The Old Testament states, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (Timothy 2:13). The Bible has copious interpretations, many of which follow the ideology that God created women from the rib of man. Since the beginning of human creation, women have been portrayed as the inferior sex. In present day, women still feel the superiority of the patriarchy looming vaguely overhead. The evolution of women has allowed the female population to evolve from barely acquiring any rights, to possessing equal rights alongside men. Over thousands of years, women played subordinate roles to men. In Elizabethan time, the majority of lower class women being excluded from education did not learn to read or write. Though, some women fortunate to belong to the upper-class who paid for tutors. However, the education that …show more content…
No matter what occupation they desired (doctor, lawyer, business person, etc.), the only career option available presented itself in the form of marriage. Women ran their households, cooked the meals, and raised the children. The question remained: Couldn’t the traditional rules for women drive to a different paradigm? And if so, what did women have to do to make it to non-traditional roles? This question was best answered by Author William Shakespeare answered this question in his book, The Merchant of Venice. Portia, the heiress to her deceased father's fortune, cross-dressed as a male lawyer to make an appearance in court. The Elizabethan audience believed that women did not have jurisdiction, and once married they would belong to their husband. For example, Portia said in her vows to Bassanio, “One half of me is yours, the other half yours" (Act 3 Scene 2). This provokes Portia to dress up as a man and subvert her accepted role. If Portia showed up as herself, the men would not have listened to or taken seriously. Shakespeare disguised Portia to show that women shared the same intellect as
In Shakespearean time and even up to the turn of the 20th Century men were expected to be the sole provider of the family, entailing them to be either well educated or hard working. They were also expected to be good with the handling of finances and property. It was also acceptable for them to be barbaric, boisterous and socially well connected. This has given the men of this time an overwhelming sense of power, respect and freedom; rights which were not given to women at this time. Far from what was socially acceptable in regards to men, the gender identity of women was of a somewhat weaker nature. Women during Shakespearean time were regarded as docile, quiet and non-opinionated. Their socially acceptable role in many cases was to be domestic, entailing them to spend countless hours in the home, tending to basic familial needs, such as cooking and cleaning. This position prevented many women to receive an education or to socialize outside of the home. As a result of their inferior social status, they were expected to be submissive and to cater to her husband’s needs at all times. Women in Shakespearean time were also treated as property, either by their husbands or fathers, which diminished any sense of self-worth they may have possessed. This gender ideology ultimately paralyzed women, as the majority were helpless to alter their social standing or designated familial role.
Some men believe women are inferior to the male species; however, that is not the case. Both men and women are both capable of achieving greatness if given half the chance to do so, unfortunately, this means equality. In “From A Vindication of the Rights of Women”, Mary Wollstonecraft dispenses her thoughts on how unfairly women are treated in the 1700s, in addition to expressing her opinion on the issue in her essay. Wollstonecraft stated that “Men and women must be educated, in a great degree, by the opinions and manners of the society they live in.”, this statement is very true, no matter what times you are living in. Women are unique and equal creatures that can offer many things to society if given the same proper education and training
"We may say that the dominant ideas in most societies are the ideas of the dominant sex, associated and mingled with those of dominant class." (Chedgzoy, pg.50) During the Elizabethan time men dominated society. Historically speaking males have always held more power then females in most cultures. Although a few cultures were Matriarchal societies. Yet even in these cultures women were not the superior power but were valued as equal to men. Most of the matriarchal societies viewed women as the embodiment of the goddess. Women have never been the sole dominant sex in a society. The fall of the Matriarchal societies occurred mostly from the organization of Christianity. The Christian ideals taught that women were not intended to have influential roles in society. In the Elizabethan era women were in a weak social position. In addition when Shakespeare writes about women he encompasses the complex issues that socially surround females. Shakespeare allows the audience to observe issues that effect their own factual society acted out on stage. At this time the society was definitely patriarchal, where women were viewed as inferior. In addition women had little to no power over there own lives. Fathers viewed their daughters as their propriety. Which left daughters in a powerless position. The power that women did have was their personal sexuality, virginity was prized and seen as a jewel. Once daughters were married their husbands also valued them as propriety. "Marriages were still arranged, as they had been in the Middle Ages, to further the interests of land-owning families. On marriage all the girl's legal rights ceas...
In conclusion, gender role in Elizabethan era is very complex with respect to women’s role. Men are the masters of the home and society; they preside over every aspect of life. They are however, expected to take care of their family and also be actively involved in politics, war, and they inherit their father’s properties. Women role varied a according to their social status. All women were raised to be subservient to men. Unlike upper class women, lower class women were denied any kind of education. And all women are expected to get married and bear children. The qualities Shakespeare gave Beatrice are very significant because it contrasts traditional Elizabethan theater. Gender role has evolved over time, especially women’s role and it will continue to evolve as long as there are women like Beatrice around.
