How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Juliet And Desdemona

How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Juliet And Desdemona
Elizabethan women were subservient to men and dependent on their male relatives. Women were
expected to act as dutiful daughters, mothers and wives, yet anything contrary to that was deemed
shameful. It is for this reason that Shakespeare depicts women as capable of defying social norms
and notions as seen through the characters: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Desdemona in Othello.
While both female characters challenge the status quo, Desdemona is more successful. This is
demonstrated through the disobedience shown towards parents, the fortitude to voice opinions and
dominance over male counterparts. By comparison, Juliet and Desdemona challenge the status quo
through displaying disobedience towards their parents. Juliet disobeys her family when she
insidiously falls in love and marries a Montague; Romeo. The Montague's and Capulet's are mortal
enemies so Juliet contemplates and decides to leave her family to be with him, "O Romeo, Romeo!
Wherefore art thou Romeo? /Deny thy father and refuse thy ... Show more content on
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When Iago and Roderigo inform Brabantio that his daughter is with a Moor, he is outraged,
exclaiming, "O heaven! How she got out? O treason of the blood/Fathers, from hence trusts not your
daughters' minds/ By what you see them act" (Othello I. i.169–171). Brabantio presumes
Desdemona has been put under a spell for there is no other reason she would do such a thing. As
Juliet disobeys her whole family in loving their enemy, Desdemona deceives her father and innate
racism by marring Othello. The concept of a white female willingly with an African American male
is absurd and nefarious. That is indeed why Desdemona more successfully challenges the status quo.
Differing from Juliet, Shakespeare uses her authentic relationship with Othello to demur a major
injustice: racism. On the whole, Juliet and Desdemona challenge the status quo by disobeying their
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William Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night And Thomas Middleton...
The Renaissance: Essay 1 revisited
The Renaissance was a time of cultural and social revolution in England, at least in the south of it.
The plays and playwrights of the time challenged the societal norms and pushed boundaries into
never before thought of areas, this essay will show how Renaissance drama was subversive and
created the world we live in today. The two plays I will be focusing on are: William Shakespeare 's
'Twelfth Night ' and Thomas Middleton 's 'Women beware Women '. Both share similar themes yet
go about them very differently to one another.
'Twelfth Night ' (or 'What You Will ') was written in 1601, near the middle of Shakespeare 's career,
and a mere 15 years before his death in 1616. Considered by many critics as one of his greatest
comedies, Twelfth Night is about deception, disguises and madness, along with the bizarre things
caused by love itself. This play is also one of Shakespeare 's plays that include a female protagonist,
pretending to be a man. (At the time of the play all parts where played by men, so Viola would have
been a man pretending to be a women who was also pretending to be a man!)
Viola, the female protagonist, like many of Shakespeare 's heroines is likeable from the get go with
no real character flaws to note of and no serious faults to note of. (Discounting her decision to dress
as a man, as it sets the plot in motion.) And while other character 's love is a fickle thing, such as
Orsino who can 't decide between Olivia and

Shakespeare and Women vs. Society and Queen Elizabeth Essay
Through the ages, women have always had a powerful role, whether or not it was recognized by
society. They cook, clean, give birth, and nurture which all are more than necessary jobs. However,
also throughout the ages, women have been separated by society and seen as a lesser being and not
being granted the same rights and equality as men. Specifically this can be seen in the Elizabethan
age. Queen Elizabeth fought for women to be seen as equals to men through her reign. But in loving
the theatre, she never allowed women to be on the stage; forcing men to play the role of men and
women makes her ideals and society's hypocritical. William Shakespeare writes using strong women
characters, such as Katherine Minola and Juliet Capulet, to ... Show more content on
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"I say, a devil. Thinkest thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to
be married to hell?" (1.1) With this, William Shakespeare acknowledges the fact that there is a
double standard between men and women far beyond his time. Through his many plays he sends the
message that there is more to a woman than to cook and clean. A woman can be strong and powerful
over a man such as Lady Macbeth. A woman can be angry and fearsome such as Katherine Minola.
A woman can make decisions, have an opinion, and sacrifice her own life such as Juliet Capulet.
The fact that women were not allowed to play this strong and independent role handed to them by
William Shakespeare onstage forms a kind of oxymoron. Society applauded Shakespeare for the
mastermind of writing that he was but they did not acknowledge how he saw women in the highest
standard and how important they were to men everywhere. He saw strong women, though they were
chained down by the rules and expectations of society, in everyday roles. Though some men saw
and appreciated women for what capabilities they had, this was not true for the rest of society.
During the Elizabethan era, there were many restrictions on women in everyday life. Women had the
capability to be intelligent and make their own decisions, but it was always socially unacceptable.
Were a women to not act and dress the part of a proper lady, she

The Role Of Women Throughout Shakespeare 's ' Hamlet '
The Role of Women in Hamlet
In today's society, women have many rights and freedom to make their own decisions and have their
own say towards their own issues and role. However, years ago it was considered normal for women
to be oppressed and how no choices but obey men in their lives. The roles of women in Hamlet by
Shakespeare are simply weak since they are dependent on the male models in their lives, allow them
to make their decisions and they do not have strong voices within the play's society. This is shown
through the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia who are oppressed and mistreated by the males in
the play.
To begin with, the character of Ophelia is an obedient daughter who follows and easily led by the
men she loves. She looks up to her father for guidance while she seeks love and affection from
Hamlet. Polonius controls his daughter's opinions and wants since he says, "You do not understand
yourself so clearly as it behooves my daughter and your honour. What is between you? Give me up
the truth" (1.3.96–98). This is important because Polonius tells Ophelia that she does not understand
both herself and her female sense of honor. He expects the worst from Ophelia and controls his
daughter 's self image and sense of honor, because of this she cannot be herself and she can only see
herself by the way her father views her. Additionally, Polonius also mistreats and guides Ophelia to
her downfall since he tells her, "Marry, I'll teach you. Think yourself a baby that you

Women In A Midsummer Night's Dream By William Shakespeare
This section of A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare occurs in a room in the palace
of Theseus in Athens. In this section, Hermia's father, Egeus, has already brought his daughter's
resistance in marrying her approved fiance, Demetrius, to the Duke, Theseus. Instead, she is in love
with Lysander whom her father disapproves of and is making that clear by setting the law down of
the Athens; either she dies, marries Demetrius or becomes a nun for her entire life. While Hermia
and Lysander are left poignant, the ex–lover of Demetrius, Helena, enters the room in emotional
distress. Furthermore, her and Hermia contrast themselves in conversation; whatever Hermia does
Demetrius loves her more, and whatever Helena does, Demetrius hate her more. This section of the
play includes how contrast reveals the role of women and how women are the powerless gender in
Elizabethan times. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Consequently, their male superiors, such as relatives, had the power in this (Elizabethan–era.org.uk,
2018). If a woman did not oblige to their male superiors, they would have dire consequences; such
as death or forced into marriage with their arranged fiance anyways. Anyhow, the men would often
pursue their relationship or their children's relationships in coalition with the father of the woman of
who they were courting. Overall, women had one role in Elizabethan times; to be a submissive
housewife or female to their men

