Degraded Role of Women in The Merry Wives of Windsor
In Shakespeare's comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor, there are two plots that ultimately converge into the concept of marriage; one is the antics executed by the wives, and the other is the marriage of Anne Page. Both of these plots subversively yield a disheartening attitude towards the view of women within the scope of the play. Wives in The Merry Wives of Windsor are not acknowledged as much beyond commodities, not to be entrusted to their own wills, and are considered anonymous, degraded figures by men. By examining the use of the word "wife", the characters who use it most frequently, how it is used, and by examining the surrounding text and context, one can reach these unfortunate conclusions with undoubted certainty.
One quickly perceives this notion in the very first scene of the opening act. Slender and Evan's assess Anne Page's attributes in terms of what monetary value her dowry will endow upon her fortunate husband; both conclude that, "seven hundred pounds and possibilities is good gifts"(1.1.58-9). This attitude sets the stage, so to speak, and is suggestive of what meaning the women in the play shall have. Although it is the wives who are the manipulators of the ensuing pranks, it seems that the men are actually in control; they extend their alacrity for business and judicial affairs (which is established first in Pistol and Falstaff's dispute with the others and later in Ford's settlement against Falstaff for the twenty pounds and the men's pretentious positions in Anne's affairs) to the personal and connubial affairs of the women. In fact, the details driving the main plot of the play can, in themselves, be interpreted as a business transaction. ...
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...also displays this limitation and acknowledges that he once viewed Anne Page as property. Fenton is reformed however, and to Anne admits that he, "...found thee of more value than stamps in gold or sums sealed in bags; and 'tis the very riches of thyself"(3.3.15-17). Considering eccentricity of all the male characters enlivens the plot and augments the depth of comedy. This analysis, by close attention to the use of the word 'wife' by those who use it most and the full context in which it appears, elucidates Shakespeare's conceptualization of the nature of men and marriage and demonstrates that women are appreciated as only anonymous commodities, not entrusted to their own will and judgment in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare, ed. David Bevington. Sixth edition. New York: Harper Collings, 1998.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet (The New Folger Library Shakespeare). Simon & Schuster; New Folger Edition, 2003.
In The Canterbury Tales Chaucer portrays a wide spectrum of marriage from what can be traditionally seen as the worst to the best. Three of these tales, The Miller's, The Franklin's, and The Wife of Bath's, support this examination of what can constitute an ideal marriage.
Affirmative action is an attempt by the United States to amend a long history of racial discrimination and injustice. Our school textbook defines affirmative action as “a program established that attempts to improve the chances of minority applicants for educational or employment purposes, although they may have the same qualifications, by giving them leverage so that they can attain a level that is equal to caucasian applicants” (Berman 522). There are people that support and oppose this issue. Opponents of affirmative action have many reasons for opposing this issue, one of them being that the battle for equal rights is over, and that this advantage made for people of color discriminates against people that are not of color. The people that defend affirmative action argue this advantage is needed because of how badly discriminated the people of color once were. Because of the discrimination that once was these people claim that they are at a disadvantage, and always have been, therefore equality of opportunity is needed. It is also said that affirmative action is used to encourage diversity and integration. This paper will discuss the history of affirmative action, how it is implemented in society today, and evaluate the arguments that it presents.
Affirmative action is not something new. ; Breaking breaking down the barriers that prevented individuals from having equal opportunities was and still remains the purpose of affirmative action. The programs were designed to open up opportunities in education and employment – to balance the playing field. President Lyndon Johnson expressed his beliefs in 1965, "You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him [or her], bring him [or her] up to the starting line of a race and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair" (The Leadership Conference, 2014). One might argue that discrimination no longer exists so the need for affirmative action is no longer necessary. On the other hand , one might argue the need to continue with affirmative action; , however, with changes. Affirmative action is important to our society in the past and the future; and it needs to continue as it is currently without changes.
