The Phantom of the Opera is known as the most successful musical in history, but its age most clearly shows through some of the themes it displays. Most noticeable to me, is the fact that The Phantom of the Opera conforms to and supports traditional gender roles. This becomes evident after analyzing the characters and their interactions during the 25th anniversary production in London. As a whole, The Phantom of the Opera suggests that the ideal man is authoritative, powerful, decisive, and jealous, while the ideal woman is feminine, indecisive, and naïve.
Christine, being the heroine and the love interest of both leading men, is portrayed as an ideal woman because she upholds the expected feminine gender roles in our culture: delicate, naïve, indecisive, and helpless. Her delicacy is displayed when she faints in the Phantom’s lair, and the Phantom has to carry her. It is clear that this adds to her overall appeal to the Phantom because he feels needed and important—something that rarely happens to him. Because Christine becomes more appealing to the Phantom when she is weak and helpless, that supports the gender normative roles of females. In addition, Christine blindly believed that this voice was the angel of music that her father sent to her, and that added to her innocence. Christine accepted that idea so easily, making her seem naïve, which helps to support the stereotype of women. In general, Christine is more appealing when she needs a man help, those character traits exemplify the gender ideals for females, and the Phantom’s interactions with her confirm that.
In addition to the way that the Phantom thinks of Christine, Raoul’s interactions with Christine also prove that The Phantom of the Opera supports archaic gender ...
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...hat she is an ideal woman. Similar to Christine, Raoul fits the gender norms, as he is powerful and jealous. The audience is told that Raoul is an exemplary man because even with his forceful personality, Christine still chooses him. The Phantom, on the other hand, is depicted as queer with characteristics of a gender normative man, but the way he is treated still conforms to the norm because he is isolated and feared as a result of his differences. The Phantom of the Opera, overall, helps to support gender normative traits and suppress unconventional character traits.
Works Cited
Miller, D. A. Place for Us: Essay on the Broadway Musical. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. By Andrew Lloyd Webber. Prod. Cameron Mackintosh. Perf. Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Hadley Fraser. Really Useful Films, 2011. DVD.
Lloyd Webber’s widely regarded masterpiece Phantom Of The Opera uses key motifs and themes throughout the musical to establish its characters and scenes in an effective manner. Throughout the production the motifs, themes and songs all develop to reflect the changes their respective characters undergo. This is particularly evident when analysing The Phantom, his motifs and songs, and how they develop throughout the story.
Butler, Judith. "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory." Theatre Journal 40.4 (1988): 519-31. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Web. 11 May 2011.
In Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, gender identity and alternative sexualities are highlighted through the depiction of different characters and personalities. In the play, Viola disguises herself as a man thereby raising a merry-go-around of relationships that are actually based on a lie rather than actual fact. Viola attracts the attention of Olivia since she thinks that Viola is a man but even more fascinating is the fact that Orsino is attracted to Viola although he thinks that she is a man. In another twist Viola is attracted to Orsino and has fell in love with him although their love cannot exist since Orsino thinks that Viola is a man.
Christine Daae has a deep connection with the “Angel of Music’. As her father told her stories of this angel when she was little, her favorite story was of Lotte a little girl who was visited by the angel and had a beautiful voice. Christine tells Raoul that she is going to visit her father’s grave. They see a violin performance by an invisible person, which she believes is the Angel of Music or angel of her father.
In Shakespeare’s “Othello”, the role of women is deeply emphasized; the significant characters of the play Othello, Iago, and Casio, each have a lady that stands behind him. These women each have commitment to remain faithful and respect their husband's needs, especially Desdemona and Emilia.
Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994.
The nexus of status, gender, and societal roles are consistently topics of interest among people, and can be found throughout the plays of William Shakespeare. More evident in their original production, however, through modern renditions and personal interpretation of readings these topics reoccur often His work dictated specific roles for men and women. Through analyzing said roles one can derive insights regarding the esteem of women and how the relative devaluing of women shaped normal gender roles. However, Shakespeare provides conflicting interpretations, dependent upon the light in which his work is read. Among the possible differing interpretations of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” stands a reoccurring argument throughout history of, men vs. women in a battle of status/power. After reading the play one could make the argument that women are inferior to their counterparts, however, at the same time, the argument could be made that women have more power than men, and both positions be considered accurate.
Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90)
Unlike the Phantom, Raoul, Christine’s lover, supports her to pursue her dream in music by giving her freedom and allowing her to find her own voice. In the song “All I Ask of You,” Raoul sings to Christine, “Let me be your freedom/Let me be your shelter/Let me be your light/I’m here, with you, beside you” (Lloyd Webber). Raoul’s love towards Christine is to give her a shelter to hide from fear and become free from other’s control, the light to walk in the darkness, and freedom to pursue her own voice in the world of music.
The Phantom was used in the play "The Phantom of the Opera" as a confidant
In William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, the use of mistaken identity and role reversal communicates that gender roles and social class are constructed illusions that trick people into having unrealistic expectations about how they are supposed behave.Viola crossdressing as Cesario in the play challenges traditional views of how a woman of her status should act.The differences between the accepted clothing for an individual emphasizes gender roles and social hierarchy in society. During the Renaissance, “ the idea of two genders, one subordinate to the other, provided a key element in its hierarchical view of the social order and to buttress its gendered division of labor” (Howard 423).
Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994.
Ostlere, Hilary. “Taming The Musical.” Dance Magazine 73.12 (1999): 84. Expanded Academic ASAP. Westfield State College Library, MA. 15 April 2005.
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.
...of Christine as being so emotionally tortured and romantically torn that both Raoul and the Phantom should ask themselves if there is another man” (Ebert).