Women´s Role in Othello by William Shakespeare
Frailty, thy Name is Woman Women stereotypically are portrayed as a weak gender. Often women
are given the roles in which they must rely on the protection and permission of men to go about both
action and idea. When conflict occurs between any male characters, the female character can be torn
and forced to make a decision in which no matter the decision, she will be put in a bad view. When
the demand for a woman to have allegiance to a man's will and subsequently given no opinion or
independent thought, this will undoubtedly drive any woman mad. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, both
Ophelia and Gertrude, the women, are represented as lower than the men, expected to obey the
males' commands and eventually, the women die as a result of the men. Both Gertrude and Ophelia
are represented to the men as the followers or servants, because of their gender, being lower than
males. When Hamlet is upset with his mother's decision to marry Claudius with so little mourning,
he claims that, "Frailty, thy name is woman" (1.2.146). Though initially directed toward Gertrude,
the line is capable of being construed to be a very general statement towards women. Hamlet
concludes that every woman's flaws are their frailty and weakness, which comes from the
stereotypical characteristic of a woman. Hamlet again degrades women when he asks Ophelia that
"why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?" (3.1.123). Hamlet accuses women in general of being
the reason sin continues and naive for believing in a true

Women as Instigators of Tragedy in the Works of William...
Women as Instigators of Tragedy in the Works of Shakespeare
It is the very error of the moon;
She comes more nearer earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad. (Othello 5.2.112–14)
The moon is often seen in literature as an allegory for love, virtue, and chastity. In Shakespeare's
comedies, especially, the moon is personified as Diana, the Roman goddess of chastity. In these
comedies, the foolish antics of lovers (literally, "lunatics") usually occur under the auspices of the
chaste goddess, the lovers behaving like hounds about her feet that snap at each other in competition
for her bounty. The moon as allegory for the lunacy of romance helps us understand Shakespeare's
view of romance. In the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The finest example can be found in Othello. Iago convinces Othello that Othello is being cuckolded
by his wife, after which Othello questions him, referring to his wife as the moon:
Why, why is this?
Think'st thou I'ld make a lie of jealousy,
To follow still the changes of the moon
With fresh suspicions? No; to be once in doubt
Is once to be resolved . . . (3.3.190)
The moon/Desdemona is seen as at once chaste and inclined to change. Later, Othello accuses
Desdemona of infidelity despite her protesting innocence. Again, he compares her infidelity with the
moon: "What committed!/ Heaven stops the nose at it and the moon winks . . . " (4.2.74). The moon,
once chaste, is now flirting. Similarly, Othello believes that Desdemona, once chaste, is cuckolding
him. These two examples show the multiple allegories of the moon that, similarly, exist in women.
The moon also symbolizes the changeability of Fortune. What does the Fortune have to do with the
moon? Shakespeare considered both of them to be much the same. Both have a cyclical nature

(hence the term, "Wheel of Fortune"): the moon waxes and wanes just like Fortune waxes and
wanes. John Hankins noted that the traditional Latin scholarship that Shakespeare may have studied
(such as Macrobius who studied the relationship of the celestial bodies to mortals on earth) would
have lead to his understanding

Oppression Of Women In A Midsummer Night's Dream By...
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare demonstrates greater pain for women than
men. It shows male ownership of women, broken friendships over men, women outsmarted by men
and women conquered by men. A Midsummer Night's Dream reveals truths about the abuse women
received during the the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries One pain experienced by the women in a
Midsummer Night's Dream is Theseus's ownership of his daughter Hermia within the patriarchal
society. Theseus has complete right to choose who Hermia marries, Egeus says "A Consent to marry
with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: as she is mine, I may dispose of her, which
shall be either to this gentleman or to her death according to our law" Hermia had to marry
Demetrius the man she did not love or die. Theseus says "Either to die the death, or to abjure forever
the society of men" Theseus rules that Hermia must go to a nunnery. She was unable to choose her
husband or it would lead to her death or banishment to a nunnery. Many plays have female abuse so
why does it matter that this one does? Only within the last couple of decades have women's
positions in society been reexamined. Paying close ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hernia is subordinate to her father, Helena is emotionally abused by Demetrius, Hipolata is won in
war by Theseus and Titania is outwitted by her husband Oberon. This scene shows when the spell
has just been lifted off of Queen Titania. "Titania. My Oberon, what visions have I seen! Methought
I was enamored of an ass. Oberon. There lies your love. Titania. How came these things to pass? O,
how mine eyes do loathe his visage now!" This is a successful game won by Oberon. In his jealousy
he placed his wife under a spell, humiliated her and then never discussed the matter after she woke
from the spell. He won the fight with his wife similar to the other male's success over

How Does Shakespeare Present Elizabethan Women In Macbeth
Throughout the play, 'Macbeth', Shakespeare continuously presents Lady Macbeth's lust for power
and control over her husband as being the driving force for the events of the play. Lady Macbeth
controls Macbeth through her constant emasculation towards him. While trying to convince
Macbeth to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's masculinity in Act I Scene VII,
where she states "Was the hope drunk... and wakes it now, to look so green and pale". This shows
how the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth diverged from the stereotypes of Elizabethan
England. Elizabethan women were seen as being subservient to men, and heavily reliant on their
male counterparts, but the opposite is shown in the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. ...
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The constant change in syllable stressing provides an aural representation of Macbeth's deep inner
turmoil following the events of his wife's suicide. Furthermore, in Macbeth's first line of his
soliloquy, "she should have died hereafter", contains only seven syllables. The apparent lack of
syllable within this line immediately brings the audience's attention towards it. This is important as
this line is an uncommonly ambitious line, as it has antithetical meanings. Firstly, that Lady
Macbeth should have died later, so that there could be enough time to properly mourn (mourning
was an important event for a Jacobean audience). Secondly, that Lady Macbeth would have died
sooner or later anyway. The ambiguity does not make Macbeth's feelings clear, but the line coupled
with the signs of inner turmoil shows that the first possibility is the more likely of the two. This is
further supported by the fact that following this Macbeth begins to question life itself, saying that
time slowly moves from "tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" to the end of time itself. This
line holds a wistful tone through the use of polysyndeton and hendecasyllable. The polysyndeton
symbolises the evergoing nature of life and time. While the hendecasyllable achieves a wistful tone,
through the use of a soft/feminine ending to the line. All these factors contribute to showing how
deeply Macbeth misses his

Representation Of Women In Taming Of The Shrew By William...
Written in the late 16th century during the Elizabethan era, the Taming of the Shrew is a play by
William Shakespeare. It tells the narrative of Katherine, a termagant, rebellious "shrew", daughter to
father Baptista and sister to unassuming, obedient, attractive Bianca. In it, she is subjected to
methods intended to restrain her aggressive behaviour, or effectively "tame" her, by Petruchio, a
bachelor on the prowl for wealthy women.
Having been performed throughout the centuries to create a historical assortment of varied
adaptations, versions of Taming of the Shrew have changed in accordance with time periods and
related shifting social expectations and culture. Discussed by literary academia extensively, a
particular manifestation reflecting such changes among this cohort of portrayals is the representation
of women. Notably, a clear trend about the societal attitudes at the time of presentation of versions
can be assumed by examining and comparing the depiction of women in two adaptations; the Globe
Theatre's directed by Toby Frow in 2012, a production expressing social norms from the Elizabethan
era, and the BBC's ShakespeaRE–told TV episode directed by David Richards (BBC Retold), set in
modern times. The representation of women in these plays allow it to be concluded that the social
expectations of women have progressed from domestically and professionally limiting to more
supportive and liberal over time, with a specific focus on gender equality. In spite of this,

