Women in the Renaissance period were not considered to be equal to men, and as a result, they were not allowed to partake in theatrical productions. Cross-dressing on the stage in was common, and young men and boys were cast in the roles of female characters (McLuskie 115). However, once the audience and players left the confines of the theatre, cross-dressing and gender fluidity became less common. Early Modern English society had created a set of codified gender beliefs in order to help govern society. These beliefs created an organised system in which all members of society were given a specific role based solely on his or her gender. Femininity and masculinity were each viewed as a combination of elements that are used to distinguish between being a woman and being a man (Claret). These qualities are thus “produced around a particular set of physiological features […] and around a certain set of social roles” (Fisher 172), and each of these criterions created a set of social expectations for both genders. These conventional representations of gender allowed writers to create characters with specific traits, permitting the audience to easily recognise a cross-dressed male actor as a man or as a woman. Although there was a certain amount of practicality in these gender stereotypes, they caused more problems than they resolved. The belief that a person of a certain gender should act in a specific way made it very difficult for an individual’s personality to fully develop. William Shakespeare, however, continually defied these gender boundaries and developed characters with distinct personalities. In King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, and Twelfth Night; or, What You Will, Shakespeare disregards codified gender roles. In each of thes...
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...cter of Viola takes on masculine qualities by dressing has a man, but does not externalise any masculine traits. Shakespeare has used Viola as a contrast to Lear, Antony, Cleopatra, and Orsino in order to demonstrate that while it is possible for a man or a woman to exhibit characteristics of the opposite gender, these characteristics must be a true part of their identity. Viola only dressed as a man to protect herself from the dangers of the world, but there was not a single masculine trait in her identity. The other characters, however, have always internalised the qualities of the opposite gender, but they were never in a situation where they felt they could express this. Shakespeare’s plays function as a vessel through which people are able to see that it is acceptable to deviate from normative gender qualities if these qualities are what create their identity.
...ce Viola is believed to be a male for most of the play, it may be more convincing to the audience if she is being played by a male. If I wished for my stage adaptation of the play to be less realistic and more entertaining, I would cast the play with a mixture of cross-gender characters.
Many stories people read are written for the express purpose of entertainment and sometimes even to persuade, but few are written to teach a moral. The story “A Fable with Slips of White Paper Spilling From The Pockets” written by Kevin Brockmeier does just that. Although relatively short, the story is filled with words of wisdom and life lessons that are meant to instill a sense of selflessness. The story is about a man who finds God’s overcoat from which he finds prayers from the people he encounters. Kevin Brockmeier makes exceptional use of magic realism and symbolism to teach a moral lesson.
In Edmond Rostand’s comedic and romantic drama, Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano and De Guiche strong and fiery personalities conflict throughout the novel. Although Cyrano and De Guiche are enemies they feel and want mostly the same things. Cyrano and De Guiche are brought together not only by their love of the same girl, but also by their position in the military and their desire to protect their honor; despite the many conflicts this brings, they are able in the end to respect each other.
Upon reading Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and Henry V, I have noticed that the issue of gender ideology and identity has been an intriguing study in both Shakespearean comedies and histories. These traditional Western views have, in a sense deemed which roles are appropriate and socially acceptable, in regards to both males and females. This practice of ‘social typecasting’ has given men and women certain socially acceptable characteristics, which has influenced how they should think and act. In this essay I take an in-depth look regarding how Shakespeare dealt with gender identity, and if certain characters in The Taming of the Shrew and Henry V accepted their socially predetermined gender identity or if they rejected it.
Though its primary function is usually plot driven--as a source of humor and a means to effect changes in characters through disguise and deception—cross dressing is also a sociological motif involving gendered play. My earlier essay on the use of the motif in Shakespeare's plays pointed out that cross dressing has been discussed as a symptom of "a radical discontinuity in the meaning of the family" (Belsey 178), as cul-tural anxiety over the destabilization of the social hierarchy (Baker, Howard, Garber), as the means for a woman to be assertive without arousing hostility (Claiborne Park), and as homoerotic arousal (Jardine). This variety of interpretations suggests the multivoiced character of the motif, but before approaching the subject of this essay, three clarifica- tions are necessary at the outset.
