Portrayal of Women in William Shakespeares Plays Essay

William Shakespeares characterization of women varies immensely from one comedy to another. In his works, Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado About Nothing, he portrays both dominant and submissive women. Ultimately, Shakespeare examines the complexity of women by displaying the vast array of attitudes, emotions, and their treatment and reaction to men as well as refuting the typical subservient wife role. In Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew, the difficulties of marriage and submission take center stage. When the determined Petruchio marries the domineering Katherine it sets the scene for a battle of willpower. Eventually, Petruchio successfully tames Kate at the expense of losing a potentially†¦show more content†¦(Shakespeare 171). Although Kate?s words imply compliance, her sarcastic tone invokes an attitude of insubordination lying under the surface of her willful surrender. The words of her mouth do not reflect the desires of her heart. According to Critic Karen Newman?s critique, ?The Taming of the Shrew: A Modern Perspective,? Kate?s speech, ?must be understood ironically as pretense, a strategy for living peaceably in patriarchal culture? (233). In a society dominated and ruled by men it is only natural for a woman to seek a ?survival of the fittest? mentality for the sake of merely living another day, even if it requires giving in to her husband?s hu mbling requests. The male and female characters in the two plays, The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing play somewhat reversal roles in that the husband controls the fate of his wife to only a certain extent, because wives can foil the fates of their husbands simply by behaving disloyally. Though The Taming of the Shrew portrays men as a source of embarrassment for women, Much Ado About Nothing contends that men fear women due to their potentiality for affection accompanied by humiliation. In fact, the character Benedick foreshadows his own foolish love when he states, ?I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviors to love, will, after he hath laughed at such shallow follies in others, become the argumentShow MoreRelatedHamlet: a Feminist Approach Essay examples1224 Words   |  5 Pagesfor male superiority). This idea that women are weak is not a new one in the modern world. It has been studied for countless years along with the concept of a patriarchal society. A patriarchy is defined as a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. Such systems currently exist in several forms and areas around the world; however, the most common place for these patriarchies is in literature. Novels, plays, works of nonfiction, and other formsRead MoreOthello - Female Stereotypes Essay1108 Words   |  5 PagesOthello Essay In â€Å"Othello,† William Shakespeare extensively explores female stereotypes that occur during the playwright’s time. Throughout the Shakespearian era, women were seen as the inferior sex, over whom men had complete control and thus forcing women to act submissively and obediently in front of their husbands. Men believed that women were objects who just cooked meals, cleaned the house, and bore children while society just accepted these degrading roles. William Shakespeare extensively reinforcesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Taming of1100 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, is an embodiment of the context in which the text was shaped, the Renaissance. The Renaissance period was a time of progression, primarily in the areas of art, science, humanism, religion and self-awareness. The Renaissance focused on taking elements of the past including religion, art and science and adapting them to make them better. Humanists advocated for the freedom of the individualsRead MoreThe Tragedy of Macbeth Essay542 Words   |  3 PagesThe Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1604, portrays women in a variety of strengths. In Elizabethan society, women were considered the ‘weaker sex’ but in many of his plays Shakespeare appears to question this patriarchal society. Shakespeare wrote ‘ Macbeth’ intending to flatter King James I, the ruler in this era. James I had very strong opinions regarding women and, particularly, witches. He saw Women as inferior and expected them to be housewives and mothers. ShakespeareRead MoreMental Illness in Shakespeares Works1371 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout Shakespeare’s many works, mental illnesses have played an undeniable part in many of them, especially his tragedies. From Lady Macbeth hallucination of a bloody spot leading to her suicide, to Hamlet’s faked illness and Ophelia’s very real illness, afflictions of the mind are featured prominently in the Bard of Avalon’s many works. Still, in the Elizabethan era, understanding of mental illness was rudimentary at best, as were the methods of treating it. During the Middle Ages and ElizabethanRead MoreShakespeare and Women vs. Society and Queen Elizabeth Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesThrough 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 sepa rated 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 theatreRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography on the Prevelence of Rape in Shakespeares Work909 Words   |  4 PagesAuthors Will in Lucrece. Shakespeare Quarterly. 57.1 (Spring 2006): 45-70. JStore. Web. 18 February 2014. In this body of work, associate professor at the University of Portland, Amy Greenstadt presents a compelling argument exploring William Shakespeares precise use of words in his poem The Rape of Lucrece. Structurally, Greenstadt employs a close reading method and anchors her research findings with the confirmation of concurring academics. Initially, Greenstadt introduces her readershipRead More Beatrice of William Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing Essay1746 Words   |  7 PagesBeatrice of William Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing One of the most intriguing characters from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing must be Beatrice. An intelligent, well-spoken (and, perhaps more interesting, outspoken) young woman, she is an almost exact opposite of her cousin, Hero. What makes Beatrice so different than what one expects of a woman during Shakespeare’s time? Why did Shakespeare decide to make her such a strong female character? It begs the question of what women were actuallyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth - The Natural And Supernatural World1313 Words   |  6 Pagesit seems is not a new one, and has been explored even long before the time of William Shakespeare; however, the playwright whose name has remained the talk of dinner tables worldwide, did an exceptional job of weighing the plurality of the different forms of the natural world. In the Scottish play, Macbeth, Shakespeare both entertains his audience, and poses questions as to what is real and what is changeable. The play explores the themes of the natural and supernatural world, questions whetherRead MoreTreatment of Women in Society in a Midsummer Nights Dream1775 Words   |  8 PagesTreatment of Women in a Midsummer Night’s Dream The general treatment of women in ancient times such as the Elizabethan and the Ancient Greek era varied in great degrees from the treatment of women in the contemporary twenty-first century. In more ancient eras, women were generally viewed as men’s property and not as individual human beings. Women were not even allowed to choose their spouse. It was common that this type of arrangement was made by their family, and the determining factors were usually