How Does Shakespeare Present Desdemona's Attitude Towards...
The society in which Othello takes place is a patriarchal. Where men had complete control over
women's. They were possessions rather than being just as equally human and capable of duties
performed by men. Which lead me to the most truth worthy character of Desdemona. The tragedy
"Othello" by W. Shakespeare reveals the dramatic transformation of a young, white and strong
woman Desdemona. At the beginning of the play she is an independent spirit, regarded by her father
Brabantio as "Weather a maid so tender, fair and happy" (Othello, I, I, 79). At the same time, she
refuses to marry any of Venetian man and runs away with a black foreigner. This disrespectful
gesture indicates to woman's disobedience with respect to her father. The Moor, Othello, eventually
becomes her husband. Throughout the tragedy, Desdemona is subjected to abusive behavior towards
her by Othello.
In the "Othello", Shakespeare vividly depicts the attitude towards women and the way they were
treated by men. During that times, it was common for women to be submissive, especially to their
husbands. "They are treated as ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
To some extent, slowly but steadily, the heroine's thoughts, believes, ways of behavior undergo
transformation. "My love doth so approve him That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns –
Prithee unpin me – have grace and favor in them" (Lee Jaimieson) On the one hand, she is a pure,
fragile creature, who falls deep in love with her husband and who has the guts to conflict with her
father for the sake of being happy. But, on the other hand, she becomes to realize crystal clear that
she is under the charge of jealousy Othello and evil Iago. For example, Iago persuades Othello, by
hooks and crooks, to accept the fact that Desdemona is an negative person. So, undoubtedly, she
loses her innocence and under the pressure of Moor, Desdemona lies to

Women 's Portrayals Of Women During Shakespeare 's ' A...
Chrisa Georgakis Professor Hizme ENGL 332–Spring May 20, 2017 Women's Portrayals in MND
The topic of women and their roles in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream appears
to be controversial and of great significance. Shakespeare's views on women are shown in this play
through Helena's despair, Hermia's carelessness, and Hippolyta's hypocritical behavior as they rebel
against the Athenian laws and its society. Helena chases after men, which goes against how women
were supposed to act. She breaks society's norms of the women obeying their fathers and letting the
father choose the husband, by chasing men by herself instead. Hermia also disobeys her father
Egeus by running away with Lysander, even though her father wanted her ... Show more content on
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(I.i.16–19) This is at the beginning of the play, and Levine identifies Theseus' words as an alluding
to rape. Theseus' choice of words, "pomp...triumph...revelling" indicate that he has won her over and
has officially made Hippolyta his own. To Theseus, Hippolyta was a mere conquest, with the sole
purpose of proving that no one, not even the Amazonian queen, can surpass his power. When the
play opens, Hippolyta is no longer the Amazonian warrior–queen. She has already been conquered
by Theseus and he obnoxiously reminds her that with the words quoted above. Levine argues that
Shakespeare depicts Theseus turning to theater to alter the way sexual violence is presented, but
ultimately fails to do so. The words "pomp, triumph, and revelling" are an indication of theater and
acting. The imagery these words create also supports the transformation of "a rape to a legitimate
marriage" (Levine, 210). Although, no such thing, meaning the rape, is never actually exhibited,
Levine examines the choice of words spoken by Theseus, and claims that there is an "alluding to
something like a rape" (210). Furthermore, Levine delves in the aspect of nature and how it relates
to rape. The way nature is described and through the use of imagery, Levine establishes that
Shakespeare included this rape of nature in order to create a mood. As stated by Levine, "Titania
claims that "every little flower" weeps,

Discrimination of Women During the Elizabethan Era: The...
Throughout the Elizabethan era, men had more advantages than women. William Shakespeare's The
Taming of the Shrew has characters such as Petruchio, Baptista, Katherine, and Bianca that show
how men overpowered women. During the Elizabethan era, there was heavy sexism. Women were
discriminated. Through Shakespeare's language, men could speak to and about women in a
disrespectful and derogatory manner. Women were voiceless and deprived of their right to speak.
Women were inferior to men. During the Elizabethan era, through Shakespeare's language, and in
Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, it is proven that men had more advantages than women.
People in the Elizabethan era demonstrated the heavy sexism during that period in ... Show more
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However, a man without a wife is no different than a man with a wife. Men had many more
advantages than women during the Elizabethan era. Men had the authority to say whatever they
wanted to, no matter what it was. Although they were allowed to do a lot more that women, they
were also allowed to say a lot more than women. Men did not really have boundaries when it came
to speaking. They were allowed to speak their mind and have an opinion. Men could speak to and
about women in a disrespectful and derogatory way. Women were also allowed to have an opinion,
but they were not allowed to express it to others. Women were voiceless. They were deprived of
their right to speak. The title itself, The Taming of the Shrew, already proves how strong men were
compared to women during that time period. If a woman wanted to speak their mind, they would be
criticized and judged. They would gain a bad reputation because women were expected to listen to
men and follow their commands. However, Katherine did not like that. Instead, she spoke her mind
and refused to do certain things. As a result, nobody liked her. They viewed her as a "fiend of hell"
(I.i.90). A man would not be called that though. On the other hand, if a man did the same thing, no
one would care. "Much more of shrew of thy impatient humour." (III.ii.29) This proves that even the
woman's father would call their daughter a "shrew". This was also normal

The Female Oppression Of Women In William Shakespeare
In Shakespeare's comedy, MoV, the female protagonists are not given the same opportunities men or
treated seriously and rather only given these opportunities or have their words taken seriously if they
act as men through cross–dressing. From this portrayal, modern audiences can learn that oppression
was present in the past and still continues to affect women in today's world. Portia has to cross–dress
in order to take on the role of a lawyer. She along with her maid in waiting, Nerissa That they shall
think we are accomplishèd/With that we lack"(3.4.62–63)During the Shakespearean era, women
were not viewed as intelligent and lacked skills to have such roles. Going under the guise of a
lawyer Portia would be able hold a position that she would not be able to have if she was appeared
as a woman. Furthermore, this position also allows for her to have more power and gain respect
from individuals in her society. While under this persona, Shylock lauds a disguised Portia for her
judgement, saying "A Daniel come to judgement! Yea, a Daniel./O wise young judge,how I do
honor thee!"(4.1.231–232)––> 1) Shylock likens Portia to a wise and important biblical figure,
Daniel, who made wise judgement. By complimenting Portia, it goes to show that what a woman
says is only deemed serious if not seen as a woman saying it. When she returns to Belmont, Portia
reads a letter out to Bassanio and Gratiano, which contains the line,"There you shall find that Portia
was the doctor,/Nerissa there her

