ipl-logo

Akira Kurosawa's Ran

1050 Words5 Pages

In 1985, Akira Kurosawa created Ran, a Japanese film adaption of Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear. The women in Ran are stronger and portrayed more feministically than in Shakespeare’s original play. Although Kurosawa changed the three main female characters to men, it was an action taken to accurately portray Japanese culture and should not be taken as offensive or antifeminist, in addition Kurosawa adds strong female characters that were not present in King Lear. In Shakespeare’s play, the three sisters were symbols of strength, the play is known for it’s feministic attributes but the women generally just watch the men do the ‘masculine’ jobs from their place. Meanwhile in Ran, Lady Kaede (played by Mieko Harada) is a strong female character …show more content…

“Give me thy sword.—A peasant stand up thus? (takes a sword, runs at FIRST SERVANT behind, and kills him)” (III.vii.80). However Lady Kaede, the most feminist character in Ran is much stronger than Regan. In Ran, Lady Kaede pursues Jiro after the death of her husband Taro. Although at first we are lead to believe she seeks vengeance the really seeks refuge. Kaede demands what she wants which often results in violence, Jiro, as the equivalent of Regan in the movie falls and puts his kingdom at stake for a woman. Kurogane often tries to reason with Jiro but Jiro’s ultimate downfall is Lady Kaede’s strength. Regan, instead of being a strong leader, lets her kingdom fall as she pursues a man. “Now, sweet lord, You know the goodness I intend upon you....” (V, i, 3029). Lady Kaede only pursues a man for her own glory and safety, Goneril and Regan however pursue a man at the risk of their glory and safety. This implies that women will blindly follow men at the risk of health which is anything but feminist. Switching the roles of men and women partially in Ran may have actually improved the feminism in the

Show More
Related

  • Continuities Between 1450 And 1700 Women

    663 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baldassare Castiglione wrote about how a woman's sole purpose is to amuse and entertain men (3). Castiglione’s ideas reflect the patronizing attitude towards men that was seen throughout the era. This book is a reliable source because it is aimed at women seeking to become the proper lady as it gives advice on how to achieve that status, while showing historical truth because the author genuinely wants all women to behave in this manner. John Knox attacked women in positions of power by saying that they are cruel, weak, and insulting to God (5). This idea is not an uncommon one as female leaders were continually mocked throughout history.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Kingdom Of Matthias

    411 Words  | 2 Pages

    The changes in gender roles weren’t making everyone happy for examples in the story of The Kingdom of Matthias, Robert Matthews started a religious cult in New York during the 1830’s he came to believe that he was indeed not Robert Matthews, but instead he was Matthias, Prophet of the God of the Jews. Matthias was not happy with any of the changes that was happening in the roles of women, and he was not going to support any of it. His wife Margaret was suffering from the person he had become, he was extremely controlling and once told her that, “She had no God, that the husband was the savior of the wife, that as man was not whole without woman” (Johnson and Wilentz 80). Matthias was bitter because the women of this time had changed into

    Read More

  • Joan Of Arc Significance

    2096 Words  | 9 Pages

    The male hierarchy would be thrown into chaos as not only would women be demanding to have equal rights as men women would want to be given high ranking jobs, legal rights and having the same privileges’ as men, using Joan as an example of women being able to stand their own not only within the battlefield but amongst noblemen and

    Read More

  • Ap Euro Dbq Renaissance Movement

    721 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Renaissance, many people began to support the idea that woman should be able to have the same rights as men. “I am amazed by the opinion of some men who claim that they do not want their daughters, wives, or kinswoman to be educated because their mores [morals] would be ruined as a result… Here you can clearly see that not all opinions of men are based on reason and that these men are wrong”(Document

