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William shakespeare literary criticism
The portrayal of women in shakespeare's plays
The portrayal of women in shakespeare's plays
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When it comes to the way modern society functions, somebody’s gender can influence the amount of respect given to them. This exact structure of power based on gender was in place during the English Renaissance era. This is when English poet and playwright, William Shakespeare, created his most famous works, where these ideologies of gender superiority are evident. He uses his plays to critique society and its flaws. In The Taming of The Shrew, the complex character of Katherine and her arranged marriage with Pertruichio makes a mockery of her true identity and develops the plot as well as the theme that misogyny and gender roles defined humanity in the English Renaissance era.
I would like to describe my family as progressive, but when family gatherings roll around I’m reminded of the patriarchal hold gender norms have on my family. Watching grown men whine about the speed of my aunt’s cooking always sours my mood. At family events, it’s socially acceptable for the uncles to behave like children. This standard for men’s behavior isn’t unique to my family. In fact, In William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew (1594), the double standard regarding behavior is a main commentary of the play.
Lastly he makes Kate believe everything he says no matter what, and when she agrees with him he calls her stupid, to make her submissive to him. This is his plan and it is a very cruel one. Petruchio
Throughout history, women have always been considered inferior to men. Women are typically supposed to stay home and care for the children, quieter than men, do not need an education, and are supposed to listen and do what they are told. The men are the ones in charge. They are “always at the top”, expected to work to provide for their family, and tell their wives what to do. When reading “Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare and watching “10 Things I hate About You” directed by Gil Junger, the stereotypes and gender role of Katherine (Kat) and the sisterly relationship between Katherine (Kat) and Bianca come across.
The Taming of the Shrew is a well-known play by the famous William Shakespeare in which he created Katherine who is one of the main characters In the play to take on the role of a head strong and misunderstood women. Some of her qualities caused some readers to misdiagnose her with the qualities of being a shrew. The play showcases Katherine as the opposite of what a gentle lady was which was the ideal woman during their time period. Katherine married another lead character by the name Petruchio who’s main goal was to tame Katherine, so he does everything that he can until he believes that he has successfully trained her. Katherine deceives the people around her and the audience to think that she let her husband Petruchio tame her
The above approach can be applied to one of the Shakespeare’s tragic comedies, Taming of the Shrew, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina, the headstrong, obdurate shrew. Initially, Katherina is an unwilling participant in the relationship, but Petruchio tempers her with various psychological torments—the "taming"—until she becomes a compliant and obedient bride. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more desirable sister, Bianca. The play's apparent misogynistic elements have become the subject of considerable controversy, particularly among modern scholars, audiences and readers, who coined Shakespeare as Misogynist, Metadramatist.
In the patriarchal U.S. society that we live in, women have been viewed as the "weaker sex," who needed protection from the rough world outside their homes. These stereotypes have caused men to feel obligated to take care of us for our own “benefit”. In the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses the power of sexism to express the idea that when it comes to love men hold all the power through Titania and Oberon, Egues and Hermia, and by using some situational irony. Stereotypes and myths are normally what create most of our problems today. Sexism is one of those problems that we have had forever and unfortunately, it will never go away if we continue to act upon those stereotypes.
The Man, the Bitch, and the Closeted Sexism The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a wonderfully imagined novel that the author, C.S. Lewis, wrote for his goddaughter Lucy. He aspired to incorporate many elements that little girls like Lucy, in particular, would find intriguing, such as the compelling beauty of the wood inside the wardrobe, the magnificence of the characters in it, and the great significance of relationships between family and friends. He even named the young protagonist Lucy. However, by focusing on his intention to enchant her, Lewis also negligently integrates sexist attitudes and stereotypical gender roles into the tale.
Ever wonder about gender roles in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew? In Taming of the Shrew, the gender roles affect the characters in a rather negative way, and when they surface in the play, it’s rather shocking. This essay will discuss how gender roles affect the characters in what I believe is a negative way, and how they surface in the play. In this play, the men appear to have a particular idea on how all women should behave.
Shakespeare’s plays are laced with underlying social issues and controversial subjects such as class, love, gender roles, etc. It serves as no surprise that his play, Twelfth Night focuses on both class and gender issues, specifically their fluidity. During the seventeenth century, women were severely oppressed and continually subjected to traditional gender roles. The renaissance also brought about a renewal of faith, which served as a cultural guideline during this era. This phenomenon is also reflected in the valued characteristics attributed to women.
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.
In what ways are women abused and discriminated against inside literature and throughout history? In many patriarchal societies, men have held authority over women due to gender. This power imbalance between men and women sometimes led to unjust treatment of women; men exert their authority over many women in the play, The Crucible. In The Crucible¸ male characters intimidate women to achieve specific outcomes and mark their superiority. Elizabeth Proctor, the protagonist’s wife, shows the standard for Salem women as she is submissive and does not defy her husband or the traditional role as a housekeeper.
The truth is, they are different films, made for different audiences, and when compared, the misogynistic contrast is evident between eras. The Taming Of The Shrew, filmed in 1967 by Franco Zeffirelli , depicts the extreme sexism of a classic William Shakespeare romance. Following the life of Katharina Minola, Zeffirelli’s film explores several themes, such as power, love, femininity, masculinity, dowry and relationships, all of which are prevalent in misogyny, when being displayed in the film. The plot generally stays true to the original text written by William Shakespeare in the 1590’s, and in this time the behaviours that are now considered misogynistic, were considered normal. Opposing this, is Gil Junger’s 1999 film, 10 Things I Hate
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
Today, men and women have equal rights, but that does not mean life has always been simple for both genders. When Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are roles, behaviors, and expectations for the dominant men and submissive women. This literature portrays the major changes in the lives of both sexes throughout the years, which shows the advances women gain with time. 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.