How Does Shakespeare Present Ophelia's Relationship With...
Throughout Shakespeare's story of Hamlet the main character young hamlet has little experience
with relationships with women. He often struggles to appropriately convey his emotions in a
positive and constructive manner. We see this both after Old Hamlet dies and when he begins to
express his antic disposition. Due to his lack of experience with women he struggles to have a
positive relationship with women. Shortly after Old Hamlet dies his mother begins to notice how
incredible depressed Hamlet is. Although she sees these emotions she is not quite sure why he is so
upset and what to do about it. Instead of, communicating his feelings to his mother and tell her what
is wrong and what she can do to help him he keeps his emotions pent up inside therefore causing
himself more harm than good. While in the midst of his depressive state hamlet speaks "How weary,
stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world!". Hamlet has become so ... Show
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As the play progresses Hamlet begins to act with an antic disposition to confuse the king in order to
have an easier target. Although Ophelia begins to notice these strange and off putting actions and
words she does not question Hamlet to further understand what is going on within his heart. Similar
to his mother Hamlet finds it difficult to openly discuss his emotions with Ophelia. As a reader you
are able to see how his relationship with his mother has affected his relationship with Ophelia. If
Hamlet had chosen to be more open and expressive with his feelings and emotions the relationship
between Hamlet and ophelia would have been much more productive and positive. Due to Hamlets
poor upbringing within the department of female relationships his relationship with Ophelia fails. If
Hamlet would have been given a better idea of what a proper relationship with a female was his
present relationships would have been much more

How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Macbeth
Plenty of men and women struggle with their manhood or womanhood . Shakespeare wrote a play
named Macbeth that is a tragedy, that main character Macbeth struggles with the decision of to kill
or not, and to be a man or not. Shakespeare portrays women to be manipulative in the play. In this
play, Shakespeare shows how two people are in a struggle for power.
"From this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeard." ( 1.7.39)Lady Macbeth said this to insult
his manhood and his love for her. She wanted him to kill Duncan so she would use whatever she
could to get him to doubt himself. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both were very ambitious and eager
to be queen and king. Macbeth was skeptical about following lady macbeth he said."if we shall
fail?"(1.7)She ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Once in the kitchen catherine was telling nelly that she loved Heathcliff and wanted to him but it
would degrade her to do so according to her family, but in the same sentence she said that she loved
him."...it would degrade me to marry heathcliff now; so he shall never know how i love him...".
(bronte.81) Not hearing the last part he left. He still loved her because when he found out she was
sick he traveled on foot. When he got there she was happy "oh edgar darling! Heathcliff's come
back–he is" (bronte.97) she said hugging edgar. "Don't strangle me for that marvellous treasure.
There is no need to be frantic!"(bronte.97) Edgar was not too happy his

How Does Shakespeare Present Ophelia's Treatment Of Women...
Portrayed as a woman who is so consumed with her love for Hamlet that she is willing to sacrifice
her life for him, Ophelia is mangled between listening to her heart versus the conflicting opinion of
Hamlet from her father and brother. In Shakespeare's extensive play of Hamlet, Ophelia's character
is predicted in a different, more negative manner than that of the male roles in the story, where she
soon has no chance of redemption and is subject to the decisions that the dominant men in her life
designate. Her understanding of love is overly complicated due to her lack of knowledge and
experience in the subject. Through Ophelia's obsessive desire to comply, Shakespeare displays
Ophelia's insanity that resulted from her quandary and lead ... Show more content on
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In act one, Laertes advises an animated dialogue on the downfalls on premarital sex. His derogatory
speech fills Ophelia's mind with absurd "fear" of intimacy involving her true love, Hamlet. It would
seem his concern of his sister's feelings would lead him to inform her of what consequences would
occur and to also prevent heartbreak, except for the language of the conversation proved differently.
Describing the act as "canker" worms invading and injuring a delicate flower before its "buttons"
have had time to open (1.3.3), Laertes warns Ophelia of becoming a "deflowered" women that no
man would intend on marrying. Laertes objectifies Ophelia as a graphic allusion, damaging her
thoughts. Her brother and father believe Hamlet is merely using Ophelia while her heart holds on to
the idea that her truly does love her as she does him. She becomes ambivalent to either be true to her
father or true to her love. Despite Ophelia having not committed any crime or doing any wrong,
tragedy is brought upon her being destroyed by the ones she

The Portrayal Of Women During The Most Famous Works,...
William Shakespeare has written many major tragedies, most of which highlight negative
stereotypes of women. In one of his most famous works, Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays the
women in the play as being weak, dependent and subordinate to men. Throughout the play, it
seems as though these women have no actual standing in society. They are shamed for
embracing their sexuality and their opinions are not respected or even taken into consideration.
Gertrude's character is limited by guilt and she is made to feel apologetic for her sexuality
throughout the play, solely because she is a woman and such actions are not condoned. Ophelia's
life in this play is dictated by men. She is seen as incapable of making her own decisions and
treated as though she needs her father and brother to guide her through life. The two women are
presented in such ways that demean their character and only focus on them as beings meant to
please men and do as they are told. Although many improvements have occurred regarding
women's rights and the portrayal of women, the belief that men are superior to women in all
aspects of life is still evident throughout Shakespeare's play Hamlet in the depiction of
Gertrude
and Ophelia.
Gertrude is one of only two female characters in Hamlet. Throughout the play, she is
questioned and ridiculed for her actions, primarily because she is a woman. It seems as though
the immediate cause for Hamlet's negative attitude towards women in general is due

Shakespeare Women
Women have played monumental roles in many of the most influential historical events in human
history. However, until a relatively short time ago, women were seen as extremely inferior to men,
and were openly treated as such. This was a well–known social norm throughout ancient
civilizations such as the Greek and Roman Empires, and even into the Elizabethan Age of the 16th
Century. "Documents of all the ancient cultures (Greek, Roman, Mosaic, Hebrew, Celtic, Germanic,
Assyrian, Christian, Babylonian) depict women as already subordinated to men socially and legally.
Among the many quotes from the Bible that insist upon women's inferiority is this one from Genesis
3:xvi 'Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee'"(Wojtczak). ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the play, King Lear, Shakespeare portrays some of his female characters as smart, cunning, and
controlling. Out of King Lear's three daughters only one, Cordelia, truly loves him, while the other
two, Goneril and Regan, are quite vicious, cunning, and controlling. "Goneril and Regan knew
exactly what their father wanted to hear and they appeased him... In this play, Goneril and Regan
carry more masculine qualities. They are strong–willed and cunning"(Shailaja). While Shakespeare
showed women as equally as important as men in his play, King Lear, he did not treat women with
as much respect in his play, Othello. As stated by Assistant Professor A. Shailaja of Santhiram
Engineering College when discussing the role of Desdemona, "In Othello, she is weak in the sense
that she is unable to defend herself against her husband's claims or his anger at the end of her life.
She is also unable to realize that it is her behavior towards Cassio which is further contributing to
Othello's anger. She does not seem to think about her actions; instead she simply behaves exactly
how Iago thinks she will based off her predictable nature." Through this, it is clear that Shakespeare
was able to manipulate the treatment of women throughout his different plys to better contribute to
the overall plot of the