    Read More

  • Hamlet Critical Lens Analysis

    1249 Words  | 5 Pages

    Olivia Lynch Mrs. Butterfield AP Lit 5/1/16 When you are ready to dive into the vast world of Shakespeare, you can begin by using what is known as a critical lens. The lens that may help you understand the background details of one of Shakespeare’s plays would be the Historical lens. Although there are many different lens that you can use to interpret a story, the Historical Lens is a great lens to dive into to find what really influenced the great ideas of William Shakespeare as he wrote Hamlet including the role gender plays, the comparison of Elizabeth Tudor, and the religious incorporation throughout the play. First, we can take the Historical Lens and dive into the idea of how gender roles were highly represented in Hamlet

    Read More

  • Rebellion Against Femininity In Macbeth

    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

  • Real Women Have Curves Play Analysis

    865 Words  | 4 Pages

    In comparison to the movie, the play undermines male dominance by focusing on women’s efforts to solve their own problems. First of all, there aren’t even men in the cast of the play,

    Read More

  • Much Ado About Nothing Feminist Analysis

    678 Words  | 3 Pages

    It can be hypothesised that Shakespeare was testing the waters to break gender norms and perceiving women as independent, dominant and powerful beings through his

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism In Othello

    1360 Words  | 6 Pages

    Furthermore, Feminist Criticism provides a better view of literature because it shows that women can be powerful. When Emilia finds out that her husband has been plotting an evil plan she says,” Tis proper I obey him, but not now”(Othello V.2.195). Emilia refuses to help her husband after she finds the cruel intentions he has despite the expectation of women always being submissive to their husbands. Women also have a voice and feelings, they are capable of defying their husbands commands when they know what he expects is simply wrong. In a literary article,The Role of Women in Othello: A Feminist Reading states that,” Society weighs heavily on the shoulders of women; they feel that they must support the men and defer to them, even if the actions of the men are questionable” (Literary Articles).

    Read More

  • Traditional Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    973 Words  | 4 Pages

    Traditional gender roles in today’s society are very different from what they once were. Shakespeare had progressive views on gender and gender roles in his time period, which he expressed through his writing. In MacBeth, Shakespeare showcases both his views and unusual roles through Macbeth and Lady MacBeth, MacDuff and the witches. Gender roles in the relationship of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth are probably the most obvious correlation between masculine traits expressed through female characters. Lady MacBeth belittles MacBeth and frequently challenges his manhood.

    Read More

  • Women Being Objectified In Shakespeare's Othello

    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

  • Lady Macbeth A Misogynist Analysis

    1551 Words  | 7 Pages

    It may seem like Shakespeare treats his female characters worse than his male characters, but it is his female characters that drive the plot

    Read More

  • How Did Lady Macbeth Become A Man

    354 Words  | 2 Pages

    Men are perceived by society as the brave ones; the ones who do what must be done in times of need. Throughout Shakespeare's ‘Macbeth’, valiant actions are made in the notion that it's the manly thing to do . Consequently, Macbeth murders king Duncan as he deems it a necessary crime he must do as a man in order to fulfill his ambitions. During the Elizabethan era, anything that was brave, courageous, or took ambition was deemed a manly act. If you were a female, doing something that took strength would be seen as nonviable.

    Read More

  • Roles Of Women In Ancient Empires Essay

    2096 Words  | 9 Pages

    Role of Women in Ancient Empires Throughout the modern world, we mention the concept of equality between men and women and try to equalize their positions in society. It is illogical for women to ask and try to prove that they are equal with men because equality is something that are already given to humanity, but contradicting the role of women by men is what created the gap between them. By looking at history, we can say that accomplishing that goal of making their position equal is not easy.

    Read More

  • Roles Of Gertrude And Ophelia In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    932 Words  | 4 Pages

    Clearly, Shakespeare has shown that the women in Hamlet and during his time, were seen as worthless and irrelevant to society than men. They have these traits because they could not do anything without the presence of a dominant male, they would always do what their male authority wants, and would not think twice about the intentions others have for them. Even though, in today’s day women are looked upon as equal to men, there still are some aspects present from decades ago that show that women are still second to men. The task is to make women stronger than ever before, but the

    Read More

More about Akira Kurosawa's Ran

Open Document