During the Elizabethan time men and women had diverse roles in society. Shakespeare manifested these attitudes in a comical play called ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. I will be exploring what a modern audience learns about marriages and the roles of men and women in Shakespeare’s ‘.
In “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath challenges the oppressive standards women are expected to uphold and asserts her agency by reassessing women’s public and interpersonal roles. However, rather than naively disregarding the influence of gender constructs, the wife manipulates the “limitations” that binary oppositions create for her gender in order to dominate the skill of persuasion. Through the careful use of language, the Wife of Bath exploits societal standards placed upon females in order to reconstruct women’s role within her culture and the institution of marriage. In particular, the Wife argues that her opinions should be regarded because her amount of marriage experience undermines authority. By invoking experience over authority, the Wife is able to disguise her domineering arguments, references, and ethics as informed opinions rather than efforts to overturn masculine supremacy. Although her scandalous actions and suggestions within her prologue and tale are seen as distasteful by many of the pilgrims, she still seemingly adheres to the customs appropriated for her gender. She is able to re-interpret said customs through the manipulation of semantics, and in doing so she successfully overturns patriarchal power. By working the system to her advantage, the Wife of Bath contests for the re-evaluation of the power dynamics within marriage.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
In the United States, Affirmative Action is a group of policy decisions that provide benefits or some special opportunities to members of underrepresented or underprivileged groups. These policies began in the United States and were aimed at creating an equal opportunity workforce but were also extended to college admissions. These policies were created in 1961 when President Kennedy’s Executive Order 10925 where he wrote that all companies are to, "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." Today, in a country with fairly evolved race relations, Affirmative Action is a topic of hot debate. Many Americans believe that these policies of affirmative action have turned into reverse discrimination against Caucasian Americans, while other Americans believe that we still need these policies.
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... allows the present day reader to gain insight into commonly held beliefs regarding women during the 14th century. By allowing Alison to have a sense of humor and joke about aspects of her marriage, Chaucer was able to make numerous points regarding women that would not have been acknowledged had a female author created them. By making Alison a laughable character, Chaucer was able to make points about women such as the unfairness of double standards, the acknowledgement of female desire, and the reality of women marrying well to improve their economic situations. Chaucer also provides us with detailed examples of commonly held stereotypes regarding women that are still relevant approximately seven centuries later.
In medieval England, society’s roles were dominated by men and women were either kept at home or doing labor work. Among the most famous medieval English literature, “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, lies ‘The Wife of Bath's Prologue’ and ‘The Wife of Bath's Tale.’ Within, Chaucer shares his perspective of the Wife of Bath, the Queen, and the Crone. Through the use of symbolism and diction, Chaucer aims to change society’s expectations of women.
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If one is to discuss and problem solve an issue, he or she must first know what the issue is truly about. Affirmative action is defined as the equal opportunities given to women, minorities, and small groups so they will have the same tools, education, and allotment to achieve their goals in life. Since affirmative action came about, debate arises daily about if it is truly equal and fair. Was it a word made as a cushion to the people so they will feel equal? Another interpretation is did this word actually make the white male group less important and unequal to the minority group, doing more harm to others than good. Affirmative action is not used unequally in the world, but in actuality if it was not for it these people would have nothing. Julie A. Mertus supports the need for opportunities given to women in the work force. In the work force today many women are overlooked and pushed aside because of their gender. Many of the big wigs in businesses today feel that a woman is inferior to a man’s intelligence of work skill trades. A woman can simply not handle the stress on the body or the mind thinking dilemmas in which a man can supposedly accomplish. Affirmative action however has allowed the women a chance to display their skills but what the debate arises is, because of the gifts given by affirmative action is this good for the world of today. Mertus gives an example of a German landscaper that was excluded from his promotion due to his company's quota requirements. The company's quota requirements stated that if a man and a woman are applying for the same promotion and there is a tie, the woman will be given the job if less than half holding the job are women. Another example given is that of a male ...