Shakespeare 's Othello
Women in Othello
In Shakespeare's Othello women are depicted as possessions, 'whores', and generally just submissive
beings with only a few situational exceptions. They are simply sexual objects in the view of the men
that dominate this play, but at times they break free of that label and show that women can be much
more than that. In today's society women are praised, they have value, and are worth much more
than how they are depicted by Shakespeare. Each of the three women in the play have their
differences. They are each from a different social class and all stand for something different as
people. Desdemona is of the highest social class and represents unwavering loyalty, innocence, and
kindness. Emilia is in the middle class and is different from Desdemona because she believes in
individuality and some women's rights. She shows her bold tendencies throughout the play, even
though she is somewhat of a loyal and submissive wife. Finally there is Bianca of the lowest social
class who plays a small role of a weak and clearly emotionally damaged woman. Her main focus in
life is to be loved but this clouds her mind and limits what she allows herself to become, ultimately
she is nothing more than Cassio's jealous misstress.
Women in General in Othello
The theme of Othello is of course love, a love between man and woman. The view of those two
genders, in love, are far from equal. In this play the men are the dominate characters and, because of
their skewed

The Oppression Of Women In Shakespeare And Bram Stoker's...
Shakespeare and Bram Stoker write suppression and madness into their female characters who
represent the condition of women during their time. Ophelia from Hamlet and Lucy from Dracula
are a symbol for all women from both the Renaissance and Victorian era and their actions portray
the suppression of the patriarchal system. Throughout the whole play, Ophelia and Lucy walk down
the same path as both of them get oppressed by their families and go through an extreme character
development while expressing their desires.
Shakespeare and Bram Stoker emphasize the suppression Lucy and Ophelia bear to portray a
significant problem that was occurring during the Renaissance and Victorian era, the suppression of
women. Like Shakespeare's Ophelia, the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Laertes displays more concern for their name and reputation tarnishing rather than Ophelia's
feelings. Like Ophelia, When Lucy acted very much like her friend Mina, who acted like a "good
Victorian women" and suppresses her urge for sexuality and "anticipate dependence and submission
when they are joined with the masculine."(Howes 109)
Not only did men suppress the females emotionally, but also through physical tactics. Stoker
displays physical oppression via Lucy and her chamber when she is transforming into a vampire.
Van Helsing, a doctor, decorates Lucy's room with a large amount of garlic wreaths and puts a guard
outside her chamber. Not only did this keep Dracula away, but it also kept physically suppressed
Lucy. The guard would keep watch and make sure that nothing would enter or leave in the daytime
while the garlic wreaths kept lucy entrapped on her bed at night. Ophelia also goes through physical
suppression when she goes mad. During the events while Ophelia was delirious, she was closely
observed. This can be inferred by the amount and great detail each servant presents when they
inform the queen about the actions of Ophelia. The constant observation is an act of suppression that
the men in Hamlet utilize for an attempt to suppress her due to the fear that Stoker exploits in his
novel. Howes states the exploit in his research, "Dracula feminizes desire and obsessively fears the
woman in man, which is undeniably and naturally present and always

Brabantio's Expectations Of Women In Othello By William...
Othello is a tragedy written by William shakespeare during the 1600's which is known as the
Elizabethan Era. Society during this period had certain standards that all citizens were expected to
follow. Order and obedience were a crucial part of women's lives at this time. Women had little
freedom in what they could do and were expected to listen to men. In the play Othello, Shakespeare
uses Brabantio, Iago and Desdemona to describe the expectations of women during the Elizabethan
Era. In Act I Scene III Shakespeare uses Brabantio's character to depict a woman's inability to have
the freedom to speech. When first informed of his daughters situation, Brabantio immediately
assumes that sorcery is involved rather than the free will of Desdemona. By not approaching his
own daughter first and asking for her explanation, it suggest that Brabantio simply does not ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In scene II while mentioning Othello's marriage to Cassio, Iago describes the relationship "he to–
night hath boarded a land crack/If it prove lawful prize, he's made for ever" (I.ii.50–51). Iago
compares Desdemona to a land crack in order to portray Desdemona's great wealth that she comes
from. Marrying Desdemona means that Othello too will inherit a large amount of her money and he
will live the rest of his life wealthy as Iago states. Shakespeare shows a significant effect that occurs
to women like Desdemona when they become married. Women and men married based on social
status, and power during the Elizabethan Era. However Othello does not posses the same amount of
wealth and power that Desdemona derives from. When women become married they are expected to
give up all of their possessions to their husband. Othello marrying Desdemona means he not only
gains her wealth, but power as well making him more important. Shakespeare uses Iago's analogy of
Desdemona as a way describe this process of

How Does Shakespeare portray Women in Much Ado About...
How Does Shakespeare portray Women in Much Ado About Nothing?
I believe eavesdropping plays a very important role in Much Ado.
Therefore, I have chosen to answer this essay question, as I feel strongly about it. In the play,
Shakespeare makes use of eavesdropping by using it as a comic device, but also to sort out
situations so that the play is able to go on. I will be focussing upon two events in particular to show
this. Each event will present a different form of eavesdropping being used. The first will be the
gulling of Benedick and Beatrice (Act 2 Sc 3 & Act 3 Sc 1). The second, when the Watch overhears
Borachio and Conrade discussing the plot against Hero (Act 3
Sc 3). Although both events create comedy, the scene with the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Luckily and coincidentally the Watch saves them from being separated through eavesdropping. The
main plot and sub–plots are drawn together with this device, and to emphasise the importance of
"nothing" from the title, the audience is unable to view the key episode, where Claudio and Don
Pedro witness what they think is Hero's unfaithfulness. Instead, we immediately observe the Watch
eavesdropping on Borachio. This is how eavesdropping determines the narrative line of the play,
because without it the play wouldn't move on effectively. It is highly ironic that the word "nothing"
in the play's title is a play on the word "noting" which in Elizabethan slang refers to
"eavesdropping". This reflects the importance of eavesdropping, as it is partly in the title of the play,
and therefore must play a big part.
Benedick is the first to be tricked by the other characters (Act 2 Sc
3). He hides from Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio, these characters know that Benedick is hiding
and so they start to lay the plot. They feel that Benedick and Beatrice would be right for eachother.
The reason behind the trick is to bring Beatrice and Benedick together. At first, Benedick considers
whether what he is hearing is true, "Is't possible?.. I should think this a gull..". Benedick is gullible
and believes what he is hearing is true because "the white bearded fellow speaks it". This

Women's Role Of Women In The Age Of Shakespeare
Women in the Age of Shakespeare
Throughout the Elizabethan era the roles of women in society were very limited. Men were
considered superior and women were considered inferior and significantly dependent on the male
figures in their life. In today's society women have come a long way and have even surpassed their
male counterparts in the process. Women are no longer considered property or expected to maintain
the household and bear children. For women to have a career at all in the Elizabethan era was
unheard of. Meanwhile, today women hold some of the highest positions in government, run their
own companies, and can pretty much do anything they set their minds to. A majority of the plays
and stories written in this time period portray the female characters as weak and, at times, deceitful.
One of the world's most renown writers, William Shakespeare, expresses these stereotypes through
his play "Hamlet." Shakespeare incorporates misogyny within this play to show the way women
were viewed in his time and how women helped drive the madness of many of his characters
including Hamlet. The cynical opinion Hamlet develops towards the women around him is similar
to the one King Shahzaman has in "The Thousand and One Nights." In this story, the King is
betrayed by his wife and seeks solace in the despair of others. The actions of these two men give us
insight to the way women were regarded in that era. William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "The
Thousand and One Nights" illustrate the

