The Role Of Men And Women In Shakespeare's As You Like It

One major way was how femininity was portrayed through literature during these time periods. During the Anglo-Norman period, we can analyze works such as, Marie de France’s, Lanval, to see that feminine power was not only accepted but put on a sort of on a pedestal. Women were controlling men through their seductive manners, and men were going with it. However, taking a turn into the Medieval period we see works such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. We see how in the beginning femininity is all powerful, but by the end, feminine power is something to be shameful about.

Romeo and Juliet Essay “Shakespeare and Misogyny” A world where men dominate women. This idea was the basis of many Renaissance era dramas. Writers always used to perceive certain genders as having distinctive qualities and traits. Men were held up to a higher respect and given more violent roles than women. Their tough archetypes were always present in many plays and reinforced the idea of male superiority.

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

Gender is a common thread that is woven through most major Shakespearean plays. An argument that follows the story lines of works such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and a more dominant role in Othello. Written in 1603, Othello examines the contrast between female and male characters, and where their place is in society. As this was written in a time where women were seen as the lesser sex compared to their male counterparts. Males take on more power hungry roles, drowning out the roles of females by minimizing their thoughts and actions.

While Roth manages to show what Beauvoir discusses in “Myth and Reality”, that individuals have ambivalence which controls their choice of acting following the society roles, she just gives her point of view of how men treat women and base on women’s experience, however, she fails to show that women are, also, have ambivalence attitude. What is missing from her analysis is that Beauvoir when she discusses the ambivalence and the immanence and transcendence she shows that all individuals have these features, but Roth takes these ideas and discusses them based on men experience in the novel not women. In fact, Females, also, have ambivalence attitudes. For instance, when Lucy recognizes that there is something that is sucking her blood and she was able to describe it but she did not. Lucy just gives up by doubting what is going with her.

In the 1500-1600s women were not treated the same as men. Shakespeare portrays women a certain way to break the mold of what women were supposed to be. Women are seen standing up for themselves and being bold which was not supposed to happen. Even though Shakespeare was a bit of a revolutionary with the idea of women, the other characters in his plays still view women much like real people in his time. Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Othello are similar in how women are viewed by other characters.

In what ways are women abused and discriminated against inside literature and throughout history? In many patriarchal societies, men have held authority over women due to gender. This power imbalance between men and women sometimes led to unjust treatment of women; men exert their authority over many women in the play, The Crucible. In The Crucible¸ male characters intimidate women to achieve specific outcomes and mark their superiority. Elizabeth Proctor, the protagonist’s wife, shows the standard for Salem women as she is submissive and does not defy her husband or the traditional role as a housekeeper.

At that time in history, the status quo and social norm was simple. Patriarchy was the predominant force as men were regarded as superior to women, both in society as well as the relationship scene. Shakespeare attempted to change this perception through his multiple works of literature. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare uses the theme of gender roles to express the idea that the status quo and social norm in the Elizabethan era can be challenged through courtship, father-daughter relationships, and wedlock. The play commences with the courtship of multiple individuals.

The women in Macbeth are presented by Shakespeare to be powerful and ambitious which was unlike the typical views during Jacobean times. The playwright portrays Lady Macbeth and the witches to be highly influential to male characters in the play, which again contrasts the contemporary views to that time. Their ambition and power are demonstrated through the perversion of nature. This highlights the evil and immoral side, they possess. Shakespeare, however, presented Lady Macbeth and the witches to be manipulative and cunning, rather than violent like Macbeth was during the play.

Throughout the history of Shakespearen literature, Shakespeare tends to develop the characters in to a way that complements the story. For an example, in Macbeth, he shows the digression of the main character by an internal conflict residing from a mental condition, if he did not explain every detail of his thought process then the story would be bland and not a literature masterpiece. Another key example is the story of Romeo and Juliet, even though it is a romantic piece, he still assigns different personality traits to each character. Which makes them a key asset to how the story concludes and the theme the reader is left to discover. One of the biggest colliding character interactions is Benvolio and Tybalt.