ipl-logo

Historical Criticism In Titus Andronicus

1112 Words5 Pages

Historical Feminism Criticism
Throughout Titus Andronicus we find two leading female characters, Tamora the Queen of the Goths turned Empress of Rome and Lavinia the victim of a rape symbolic of the current chaos the country is in. Through the use of a feminist along with a slight historical analysis, I will explore the importance of these character in relation to the story and to the lead character, Titus.
In Douglas E. Greens “Interpreting ‘Her Martyr’d Signs’: Gender And Tragedy in Titus Andronicus.” Green 's gender analysis of Titus Andronicus, which focus on the overshadowed female protagonist. Throughout the play characters, actions and spectacles seem to be absorbed into Titus’ character including Lavinia. He states that whenever the two of them share a scene Titus seems to steal the spotlight from her and consequently downplaying her misfortunes. The main purpose of the piece seems to be focusing on the relationship between the female characters in Titus Andronicus, Tamora and Lavinia, and the leading male character, Titus. By doing this he attempts to analyze their meaning and purpose within the play. His continual references to Tamora’s …show more content…

This shame that is felt comes from the social-political beliefs of the ancient Romans. According to Roman law what had been violated was primarily the right of the head of household (paterfamilias) to give or withhold his consent.The victim 's consent was usually not a factor in Roman rape cases, since raptus (Latin for "seized", from rapere "to seize". In Roman law the term covered many crimes of property, and women were considered property) could refer to a successful seduction as well as abduction or forced sex. So because what had happened to Lavinia occurred without his consent it can be interpreted as a crime against him instead of a crime against Lavinia. This furthers the idea that the events that involve female character only serve to strengthen the audience 's ties and help progress the actions of

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Invisible War

    861 Words  | 4 Pages

    No information regarding how the rapes occurred are left out nor is what followed afterwards. More examples regarding this will be cited in logos and

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Sparta And Athens

    1053 Words  | 5 Pages

    On the other hand, in Athens, women are useless as they are not even recognized as Demos. Demos, according to Peter J. Brand (n.d) referred as the rule of the people. To quote, “but only free, native – born males” (p. 29). In the Delian League, whose purpose

    Read More

  • Essay On Women In Othello And A Streetcar Named Desire

    1737 Words  | 7 Pages

    Although being written centuries apart, the limited expectations of women presented in ‘Othello’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ differ little from each other. The female characters are confined by society’s expectations of male dominance, female purity and virginity, and the many passive roles of women. Despite the differing legalities surrounding the position of women between the centuries in which the plays were written, both plays explore the impact of how societal conventions confine women and the ways they must comply to be safe in a patriarchal society. The behaviours and treatments of Desdemona, Blanche and Stella illustrate the attitudes enforced on and the behaviours of women throughout both periods in time and it is these attitudes and behaviours that impact the plays to the greatest extent. When characters in either plays defy their norms, or demonstrate a lack of compliance they induce negative consequences, such as the murder of Desdemona and the institutionalisation of Blanche.

    Read More

  • Paul Bernardo's Narrative Of Violent Crime

    757 Words  | 4 Pages

    The statement also suggests that he was determined to go through with the sexual assault even if they fought back, which seems to combat his story of sex and sexual anxiety. He also blames the victims for the physical violence they received for resisting his assault. This narrative had all four discursive operations to conceal the violent acts with language, divert responsibility of the crime, conceal the victim’s resistance, blame the victims for the

    Read More

  • Comparing Homer's Iliad And The Code Of Hammurabi

    704 Words  | 3 Pages

    The roles and social status of women in ancient times are being described by many well-known playwrights and poets. Yet, different works shows different opinions towards “women power”. In this essay, I am going to compare Homer’s Iliad and The Code of Hammurabi along with Sophocles’ Antigone.

