Womans Essay, Research Paper

It is funny to observe the function of adult females in Shakespearian literature. Many critics

hold lambasted the female characters in his dramas as planar and unrealistic

portraitures of subservient adult females. Others have asserted that the functions of adult females in his

dramas were outstanding for the clip and civilization that he lived in. That such contrasting

positions could be held in respects to the same subject is academic. It is merely with close

scrutiny of his plants that we are able to say his purpose in making characters that

inspire so much contention. Two plants, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night, base

out peculiarly good in respects to Shakespeare? s usage of female characters. After

analyzing these two dramas, one will see that Shakespeare, though conforming to

modern-day attitudes of adult females, circumvented them by making resolute female

characters with a strong sense of ego.

The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare? s most celebrated dramas, and has

weathered good into our modern epoch with versions into popular telecasting series such as

Moonlighting. For all the congratulationss it has garnered throughout the centuries, it is funny to

note that many have considered it to be one of his most controversial in his intervention of

adult females. The? chastening? of Katherine has been contended as being overly cruel by

many authors and critics of the modern epoch. George Bernard Shaw himself pressed for its

censoring during the nineteenth century ( Peralta ) . The subservience of Katherine has been labeled

as barbaric, antiquated, and by and large take downing. The drama centres on her and her deficiency of

suers. It establishes in the first act her nagging demeanour and its reverberations on her

household. It is merely with the debut of the witty Petruchio as her suer, that one Begins

to see an development in her character. Through an luxuriant parody of mortifying

behaviour, Petruchio humbles her and by the terminal of the drama, she will teach other adult females

on the nature of being a good and duteous married woman.

In direct contrast to Shrew, is Twelfth Night, whose chief female supporter is by

far the strongest character in the drama. The chief character Viola, has been stranded in a

foreign land and adopts the individuality of her brother so that she might populate independently

without a hubby or defender. She serves as a courtier to a immature, lovesick Lord

named Orsino. Throughout the drama she plays as a go-between for him to the adult female he

loves. In the class of her service, she falls in love with him. Merely at the terminal, does she

renounce her male individuality and declares her love for him.

Both dramas portray female characters unwilling to accept the female function of

passiveness. Katherine Rebels against this stereotype by going a? termagant? , a violently

tempered and aggressive adult female. Viola disguises herself as a adult male for most of the drama in

order to continue her province of free will. Katherine endures rebukes, scolding, and

humiliation in the class of her chosen rebellion. Viola enjoys life and place as a adult male,

and does non uncover who she is until the last scene of the drama. Curiously plenty, both

adult females voluntarily accept the functions that society would enforce on them once more at the stopping point

of the dramas. It is imp

ortant to observe though, that they freely resume these functions, and that

they do so out of their ain sense of ego. For each adult female, it is a personal pick based

on their desires. In the instance of Katherine, she realizes that properness is every bit much a signature

of self-respect as regard for others, and she has a hubby whom she need prove nil

to because he already respects her. In the instance of Viola, she is in love with the immature

Orsino. Having found the adult male she would be willing to marry, the pretence of her male

individuality is no longer necessary, as she desires to be his married woman.

Having seen the similarities between Viola and Katherine, one should take notice

that they do hold different fortunes sing their behaviour. The ground for

Katherine? s nagging demeanour is ne’er given in the drama, though many managers have

interpreted it as an act to deter suers, much like Hamlet? s feigned lunacy. Others

have attributed it to sibling competition between Katherine and her sister Bianca. In any instance,

no clear principle is given to the audience as to the ground for Katherine? s behaviour. It is

adequate to state that the actions of her male parent and sister do non alleviate the state of affairs every bit good.

Throughout the whole of the drama, her male parent treats her as a trade good to be bargained

off to whoever is willing to take her. Granted that he doesn? t position Bianca as anything

more than a trade good every bit good, but he clearly favors her over Katherine as good

ware. Bianca has a instead little function to play in the whole of things. She seems to

be the archetypical immature lady of quality. Her deficiency of understanding for her sister causes

them to dispute and consequences in Bianca taking the physical worst of it, whilst Katherine is

blamed for her aggressive nature. The full presence of household in the drama gives

Katherine her motive and explains much of the whole state of affairs in the duologue.

Contrast this with the stray Viola. She is shipwrecked and has no 1 to link with

at all. Her state of affairs is implicitly understood by the Shakespearian audience as being an

awkward one for a immature adult female. Missing anyone to supply for her, she is forced to

take steps to protect herself and her estate. The understood ground for her misrepresentation

is to see for herself, and it is clearly stated by Viola at the terminal of Act I.Scene 3.

Obviously, the two adult females are really different persons. Yet they portion the

same features that Shakespeare imparted onto many of his heroines. Each is

resolute and knows her ain head. Though society demands certain behaviour from them,

they each chose to set about a different way to deny that behaviour. The ego is promoted

over the public image. Yet, each is non antipathetic to returning to society? s established functions if

it serves their demands and wants. The full construct of pick and free-will, of which

Shakespeare was so affectionate of, applies as every bit to his feminine characters as to his

masculine. It is this really of import point which establishes the decision that

Shakspere did so make realistic and meaningful female characters.

Beginnings Cited

Peralta, T. ? The Taming of the Shrew. ? English 28: Shakspere? s Plays. Cerritos

College. Norwalk, CA, Fall semester 1996.

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