since men obtained desired masculine qualities such as strength, and loyalty, whereas women were viewed as figures of hospitality (1; 6; 28-31). Obviously, not being tempted by the luxury of subservient women, William Shakespeare rebuked this twisted belief, applying that women deserve more respect than their kitchen tables.

Read More
1403 Words | 6 Pages

Many times men were also shown to be very aggressive to show dominance. On the other hand, women were often given the roles of mothers and caretakers while younger girls were either pure and whole or were written to have “loose morals''. A noteworthy example of this can be noticed in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Over the course of the play many of these gender stereotypes and social norms were used to shape the main sequence of characters, to not only create the dramatic and well known play we have today but to also showcase how the time period can drastically change the outcome.

Read More
542 Words | 3 Pages

Each female character is treated by men as a possession. However, there are also moments when they are presented as confident and challenge a male authority. This would have been exiting for Shakespeare’s female Elizabethan audience as women

Read More
600 Words | 3 Pages

Today, in the 21st century, most women are fairly respected and have the freedom to make their own choices; but when reading Romeo and Juliet, from the Shakespearean age, I have learned that women were viewed very differently. Using clues provided by this book, it is clear that whether women were housewives, royalty, nurses, or children, they didn’t have equal rights to men. Men were very masculine; they ordered their wives around and expected women to obey. Whereas women were very obedient and unfortunately were often taken advantage of. In this paper, will be examining the stereotypical role of a woman in the Shakespearean age.

Read More
1031 Words | 5 Pages

The feminist perspective challenges sexism and other beliefs and practices that result in the domination of women. When we look at Othello from feminist point of view it is important to note how the women of this play are treated and stereotyped.

Read More
207 Words | 1 Pages

During Shakespeares time men were considered superior to women. Int this patriarchal society, women were seen as property, first owned by their fathers and then passed on to their husbands. They were considered the weaker sex and always needed to be watched or protected by a man. Women usually were married at a young age, and were only married off by their fathers for social class or money. When married, women were expected to bear children, and could not get a divorce if they wanted one.

Read More
665 Words | 3 Pages

Prior to the 20th century, women have always been perceived as inferior to a man. It was a man’s world, they ruled the family, the workplace, the government and much more. In most modern nations reforms paved the way towards a just and equal society between the genders. This was not the case during the shakespeare’s era, even with a queen in power, all women were objectified. Shakespeare utilizes the play “A Midsummer Night's Dream” to convey the objectificatiffications–rooted from male dominance–that women have to bear, even by people who are supposed to be their biggest supporters.

Read More
1010 Words | 5 Pages

For Shakespeare’s plays to contain enduring ideas, it must illustrate concepts that still remain relevant today, in modern society. Shakespeare utilises his tragic play Othello, to make an important social commentary on the common gender stereotypes. During early modern England, Shakespeare had to comply to the strict social expectations where women were viewed as tools, platonic and mellow, and where men were displayed as masculine, powerful, tempered, violent and manipulative. As distinct as this context is to the 21st century, the play exposes how women were victimised by the men who hold primary power in the community in which they compelled women to conform to the ideal world of a perfect wife or confront an appalling destiny for challenging the system. Moreover, Shakespeare utilises the main antagonist, Iago, to portray how men are desperate to achieve what they want and to indirectly fulfil the stereotype of masculinity and power through manipulation.

Read More
966 Words | 4 Pages

Shakespeare's Othello is set during the Renaissance period and therefore the roles of the women in Othello are supposedly bounded by the period when women are considered to be of low intellect. In Othello, most male characters assume that women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why all three women characters in the play are accused of sexual infidelity. Yet Shakespeare develops the women to speak the most sense throughout the play and able to trust other characters in the play. To the men in Othello, female sexuality is a threatening force more than it is an attractive one.

Read More
1360 Words | 6 Pages

A Modern View of Feminist Criticism William Shakespeare 's "Othello” can be analyzed from a feminist perspective. This criticism focuses on relationships between genders, like the patterns of thoughts, behavior, values, enfranchisement, and power in relations between and within sexes. A feminist examination of the play enables us to judge the distinctive social esteems and status of women and proposes that the male-female power connections that become an integral factor in scenes of Othello impact its comprehension. I believe that the critical lens that provides modern society with the most compelling view of literature is Feminist Criticism because it analyzes distrust and disloyalty among relationships, women being treated as possessions

Read More
1205 Words | 5 Pages

The male roles in the family seem to be above females’ because they get to make decisions for girls. Men feel dominant to women, so the same behaviors as the women are acceptable for them. Along with these, the ladies are not expected to crave love and affection like the gentlemen do. The gender issue of men being dominant and women being submissive used in the drama, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, shows the differences in the roles, behaviors, and expectations appropriate for each gender and is an example of an outdated stereotype. Unlike the time frame of this literature, women in the present are valued equal to men.

Read More

More about Discussion Of Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Othello

Related Topics

Open Document