    Read More

  • Livy's The History Of Rome: Book Analysis

    1258 Words  | 6 Pages

    In ancient history Romans have always been the dominant force that would build itself back up and strengthen into a major civilization for hundreds of years to come. Although, what a lot of people don’t know is how the Romans initially began or perceived to be created as a people that was born from mythological stories that tied into their own culture at the time. Titus Livius (Livy) was an historian that wrote many books on the history of Rome, but today we will only go through an English translation from 1919 of Livy’ first book. We will be discussing what happened (what was written down as the origin of Rome), some interesting points in the text, and analyze the way Livy wrote/structured his work. Let’s start with a summary of what the book is about.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Merchant Of Venice

    1635 Words  | 7 Pages

    Portia deceives the characters and audiences into thinking of her role as constructed by male rule. However, with the play beginning with her and the fact that she ultimately controls the fate of all characters and the plot emboldens the idea of her as a surrogate artist-figure. She is able to make all the choices, manipulate people and situations, while appearing to follow by the rules of the patriarchal society which has relegated her to be viewed as a traditionally feminine character. The preoccupation of society’s anxieties about gender is singularly encapsulated by this female character in a multitude of hidden truths, thus, while Portia may not embolden or topple any of the social structures, she allows for the viewing and questioning of its constructedness through the layered

    Read More

  • Sextus Tarquinius 'Rape Of Lucretia'

    502 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “Rape of Lucretia” was told from the point of view of a Roman named Livy. Livy lived from 59 B.C.E. through 17 B.C.E. and tells us the story of the Roman lady Lucretia being raped by the Etruscan prince Sextus Tarquinius took place between 27 B.C.E and 25 B.C.E. (McKay et al, Sources, 69). The foolish act of this man Sextus Tarquinius caused a rebellion which resulted in the destruction of the Etruscan monarchy. Tarquinius did several things to frighten Lucretia into having sex with him, while making sure she couldn’t fight back. The first thing he did was he got to know her family fairly well, which gained their trust of him.

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism In Othello

    1360 Words  | 6 Pages

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

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Whores, Wives, And Slaves By Sarah B. Pomeroy

    1899 Words  | 8 Pages

    This paper will discuss the well-published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomeroy uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomeroy uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses.

    Read More

  • Arranged Marriages In The Italian Renaissance

    841 Words  | 4 Pages

    Zophy writes of women, “for the most part, did not have much of a “renaissance” ” (Zophy 3). In “The Family”, Alessandria, a woman attempts to connect her exiled soon with a prospective bride with the help of a man, only to fall short in her attempts. This reveals the power dynamics between men and women. Regardless of the gender, both men and women were married to each other with the parentings arranging the ordeal.

    Read More

  • Sympathy In Euripides's The Medea

    1118 Words  | 5 Pages

    She voices women’s loss of power over their bodies and economies. And how they became trapped in the their own household. Medea explains, “With an excess of wealth it is required/ For us to buy a husband” and notes to not take a “master” is worse (L 232-234). Here she passionately speaks out against the injustices she faces as a women.

    Read More

  • Medea Quote Analysis

    1434 Words  | 6 Pages

    She describes the world to be unjust, especially to women. Medea believes that women are looked as inferior to men, and even so, men are quick to display their unlikely maltreatment. To her, women have little to no say in their marriage, their bodies, and general society. Medea’s outlook of women is first conveyed through this quote, bringing upon the theme of the state of women within Greece. This quote reveals the state of women within Greece, a leading theme of the story.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Lysistrata By Aristophanes

    1568 Words  | 7 Pages

    Introduction The purpose of this essay is to investigate the women’s role in Classical Greece society and literature (5th/4th century b.C.). Therefore, I decided to discuss and analyse one of the most controversial comedies of that time, “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes. This text shows how women, sick of their submissive and powerless position in the political scenario of Athens and Sparta, come on the scene and, through a smart stratagem, achieve their expected result.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Patriarchy In The Odyssey

    1007 Words  | 5 Pages

    To accomplish this analyzation I have structured this paper into an intro paragraph, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. The first body paragraph explains how Penelope’s forced marriage with Odysseus supports the patriarchy. The second paragraph analyzes Penelope’s character, and how the story diminishes her character to make men seem more powerful. The third paragraph dives into the relationship with the suitors and Penelope. I analyze how Penelope uses her situation to her advantage, and how that undermines the patriarchy.

    Read More

More about Historical Criticism In Titus Andronicus

Open Document