William Shakespeare 's Macbeth : Women 's Agency
Cory Weaver
Michael R Kightley
English 201
24 November 2014
Relative Masculinity in Macbeth: Women's Agency William Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the
agency that is created for women when men are pushed into proving their own masculinity. In order
to fully understand Shakespeare's portrayal of masculinity in Macbeth we must first examine the
stereotypes of the Elizabethan era that effected Shakespeare's writing. "Defining what a female was
supposed to be and do was an act of Renaissance culture, as it has been for other times. For
Shakespeare, as well as for most of Renaissance society, women as the feminine represented the
following virtues which, importantly, have their meaning in relationship to the male; obedience,
silence, sexual chastity, piety, humility, constancy, and patience. However, gender characteristics
were socially constructed and there was an easy cross–over of masculine and feminine traits to both
genders." (Gerlach, Almasy, Daniel, Revisiting Shakespeare and Gender). Defining masculine and
feminine characteristics allowed writers like Shakespeare to draw males with certain "feminine"
characteristics and females with certain "masculine" characteristics. "This merging of masculine and
feminine traits in both males and females helps to explain how easy it was for the Elizabethan stage
to employ and accept all male casts." (Gerlach, Almasy, Daniel, Revisiting Shakespeare and
Gender). These plays utilized men to play strong female characters like Lady

Hamlet by Williams Shakespeare: The Women Hidden in the...
The Women Hidden in the Shadows
When writing a play, Shakespeare always aimed at strategically displaying misfortunes with
romance and bold actions. The females in Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude, both play roles with little
importance, which demonstrates the lack of independence present; causing these characters to solely
rely of the main characters of the play– the men. Although Shakespeare often wrote tragedies, it is
no secret that he kept a place in his heart for romance. The female roles in the play are emphasized
as weak woman if they lack a companion, and therefore are helpless. Hamlet and Claudius, the main
male characters of the play, appear to be making all the decisions and bold moves in the play
creating Ophelia and Gertrude ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"I doubt it is no other but the main, His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage." (II.ii.56–57).
Hamlet, a male character once again, places her in the position of little importance, that of Claudius'
sidekick. In Act II, scene ii, the King and Queen are welcoming their guests, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern. After the King says, "Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern," the Queen
clarifies, "Thanks Guildenstern and Gentle Rosencrantz." (II. Ii 33–34). Queen Gertrude corrects the
King but also mimics exactly what he has just said, which gives the impression that she cannot think
for herself but rather, all of her actions are dependent on Claudius, the King and her husband. Along
with dependent to the men in Hamlet, Shakespeare also presents the females characters as fragile
and helpless without the men by their side.
Ophelia and Gertrude are both presented as weak women without their lovers–Gertrude would not
have her status as queen without a king on her arm, and Ophelia's role is mainly as Hamlets lover
and Polonius' daughter. In act one, Hamlet is upset because his mother married so rapidly after his
father's death, and that too to her husband's brother being a sign of weakness. "yet, within a
month–," "Frailty, thy name is woman," "married with mine uncle, My father's brother." (I. ii.
145,146,151,152). In his soliloquy, Hamlet

The Objectification Of Women In Hamlet By William Shakespeare
Throughout centuries men have been seen as the gender that have more rights than women.
According to Diane Elizabeth Dreher's 1986 book, Domination & Defiance: Fathers and Daughters
in Shakespeare, she explains that a woman during renaissance England, "was to conform patiently
and silently to the will of her father and, later, to that of her husband, accepting commands,
correction, physical abuse, with sweetness and humility" (16). As a result of a renaissance society
that promotes and even encourages this type of behavior, men believe that they have more power.
When someone believes that they have more power than another person a pattern of disrespect, and
in the most extreme cases, physical and emotional abuse are likely to follow. In Hamlet,
Shakespeare contrasts two female leads of the play, Ophelia and Gertrude, through reduction to
appearance, instrumentality, and silencing in order to show that during this time period, the
objectification of women in the play was parallel to the objectification of women during renaissance
England.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare contrasts the two female leads of the play through reduction to appearance
to show that the objectification of women is a reflection of renaissance gender bias. Reduction to
appearance is the treatment of a person primarily in terms of how they look, or how they appear to
the senses. One example of Hamlet's disgust with the fact that his mother married his uncle, almost
immediately after his dad died. He isn't worried

Women Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare
Women of Hamlet
Women are a very important part of this world although they are sometimes not portrayed that way.
One would think they would be seen as significant because of the fact that women make up almost
half of the world's population. Throughout all of history, females have been considered the weaker
sex. In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, women are portrayed as weak minded and
unfaithful. The inability to correctly make important life decisions, a weakened mental state, and
complete obedience to men all contribute to this point.
First, women are shown unable to make to make decisions; even simple choices, if made against a
man's advice, turn into chaos. At the conclusion of the play, Hamlet, Gertrude makes a choice that
goes against what her husband wants:
QUEEN. The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.
HAMLET. Good madam!
KING. Gertrude, do not drink.
QUEEN. I will, my lord; I pray you pardon me. (5.2.262–64) Soon after this exchange of words, the
Queen falls ill to the poisoned drink and dies. The only time she ever makes a choice for herself, she
dies because of it. This adds evidence by showing she is not able to make a correct decision. Ophelia
dies earlier on in the play of suspected suicide. She drowns after going insane over her father's
death, while her brother is left perfectly sane. Laertes may want revenge, but his wits are in good
shape. Left without her father to make every single choice for

Inequation Of Women In The Elizabethan Society By William...
In the traditional society, a woman who is not married would be cursed, but to Beatrice, that is a
non–bothering issue to worry about. Shakespeare uses metaphor to communicate this idea where
Beatrice uses a cow's horn to mean men. She says that a curst cow has short horns whereas a too
curst one has none, meaning that she is ready to be too curst. Hero, on the other hand, conforms to
her condition (England 24). When she is denounced, she is limited with her condition and has to live
like that without challenging it. Beatrice too is weak to oppose Claudio to defend her due to her
physique, which seems inferior to that of a woman. This shows that women are limited due to their
gender, which deters them from living like men. In other words, there is a lot that women need to do
in order to live like their male counterparts. This demonstrates that even though the contemporary
woman has done much to be visible in the society, there are still areas that need to be addressed in
order for her to fully bargain for her space.
From the above background, it is imperative to observe that Shakespeare used Beatrice as perfect
character to challenge the ugly veracity about the way women were treated in the Elizabethan
society. Elizabethan society is full of inequalities and discrimination against women, which are
evident in Beatrice's language. The same is evident in the way male characters treat the females.
They consider themselves more superior, more so in the concept of honor. Beatrice