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice exemplifies a principle that is as unfortunately true in our time as it was in his - he who has money also has love, sex, and above all, power. In this case, the use of 'he' is deliberate; 'she,' in the Elizabethan era, rarely had either financial independence or much control over the course of her life. Portia, the deceitful heroine of the play, is a major exception. To put it bluntly, Portia is enormously rich. This unique position allows her to meddle in the affairs of the unsuspecting and somewhat dim male characters, and eventually gives her unprecedented power of self-determination. However, the play is more than a tale of feminine wiles overcoming male dullness of wit. Portia's wealth and intelligence may fuel her successes in marriage and the courtroom, but in each case it is her ability to usurp traditionally masculine roles that guarantees her victory. As Portia exploits the codependence of wealth, masculinity, and public power in her society, she becomes the only woman in the play who consistently controls her own destiny.
Women throughout history have fought very hard to earn a respectable place in society, despite a patriarchal society and male dominance that remains. The roles of women have developed widely over time. Women frequently fall inferior to men politically, socially, and intellectually. This intellectual gap restricted many women to the role of a domestic caretaker. For others, education is the foundation to discover new ideas and new ways of thinking.
As far back as the Paleolithic era, women had different rights then men. Some of the injustices women faced include, not having a right to vote, a voice in law, and women could not enter most occupations. Women were not even allowed to get a college education. Once a women was married she had no rights, or in the case that the women got divorced she had no legally could not have custody of her children. Many religious believed God created women to be inferior. It was considered a natural law that men were above women. When women started the fight for more rights, it started out as a political and legal fight and eventually turned into a social and economic fight as well. Many women who started the fight, died before they could see there work pay off, including Susan Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone. In the U.S, Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren fought for the addition of women’s emancipation in the constitution. During the late 18th century, in the United States men had many rights while women had very few. Women also could not keep their own wages. One right woman maintained was the right to own property if their husband died.
Women of these times were obviously not equal to their male counterparts. In modern days however, women are thought of as equals in society. The problem is that they are still not being treated as equals in a religious aspect as well as many other aspects. Elizabeth A. Johnson draws attention to how, despite being considered equal in Genesis, women had their worth ignored “Consistently subordinated and demeaned in the theories, symbols, rituals, A large wave of pro women thinking has arisen in the form of feminist theology. This line of thought draws from Genesis and the idea that men and women were created equally.
Women in the Elizabethan Era were very limited to the rights and the roles that they had. Many of these roles and rights were all based off of if the women were wealthy or poor, or what social class they belonged to. The clothes that they wore, the rights that they had, how they were treated, who they were to marry, what activities they could participate in and if they could have jobs, what jobs they could have all depended on their social class. Although women were very limited in these areas, scholars today think that the women of this time period had a lot of freedom. The women had a lot of down time, usually because they did not hold regular jobs, however, they were limited in what they did with this down time.
As was stated, most people like to consider males and females equal in ability and in what their roles should be in society, but I don't think that is actually the case. God has made men and women differently - HE has made them to fit certain roles HE has defined. The Bible talks a lot about God's roles for men and women. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, talks about Creation and how sin (disobedience to God) entered the world. When God created everything, it was perfect and good. Right after Adam and Eve (the first man and woman) disobeyed God, God kicked them out of the perfect place he had made for them called the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:16-19 says:
The amount of education that one received was based on the person’s noble status. In the medieval society, women were viewed as objects who were put on this earth to serve men. II.
...izabethan times, the teachings of biology suggested that women’s bodies are cold and moist which suggest that they are passive, timid, and hesitating humans. Their bodies supported the concept that women were meant be dominated by men. “The supposed yielding softness and frailty of women’s bodies was all the proof anyone needed of women’s all-around weakness, for most Elizabethan firmly believed that the deposition of the mind is answerable to the temper of the body” (Papp and Kirkland 75). In Elizabethan England, women were controlled, restricted, and stereotyped. They played a role in which society forced upon them. Their existence was beneficial to the growth and development of man.
Throughout the play Shakespeare develops Portia’s character from what seems like a subservient woman, who is forced into a marriage, to an independent woman who is considered equal by her husband. The arranged marriage shows that Portia was given no freedom by her. dominant dead father, which may be why Portia seems to be horrible. comments about all the suitors that come to try to complete the life – changing the task of the. At the beginning of the play Portia has no control over her financial.
In the 16th century, women and men were defined as having specific and contrasting roles within society. Men were defined as being powerful and dominant while women were defined as being submissive and meek. These ideals can be seen across cultures and throughout time. With these definitions of gender roles in place, the text suggests that gender is a social construct therefore qualities of femininity and masculinity are subjective. This is shown when Portia cross dresses as the lawyer Balthazar (IV) and when the truths of the rings are discovered by the two women (V). The strong female characters in the play exemplify that women are not confined to their social construct as they manipulate the male characters. During the 16th century only
Throughout Shakespeare’s various works, it has been observed that he rarely uses females in his literature, but when he does, he uses them for a distinct purpose, as is evident in Julius Caesar. By defying the societal standards of her gender and showing genuine interest in her husband’s thoughts and feelings, Portia, the wife of Brutus, reveals key aspects of his character while adding depth to the story. For her time, Portia was a woman who both respected herself and took pride in herself, without allowing society to make a mark on her. This is evident when she states, “Think you I am no stronger than my sex/ Being so father'd and so husbanded?" (Port...