GRSJ224/Feminism in Shakespeare

From UBC Wiki

William Shakespeare is known to be one of the most famous writers of his time between the years 1592-1616. His works mostly revolve around tragedy, comedy and history and has had a huge impact on our world today as many writers and directors draw inspiration from it. Even though he may not be seen as a feminist there have been many women characters he’s created and written that have the same sense of authority, power and opinions as his male characters. It may not showcase the fact that Shakespeare displayed his female characters as having the same amount of authority, power and opinions as his male characters; but he did allow them to have their own perspective and presence that was big enough to create an impact.[2]

Feminist Approach

Despite being the period of time where women were not allowed to act in plays and their characters had to be played by men, Shakespeare still wrote such female characters that had a prominent effect on his storylines. The following are a few examples of the feminist approach Shakespeare had undertaken, which explains the perspective of these female characters.

Romeo and Juliet

This tragic love story of the “star-cross’d lovers” was as dependent on a male character as it is on its female character, unlike Shakespeare’s other works. Juliet dares to marry a man from the family her own family despises. For a female character to be voicing her opinions so boldly to the audience despite the odds against her is a strong feminist approach for those times. As a young teenager, Juliet was daring enough to go against the wishes of her family regardless of the consequence and get married without discussing this with her parents. Shakespeare has portrayed her as a strong female lead who doesn’t require any validation from the men in her life such as her father or cousin, to make such important decisions that would affect her and her family.[3]

Much Ado About Nothing

In this comical play that is based off of marriage, Beatrice is showcased as a sarcastic, witty and talkative female character. She often voices her opinion very strongly and displays a good sense of humour. In Act 1 Scene 1, Beatrice says; “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.” Through this, she conveys in a humorous manner that she is no need for love. Her use of such words suggest that Shakespeare portrays her as an independent female character who does not seek the comfort of men, which is clearly shown through her bitterness towards Benedick, to find happiness in life which is a very strong feminist approach as most female characters are prone to search for love.[4]

Geoff Elliott (King Lear) and Erika Soto (Cordelia) in a rendition of King Lear, directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott.(© Craig Schwartz)[5]

King Lear

Cordelia, the youngest and King Lear’s favourite, refuses to answer his question about love as she doesn’t know how to express it in words which shows her true devotion towards her father but is banished. She goes on to later lead a French army to save her father. It isn’t often that we hear a woman taking charge and leading an army in those times. She was always able to stand up to her father, believe in what was right and not have that decision being disrupted by any other authority figure. She left to marry a man without her father’s blessings despite her love for him but knew that she stood correct and wouldn’t apologize for her actions. Yet again, Shakespeare created a strong and determined character whose presence was embraced even when off-stage.[6]

Antifeminist Approach

On the other hand, there were many of Shakespeare’s works that consisted of his female characters reprising roles of those who are strictly driven in terms of the male or authority figures in their lives, without having a say in their own decisions. This approach is called the Antifeminist approach, which was unknowingly adopted by Shakespeare for many of his works.

Hamlet

In another famous tragedy, Ophelia’s life was centred around three male figures; her father, brother and Hamlet. The personal decisions they made on her end regarding her love life because of an absence of a motherly figure and abstaining her from making her own decisions, gradually led to her madness. She was shown as a weak character who was unable to take a call and stand her ground; even though she loved Hamlet, her family convinced her he didn’t. Later in the play, her former lover kills her father, and with all the dilemma around the three men in her life that had nothing but hate for one another, sent her into a spiral of madness that led to her unfortunate death.[7]

Joanna Horton (Helena) in a rendition of All's Well That Ends Well[8]

All's Well that Ends Well

In this comedy, Helena crosses all extents to earn the love and respect of Bertram. Even though he refuses Helena’s proposal, he is forced to accept it due to the king’s commands. Despite her being a smart independent woman who is a female doctor, Shakespeare chooses to portray her as a stereotypical woman who feels incomplete without the love of a man and therefore, is very determined to win over him. Her actions that show she needs a man to depend on despite his refusal, underlines her weakness as an independent woman.[9]

The Taming of the Shrew

Kate represents the ‘shrew’ who is tamed by her husband, Petruchio. He tortures her by not giving her proper food and by forcing her to agree on everything he says even though he may be wrong. By the end of the play, to everyone’s surprise, Kate seems to comply with all of her husband’s needs and speaks about the importance of one’s duty towards their husband, proving that she has been successfully ‘tamed’ by him. Even though this play is meant to be comical, it represents the lows and suffocating ideals a woman had to live by in those times. Shakespeare showcases Kate’s suffering as humorous, which stresses on the antifeminist approach he has taken in this play.[10]

References

  1. "William Shakespeare". Biography.com Editors.
  2. "Was Shakespeare a Feminist?". Bustle.
  3. "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet" (PDF). Folger Digital Texts.
  4. "Much Ado About Nothing". shakespeare.mit.edu.
  5. "King Lear". Theater Mania.
  6. "The Tragedy of King Lear" (PDF). Folger Digital texts.
  7. "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark". Opensourceshakespeare.org.
  8. "Royal Shakespeare Company". RSC.
  9. "All's Well That Ends Well". shakespeare.mit.edu.
  10. "The Taming of the Shrew" (PDF). hatrack.com.