In the play Othello, there are many perspectives one could choose. But there is only one view that is appropriate for this topic and that is the feminist view. The feminist lens shows us that Desdemona was more an object of play than a person in love. If you don’t know what it was about, The Othello play is about a guy who is Jealous of a moracin war general. Then causes the general to kill his wife. He creates doubts in their relationship witch inevitably kills them. these events caused Desdemona to be unable to satisfied Othello because of the lack of trust and the fact that Othello was being set up by his vindictive friend Michael. Feminist perspective show us a wider view of what is going on in the film as well as in the book with Desdemona
All throughout time women have been treated differently from men. They were not given a voice or trust but was it for the better? I am deciding to defend feminist because women need to be treated better and in this essay i will show you how women were treated and why it 's wrong. Although i believe in defending feminism some believe women should not be treated equal. I am explaining this through showing that men were not expected to love their wives. The feminist lens provide modern society with the most compelling view of literature because men don’t trust women, men think women are cheaters and whores, and women don 't have a voice.
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.
It is often thought that the most accurate reference for the ideology of a time period lies in the literature produced at the time, rather than the factual history. However, Elaine Showalter argues that the most significant tell of an era’s views on mental illness and women is the time’s most famous adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, or, more specifically, the representation of the character Ophelia in the performance. The play itself revolves around Hamlet, who in his own internal struggle mistreats the young woman he had been courting, Ophelia. At one point, Hamlet accidentally murders Ophelia’s father, Polonius, and in the wake of this horrible event, Ophelia becomes mad and eventually commits suicide. Showalter discusses the different
Hamlet’s impulsiveness also characterizes him as feminine, as the tendency to act out of emotion rather than rational thought is traditionally considered feminine. Although Hamlet thinks often, he does not often apply this thought to his actions and instead, when he does act, he does so impulsively. Hamlet’s impulsiveness “which induces him to jump into Ophelia’s open grave with Laertes, which leads him to slay Polonius the instant that he see the hangings stir, and which enables him at last to take his full revenge upon the spur of the moment and without premeditation” exemplifies his femininity in that he does all of these things without thinking before and instead acts completely on his emotions (Vining 54). In jumping into Ophelia’s grave, Hamlet acts
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
During my final months of high school, I read Hamlet by Shakespeare. Hamlet, a book full of displeasing misogynistic views, ironically inspired to excel in college. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in a time period when women’s opportunities for professional work, education and ownership of property were extremely limited. After analyzing Hamlet, I came to believe that Shakespeare was before his time urging women to become powerful, respecting themselves mentally and physically. Therefore, in Hamlet, he made women the pawns of men’s corruption to demonstrate to women how pathetic it is for us to allow insignificant flaws and a patriarchal society lower our aspirations in life. Hamlet motivates me to enter the professional world with an advanced education and demand, not 77 cents to every men’s dollar, but equal or higher pay due to my credibility.
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” ― Gloria Steinem. Anyone that reads the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare discovers that the story is anything but equal rights between men and women. The play showcases the patriarchal society that was prevalent in the era in which the story takes place. Shakespeare’s play does an excellent job of representing the era by showcasing the unequal balance of power between genders and the cultural expectations of women.
Shakespeare’s dramas often raise awareness for very important issues. In his play Hamlet he represents the sexist debate on women having premarital sex. Through his character Ophelia, he shows how young women are taught that sex is dirty and will make them “dirty” or “unclean.” They are often raised to believe that they must stay “pure” until marriage. Men on the other hand are not required to “save themselves” and are instead taught that the more sex the better. The patriarchy often slut shames people into believing premarital sex is wrong but, only if you are a female.
Feminist point of view means the analysis of any literary works based on the feminist perception. Feminism has gradually become broad and noticeable in its attacks on male-dominated society. The Shakespearian era of the 16th century was a time when women were very inferior in the society. If we compare with other writers, Shakespeare was always careful of women and tried to give them respect in his different writings. If we look at his famous play named Othello we need to judge the equality of women in terms of political, social and economic perspective. The feminist perspective challenges sexism and other beliefs and practices that result in the domination of women. When we look at Othello from feminist point of view it is important to note how the women of this play are treated and stereotyped.
In my present time, I have considered women as presidents, ministers or leading figures, who have the same potential equally as men, so they play significant roles that have effect on the society in some part of the world, such as, European countries, USA and Australia. One the other hand, in other part of the world, I observe non-educated and oppressed women who are neglected and deprived of their rights to be influential partner with male gender in their societies, especially in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. And if there are few exceptions of strong female figures, they are portrayed as evil and manipulative in assisting the male ruler to usurp the power and rule the country with an
The roles of women are immanently transcending as society continues to alter their perception of the female race. Since the misogynistic Elizabethan era, women exceed the expectations of encompassing subservient and docile characteristics to becoming respectable individuals capable of embracing their own beliefs rather than a man’s. However, equality for women’s rights only began with the recognition of society’s unequal treatment towards women. The Taming of the Shrew in its own sense stands as small step of recognition towards the early fight for the rights of women. Shakespeare uses this piece of literature to essentially reveal and criticize the manner in which male-dominated societies treat women as animals that are to be tamed. This play consists of numerous displays of sexism, but its’ intended purpose is to depict the injustices women face universally. Although comedic, Shakespeare’s
"When a man gives his opinion he is a man. When a woman gives her opinion she is a bitch."- Bette Davis Throughout time society has used woman as a scapegoat for societal issues that have occurred. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare uses character and rhetoric to display how ones hatred and anger are impulsively taken out upon woman, from this the reader learns how misogyny is difficult to acknowledge, but rather easy to practice.
It is often argued that the women characters in Hamlet are drawn in fainter lines than their male partner. Gertrude the mother of Hamlet been criticized by his son for her nasty remarriage to his own Uncle Claudius right after the death of King Hamlet, which drove Hamlet mad and started his hate towards his mother, Hamlet uses very powerful words towards her mother by cursing her for marrying Claudius after a short period of time, “O, God, a beast, that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer!” (I.II.151-158). Hamlet states that even a beast of intelligent
Othello’s change in character, from being a warrior to becoming effeminate after marrying Desdemona, also supports the idea that the men of Othello who provoked feminine qualities were suppressed in the society. In the land of Cyprus, Othello became an insecure man due to his differences amongst others and was over run by many unknown emotions which lead him to kill his wife,