Oppression Of Women In A Midsummer Night's Dream By...
Formidable women have always found a way to be a force in their world, and to subvert the cliche.
William Shakespeare's plays often put emphasis on the role of the female characters and their
influence on the male protagonists. From the impact that Ophelia's insanity had on Hamlet, to the
traumatic result of Romeo's love for Juliet, or the horrid behavior of Macbeth under Lady Macbeth's
influence, the women play an important role.
Even though women of the Elizabethan era enjoyed no social, economic or political parity with the
men, Shakespeare portrays the women of that time in a completely different light. The female
characters of some of William Shakespeare's plays execute a great deal of subtle forms of influence
and authority, they do ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Gertrude, the Queen of Denmark, is seemingly one of the most privileged woman. However, she is
the one woman who is tied down by the most rigid social norms and for whom it is nearly
impossible to achieve any kind of authority and influence for which she has yearned for years. Her
decision of marrying Claudius is criticised, but she chooses to stick by what she thinks is right for
her. Gertrude is brave enough to challenge and break the social conventions that she had religiously
been following, all her life. She is criticised for her decision by not just the general public, but more
importantly, her son. Inspite of all the difficulties Gertrude has to face, she manages to stand by her

Roles Of Women In Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare
In Shakespeare's time, the role of women were if they were property to their husbands. They were
only to be at their house doing everything a wife should do, like clean, cook, any duties that had to
be done, they were usually married early 20's. They were to do whatever to please their husbands,
which was mostly in sexual ways. In twelfth night, Orsino says "For women are as roses, whose fair
flow'r, being once displayed, doth fall that very hour." (page 41) With this quote, it was saying that
women were just seen for their beauty at a young age, but once aging, they would lose it all. Viola
states "Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we, for such as we are made of, such we be." (page 30)
Which was explaining how the women are emotionally and

How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Macbeth
In William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, set in 16th century Scotland, women are portrayed as
powerful with much influence on the males in the play. Shakespeare portrays women as powerful,
they are seen as powerful because of the influence of Lady Macbeth on Macbeth to gain power in
Europe. Another example is how the witches had supernatural powers as they told Macbeth his fate.
The portrayal of women in the play are conveyed through both, Lady Macbeth and the witches. In
Macbeth, women are powerful as both Lady Macbeth and the witches, have great impact on how the
play is written. In the play Macbeth women were treated decent. Women had such a great influence
on men. For example, without Lady Macbeth's ambition to get her husband, Macbeth, to the top of
the European kingdom, Macbeth would not have felt the need to murder Duncan and Banquo. But
women were also portrayed as weak, shown when Lady Macbeth made Macbeth kill King Duncan
and Banquo on his own, then eventually Lady Macbeth could not live with the guilt, which
ultimately resulted in her committing suicide. But Lady Macbeth was not the only woman character
in this play, there was also the witches which were a powerful group of sisters that withheld great
supernatural powers. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
An example of this is how Lady Macbeth was not expected to do much because she was a women.
Another example of the responsibilities women had in the play, is the witches . Her influence is a
sign of power because she made Macbeth do all of the dirty work that was needed to take the crown
away from Duncan. When Lady Macbeth says "unsex me here" ( 36) she means that she is willing to
take on more responsibility in becoming a man, and she is sick of the lack of responsibilities for
women in Macbeth. Another possible example of female responsibilities is when the witches are
expected to know the outcome of Macbeth's battle for the

Women And Courtship In The Taming Of The Shrew By William...
"How would a modern audience view this play in a different way to an audience in Shakespeare's
time, particularly in relation to the role and status of women and attitudes to marriage and courtship?
Elizabethan society was created on the belief the woman had no right or control over their own
lives. Women had no choice in what their profession would be, as a matter of fact they weren't
allowed to have a profession such as medicine, politics and law. The only places they were allowed
to work were in domestic areas. This essay will be focusing on the taming of the shrew with the role
of status of women and attitudes towards marriage and courtship during the Elizabethan era. In
Elizabethan society, all that women were considered of was the lower end of men and the weaker
gender.
Women and men's role in Elizabethan society is completely different to modern society. The Taming
of the Shrew by William Shakespeare shows exactly what the attitudes were like. For example, the
scene when Katherina is fighting with her sister because Bianca has a number of suitors waiting for
her but she refuses to tell Katherina which one she prefers. Katherina gets angry and aggressive
towards Bianca because she doesn't give her an answer, Katherina starts to attack Bianca. Their
father enters into the room and says "For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit! Why dost thou
wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee? When did she cross thee with a bitter word? Baptista is
expressing why Katherina would

The Role Of Women In Hamlet By William Shakespeare
In the Elizabethan era, women were considered to be the weaker sex, they were dependent on man
and were expected to do as told, without question. William Shakespeare captures the essence of
being a woman in the play Hamlet, by introducing the characters, Gertrude and Ophelia. They are
naive and gullible characters that look for advice from a male figure and are expected to act in a
certain way that would please and not interfere with the opposite sex. Therefore the role of women
in the play Hamlet is to act as a possession of their male figure and maintain a reputation of
innocence. For example, Ophelia, a young Danish courtier, daughter of Polonius and the sister of
Laertes, is categorized as a tragic innocent woman who loses ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Ophelia's obedience does not allow her to stand up to Hamlet, when he tells her to "Get thee to a
nunnery"(3.1 119) and that she is "a breeder of sinners"(3.1 119), again referring to that women are
only capable of following man in their lives and giving birth, becoming wives without an opinion.
The social expectation is to become dependent on a male figure, when Ophelia's brother leaves to
France, Hamlet rejects her love by saying "I loved you not"(3.1 117) and also kills Polonius, her
father that she was the most dependent on, Ophelia no longer has someone that tells her what to do
and feels betrayed by her loved ones driving her insane. Ophelia has to remain innocent while
obeying her father and doing things that cause her emotional pain, she does not have the right to say
'no' and go against the male figures. Likewise, Gertrude is in the same position as Ophelia. Gertrude
the Queen of Denmark who is married to Claudius now the king listens to a male figure below her
status. When she is asked to talk to Ophelia by a gentlewoman, she denies the request until Horatio
comes in and also asks for the favor, Gertrude replies "let her come in."(4.5 17). Therefore Gertrude
is taking orders from a male character that we do not know the origin of and is only presented as
Hamlet's friend, which he met at the University of Wittenberg. This scene shows Gertrude's
weakness in front of any male figure in the

Women In William Shakespeare : The Women Of Verona
Women of Verona In the streets of Verona, another brawl breaks out between the servants of the
feuding noble families the Capulets and Montagues. Outraged by the violence the citizens of Verona
have had enough and begin to beat back the warring factions. Attempting to prevent any further
conflicts between the families Prince Escalus, the ruler of Verona, decrees death to any individual
who disturbs the peace in the future. It is in the midst of this uprising that we are introduced to two
star crossed lovers: Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's classic love story has many aspects including
its fascinating female characters. Today I will be taking a unique look at the lives of the women of
Verona, and how they navigate their unforgiving world of destiny love and violence. Gorgeous and
aloof, Rosaline is one of the first female characters introduced to us. Because she has no speaking
part, and is not named in the the cast list, it's easy to assume that she is unimportant. While we may
not hear directly from Rosaline, we do hear a lot about her from one of the play's major characters,
Romeo. According to Romeo, Rosaline is beautiful and completely unavailable. He elaborates the
reason why she is unavailable by telling us she's sworn off marriage by taking a vow of chastity
(1.1). Unsurprisingly, Shakespeare's Rosaline is not unique to Romeo and Juliet. In fact, she bears an
almost identical resembles the unattainable "Laura,"of Petrarch's popular 14th–century love poetry
who never

