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The duchess of malfi as a tragedy of woman
The character of the duchess of malfi
The duchess of malfi as a tragedy of woman
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John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi is an illustration of the unequal power relations between the sexes during the sixteenth century. In the play the brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal are shown as men who want to control their sister the Duchess by not letting her remarry. Out of this situation emerges the Duchess who, in spite of her promise not to marry again (p. 1298), will do the complete opposite, thus defying male power. Her conversation with Antonio (lines 317-61, pp. 1292-3) is an example of this because in her speech the Duchess intends to make Antonio realize that she is against both the conventions of marriage codes and men's assumptions of women's sexuality.
The Duchess, after she puts her wedding-ring upon Antonio's finger, sets out to convince him that they have the right to become husband and wife. She tells him that his lower status should not stop her from marrying him. Being a Duchess, she argues, she has the power to "raise [him] higher" (line 319). When Antonio objects to such an "ambition" she even offers him her riches. Thus the Duc...
As a result, back then when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, the effect was felt across the country. More than simply a document written in lawful language, the ruling was a catalyst that sparked a movement: the civil righ...
Smith, Alonzo N. “Project Essay” Separate is not equal: Brown v. Board of Education. URL: http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/resources/pdfs/projectessay.pdf
Imagine being a woman in sixteenth century Europe. Females were raised to believe that they were subservient and that men knew better on any subject. Basically, women had no rights. They were considered property, first “owned” by their fathers and then control was “transferred” to the husband chosen for them. Marriage was not about love, but in most cases, it was a business deal that was mutually beneficial to both families – an interesting fact is that like young women, most young men had no choice in the selection of their future betrothed. These traditions and the gender roles assumed by men and women at that time had an impact on Shakespeare’s writing and performances and a great example of this is evident in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
During the Elizabethan era women had a status of subordination towards men. They had a role to marry and oblige to their husband’s wishes. Shakespearean literature, especially illustrates how a woman is psychologically and physically lesser to their male counterpart. The play, Othello, uses that aspect in many different ways. From a Feminist lens others are able to vividly examine how women were subjected to blatant inferiority. Being displayed as tools for men to abuse, women were characterized as possessions and submissive; only during the last portion of the play did the power of women take heed.
African Americans are still facing segregation today that was thought to have ended many years ago. Brown v. Board of Education declared the decision of having separate schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. As Brown v. Board of Education launches its case, we see how it sets the infrastructure to end racial segregation in all public spaces. Today, Brown v. Board of Education has made changes to our educational system and democracy, but hasn’t succeeded to end racial segregation due to the cases still being seen today. Brown v. Board of Education to this day remains one of the most important cases that African Americans have brought to the surface for the good of the United States. Brown v. Board of Education didn’t just focus on children and education, it also focused on how important equality is even when society claimed that African Americans were treated equal, when they weren’t. This was the case that opened the eyes of many American’s to notice that the separate but equal strategy was in fact unlawful.
Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History once wrote, “If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do”. During the 19th and early 20th centuries segregation in American public schools was part of the norm and many black schools were inferior to white schools. In the early 1950s, Brown v. Board of Education, a poignant case in the fight for the desegregation of schools was presented to the U.S District Court for the District of Kansas. The defense ruled that “segregated schools simply prepared black children for the segregation they would face during adulthood.” After great deliberation, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs banishing the “separate but equal” rule, making it unethical to allow segregation in public schools. Desegregation did not integrate the schools, instead it removed the educational curricula for schools, paralyzing the educational system and victimizing children both black and white. This desegregation created a new kind of segregation, one that will determine the future of young minds and undermine the ability of minority children branding them average or low-achieving. In the struggle for quality education, school professionals and experts limit educational progressiveness using tracking and no child left behind.
Lee, Chungmei, and Gary Orfield. "Brown At 50: King's Dream or Pleesy's Nightmare?"The Harvard University Civil Rights Project. 19 Mar.2004 < http://www.civilrights project.harvard.edu/research/reseg04/brown50.pdf
The struggle of women to fight for equal rights has always been a problem in society. This issue has transcended from generations and can be tracked down from many literary sources: books and articles, the conflict women went through to even be able to voice their point in in any matter, even ones that included them. William Shakespeare, as said by Scott Guffey, manages to bring “fourth [the] highly believable and realistic” (Guffey 2) judgment and belittlement of women during the Renaissance period in Othello. Shakespeare does this by establishing societies need for women to portray the image of the perfect wife and signifying the repercussion that occur when those needs are not meet. He illustrates what happens to Desdemona and Emilia’s credibility and treatment after their husband’s accuse them of cheating, an allegation that causes them to no longer hold the only thing women were valued for: their image of an impeccable wife. Although, they were both strong women by defying important men in their life, gender was represented as a source of supremacy, in Othello, and challenging those norms ultimately lead to both of these women’s demise.
In the 1954 United States Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, school segregation was found to be unconstitutional. On behalf of the Court, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote, “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” The reasoning behind the unanimous decision diverged from the line of argumentation that had been used by civil rig...
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 Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Richard the Third, the historical context of the play is dominated by male figures. As a result, women are relegated to an inferior role. However, they achieve verbal power through their own discourse of religion and superstition. In the opening speech of Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 1-30 Lady Anne orients the reader to the crucial political context of the play and the metaphysical issues contained within it (Greenblatt, 509). Lady Anne curses her foes, using strong language to indicate her authority. She speaks in blank verse, by which she utilizes imagery to emphasize her emotions and reinforce her pleas. Her speech clearly illustrates the distinction between the submissive female role within the male sphere of war and the powerful female voice within the realm of superstition.
The research done in 2005 revealed that the Black American students who studied at white dominated schools were very low than in any year since 1968 (Thomas 57).” According to Thomas (102), many factors contributed to rapid re-segregation of schools since 1991. The court turned against the desegregation plan adopted earlier by denying new petitions to desegregate schools, the executive arm reduced the initiatives to enforce the Civil Rights Act and Brown right that was so successful in the 1970s (Donnor and Dixson 2013).
The Tragedy of Mariam focuses on Elizabeth's Cary's desire to develop a platform from which women can speak, thereby offering a fuller understanding of women as individuals. By examining issues of public and private language, Cary shows her interest in female voices. As an early-17th-century female playwright, Cary was described by the Earl of Clarendon as `a lady of a most masculine understanding, allayed with the passions and infirmities of her own sex'. This description could be interpreted as a complement to Cary, although the Earl adheres to the patriarchal boundaries placed upon both men and women. The connection that he makes between Cary and masculinity reinforces the stereotype of male authority. This essay will examine Cary's exploration of gender, language and silence in The Tragedy of Mariam. The play's expression of these themes is sometimes open, and at other times covert. By concentrating on the issues of public and private speech, this essay will determine the effects that crossing patriarchal boundaries had on women in early modern England.
This play portrays the women as fragile and pathetic beings. When Miranda is speaking to Ferdinand she is allowing him to see her as quite vulnerable, which will allow him to view here exactly as that.“At mind unworthiness, that dare not offer/What I desire to give, and much less take”(3.2.77-78). She goes on to say, “If not, I’ll die your maid. To be your fellow/You may deny me, but I’ll be your servant/Whether you will or no”(3.2.83-86). This play is portraying Miranda as a pathetic woman who would rather be a servant to a man that won’t marry her; she would rather be his maid than live without him.
The Cardinal and Ferdinand, the brothers of the Duchess, are very much against their sister’s re-marriage. Ferdinand urges her not to marry again. He condemns it because he thinks that it shows a lustful nature.