Gender roles defined in the dictionary as the pattern or masculine or feminine behavior of an individual that is defined by a particular culture and a child’s upbringing (Dictionary.com). Throughout cultural and social stereotypes, males are projected as the stronger gender, while females are projected as the weaker gender. Men are thought to be more significant than a women since they were usually the financial providers for their families. Women, on the other hand, were believed be jobless, helpless, and not able to think for themselves. From those days to present day, women are breaking cultural and social stereotypes from the older eras and striving to be deemed equal to men. William Shakespeare attempts to
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.
The movie She's the Man shows much of the general idea of the original Shakespearean book, the twelfth night. It also, illustrates the change in feminine roles in the community and society at large, the main theme of the movie being feminism. In Shakespearean era and time, the important, recognizable and powerful positions in the society were taken by men and therefore Viola in the twelfth night disguises herself as a eunuch in order to get close to the Olivia, the countess and the
This paper will look at the different conceptions highlighted by Bulman in his article through the use of different methods used by the actors in the play. Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare captures the different conceptions of gender identity and different sexualities within the Elizabethan period.
Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity suggests that there is a distinction between “sex, as a biological facticity, and gender, as the cultural interpretation or signification of that facticity” (Butler, 522). Performing certain actions that society associates with a specific gender marks you as that gender. In this way, gender is socially constructed. Alfar defines the societal expectation of women as the “constant and unquestioning feminine compliance with the desires of the masculine” (114). Considering Macbeth from a modern perspective and taking this distinction into account, it is necessary to determine if the play is concerned with sex or with gender. Before the action of the play even begins, the audience is warned that “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.11). The first scene of the play casts the world of Macbeth as a land where everything is opposite or disordered. This line at the very start of the play cautions audiences to not take the play at face value because things are not always as they appear to be. Because of this, “all the binaries become complicated, divisions blurred. Thus the binary nature of gender identities, male/female, is eliminated” (Reaves 14). In the world of Macbeth, the typical gender constructions are manipulated and atypical. If the play does not deal with sex, the qualities of Lady Macbeth cannot be applied to all women but rather, representative of society’s construction of gender, “the patriarch, and the limited, restrictive roles of women” (Reaves 11). Within this reading of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s examination and questioning of gender construction allows modern day readers to recognize the enduring relevance of
The portrayal of gender roles in William Shakespeare’s play Othello, demonstrates the inferior treatment of women and the certain stereotypes of men placed on them by society. Both the male and female characters in the play have these certain gender expectations placed on them. In a society dominated by men, it is understood that the women are to be seen rather than heard. The women are referred to and treated much like property. If indeed they do speak up, they are quickly silenced. One woman’s attempt to be the perfect wife is what ultimately led to her demise. The expectations of men are equally stereotypical. Men are to be leaders and to be in control and dominant especially over the women. The male characters compete for position and use the female characters in the play as leverage to manipulate each other. Shakespeare provides insight in understanding the outcomes of the men and women who are faced with the pressures of trying to live up to society’s expectations, not only in the workplace, but also in the home. The pressure creates jealousy issues amongst the men and they become blind to the voice of reason and are overtaken by jealous rage, leads to the death of many of the characters.
The Impact of Gender on Shakespeare’s Othello. In the book “Gender Trouble” (1990), feminist theorist Judith Butler explains “gender is not only a social construct, but also a kind of performance such as a show we put on, a costume or disguise we wear” (Butler). In other words, gender is a performance, an act, and costumes, not the main aspect of essential identity. By understanding this theory of gender as an act, performance, we can see how gender has greatly impacted the outcome of the play in William Shakespeare’s Othello.
Viola's transvestism functions as emblematic of the antic nature of Illyrian society. As contemporary feminist and Shakespearean scholars are quick to point out, cross-dressing foregrounds not only the concept of role playing and thus the constructed or performative nature of gender but also the machinations of power. Viola can only make her way in this alien land if she assumes the trappings--and with these garments the--privileges of masculinity. Her doublet and hose act as her passport and provide her with a livelihood, a love interest, and friendship (just as Leonide's breeches allow her passage into Hermocrate's garden).
Within many Shakespearian plays, roles of women often focus on their intelligence, strength, and perseverance. This may indicate Shakespeare’s understanding that women should be treated equal to men and receive equal opportunities like that of men and pose the possibility of Shakespeare himself being a feminist.