Role of Women in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay
Role of Women in Macbeth
Macbeth, by the playwrite William Shakespeare, is one of his most amazing tragdies and
additionally one of his most well known plays. The play has picked up infamy (being great known
for some awful quality or deed.) for the mischances that occurred all around its numerous stagings
to such an extent that it is otherwise called "the Scottish play" to keep from needing to say its name.
The spooky Lore surrounding the showing of the play is fitting given the events that take place
throughout the plot.
In the wake of listening to the prescience told by the "wyrd" sisters (the three witches), Macbeth is
loaded with need and develops into an aggressive man for expecting the throne, and being delegated
as the thane of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The witches make few appearances, so the subject of evil corresponding with women is continued
all around the play with the part of Lady Macbeth. As the plot unfolds, Lady Macbeth turns into
Macbeth's "instrument of darkness" on the grounds that she is his main 'push' behind the death of
Duncan and the plan to cover it up. She utilizes her own particular sort of control to get Macbeth to
commit evil much the same as the control used by the witches with their prediction that sounds
alluring, however underneath the "deepest consequence" is stowed away.
Lady Macbeth goes about as a person of evil motives and actions throughout the play. She is
included strongly in Macbeth's issues to verify that he does what is important for him to become. At
the point when figuring out that Duncan had planned to visit their castle, Lady Macbeth perceives
this as a prime open door for Macbeth to take on the position of King: " Only look up clear; To alter
favour ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me " (I.V.69–71). Without Lady Macbeth's tirelessness in
seeing the prediction through it is likely that the killings and the resulting confusion that takes after
would never have happened. The three witches planted the thought into Macbeth's brain and Lady
Macbeth took that temptation and made it actuality. Lady Macbeth is essential to the evil set in
motion by the witches in light of the fact that she completes what the witches began. Lady Macbeth
assumes the responsibility

How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Much Ado About Nothing
To David Underdown, the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century should be described as a
period that involved a "crisis in gender relations" (Underdown 85, quoted in Eales 106). With that
said, Shakespeare had been writing and/or staging the bulk of his works during this period of crisis.
In both Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing he explores, and by doing so challenges,
the century's notions of proper masculine and feminine behaviour. One, and if not the most, notable
dispute that Shakespeare makes with his characters in these two plays is involving wit and
intelligence; Women, who were generally regarded as the less intellectual gender are shown in these
plays to have great wit and are able to manipulate language to their ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
For instance, the men in Love's Labour's Lost attempt (attempt emphasized) to focus on academics
instead of trifling with women. Similarly, the women of Love's Labour's lost seem disinterested in
the prospect of marriage to the point that they are willing to put their marriages on hold (which is an
example of exercising power on the women's part). Similarly, Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado
About Nothing seem to detest the idea of marriage and being married at the beginning of the play
(she would rather hear a dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves her). Benedick questions
Claudio "But I/ hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you" (1.1.186–187) which is
indicative of his negative attitude towards marriage. All these characters serve to point out that
neither the males or females are correctly following the gendered roles of the time. Men and women
were set to be married to gain status or, simply, to procreate. Shakespeare gives his character's
deeper emotions and feelings as opposed to following the social norm and the expected gender

In drama Hamlet, Shakespeare showed Hamlet in " war " for...
In drama Hamlet, Shakespeare showed Hamlet in " war " for women. In the family, the son is "
Hamlet " whose wish is suppressed both by his spiritual father (Superego) and by his corporeal
father and whose Ego is torn between two fathers as between his good angel and his bad angel.
Hamlet whose conscious mind, is in the conflict with his unconscious mind, while his intellect
seems healthily above and his positions of real ego as a madman below, attracted by Gertrud , that is
displaced occasionally by Ophelia, and suppressed by his parents. This way, the play is " the strange
eruption of Hamlet, " that he gets torn between the attraction and the repression and he leaves the
various expression on the mind of his reader. His "disposition of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Before Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet is quite careful. He immediately suspects that they
are Claudius's spies. He makes fun of them with the ordinary knowledge, and finally he looks for the
way of being saved and of sending them to the death, as a cautious man or a man of Ego. Another
good example of Hamlet's Ego is his plan to arrange an interpretation of the Murder of Gonzago
with insertion of some lines from his own mind. He instructs and put privately Horatio to look at the
reaction of the King to the play, and to have success in testing the conscience of the King.
His reason or Ego works when Hamlet pushes back the idea of killing Claudius while he prays with
the remorse, The excuse that he would send him to the heaven in such a moment of the repentance.
When he returned from exile in Act V, onw sees a very different picture. He is calm, rational and
less fear of death than simply indifferent. You've come to the realization that the destination is
ultimately
Hamlet is ready to confront the paradoxical truth that to avenge the death of his father he should
commit the same Act seeking revenge. Using the destination as a scapegoat, Hamlet can distance
themselves from the Act of killing Claudius. Hamlet has reached the climax of his philosophizing;
he has prepared for death.
When Hamlet does finally die, it is his princely qualities that make the lasting imprint in our minds.
Hamlet remains
In Act III, Scene iii, when Polonius

Relationships Between Men and Women in The Winter's Tale...
Relationships Between Men and Women in The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
The Winter's Tale was written in 1611, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The play is one of
Shakespeare's romance titles, though it could be more justly referred to as a 'tragi–comedy' due to
the instances of accusation, death, repentance and reunion. To successfully study how Shakespeare
presents relationships between men and women in The Winter's Tale there are four main
relationships to examine – Hermione and Leontes, Paulina and Antigonus, Perdita and Florizel, and
Leontes and Paulina.
Shakespeare's view of women, and generally the Elizabethan view, suggested that women had less
capability for evil – can ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
If we wished to discuss the base treatment of women in Elizabethan literature there would be more
productive areas to look than in The Winter's Tale. Rather The Winter's Tale is useful for its brevity
of the depiction of how Shakespeare's contemporaries may have believed women should act. This is
successfully carried out through presenting the audience with three women who are effectively
caricatures, what T.E. (?) referred to as 'Maids, Wives and Widows,' these represented in The
Winter's Tale by Perdita, Hermione, and Paulina, respectively.
The relationship between Hermione and Leontes would be seen by a Shakespearian audience as one
to approve of and, with regards to this play, it is possibly the most important. Hermione is the
faithful, never doubting, humble wife who will stand by her husband even amidst his throes of
jealousy and tyranny and place her trust in destiny and the stars:
"HERMIONE
I must be patient till the heavens look With an aspect more favourable. Good my lords, I am not
prone to weeping, as our sex Commonly are."
(Act Two, Scene 1)
Hermione's supposed resurrection could be seen either a cynicism – in that she wished to reward
Leontes for his tyranny with sixteen years of repentance or could be seen as a valid form of justice
for her. Modern audiences may see the resurrection of Hermione

How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Juliet And Desdemona

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