Female characters play an important role for the dramatic run of events in Shakespeare’s plays. Just as in reality, women of Shakespeare’s dramas have been bound to rules and conventions of the patriarchal Elizabethan era. Therefore, it was very common back in Elizabethan England to compel woman into marriages in order to receive power, legacy, dowry or land in exchange.
Even though the Queen herself was an unmarried woman, the roles of woman in society were extremely restricted. Single women have been the property of their fathers and handed over to their future husbands through marriage.
In Elizabethan time, women were considered as the weaker sex and dangerous, because their sexuality was supposedly mystic and therefore feared by men.
Women of that era were supposed to represent virtues like obedience, silence, sexual chastity, piety, humility, constancy, and patience.
All these virtues, of course, have their meaning in relationship to men.
The role allocation in Elizabethan society was strictly regulated; men were the breadwinners and woman had to be obedient housewives and mothers.
However, within this deprived, tight and organized scope, women have been represented in most diverse ways in Shakespearean Drama.
The construction of female characters in Shakespeare’s plays reflects the Elizabethan image of woman in general. For all that, Shakespeare supports the English Renaissance stereotypes of genders, their roles and responsibilities in society, he also puts their representations into question, challenges, and also revises them.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WOMAN IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY HAMLET
2.1 THE CHARACTER OF OPHELIA
2.2 THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET’S MOTHER: GERTRUDE
3. WOMAN IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY OTHELLO
3.1 THE CHARACTER OF DESDEMONA
4. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the role and representation of female characters within the patriarchal structures of Shakespeare's tragedies, specifically focusing on how these women are constrained, marginalized, or challenged within their respective social contexts.
- Analysis of female submissiveness and the Elizabethan ideal of womanhood.
- Examination of the tragic burden and guilt assigned to female characters.
- Investigation into the influence of feminist criticism on Shakespearean interpretation.
- Comparison of female character trajectories in Hamlet and Othello.
- Evaluation of how patriarchal ideology shapes the portrayal of gender roles.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 The Character of Ophelia
Shakespeare has a fascinating style of presenting female characters; a lot of them are rebels and unruly. However not all female characters in Shakespeare’s plays are rebellious, they are also very docile, eager-to-please young woman – classic Good Girls so to speak.
Their families, especially their fathers, regard them as ideal children that reflect well on their families and would never threat their authority. The daughters make themselves presentable, agreeable and they accept the suitor chosen by their fathers. The fathers are always convinced that they know what is best for their daughters and have no concerns to impose their wills. The amenable daughters, opposed to their rebellious counterparts, do not question their fathers’ decisions and obey to the consequences. Just like for that period, it seems to be Shakespeare’s ideal feminine representation.
In his Tragedies young woman, like Ophelia in Hamlet, suffer from isolation, abuse and death. In particular, all female characters seem to have the same tragic fate, which is the unnatural, early death (Hamilton, 2003, pp. 69-70).
Ophelia seems to be the ideal representation of Elizabethan daughterhood. In Hamlet, women are reflected as the subordinate position in Elizabethan England, where their lives are strictly controlled by either their fathers or husbands. Their rights are legally, socially and economically restricted. The female characters in Hamlet, Ophelia and Queen Gertrude, have only little or no power or autonomy (Gibson, 2002, p.72). In this part the focus will lie on Hamlet’s female character Ophelia; Polonius’s daughter, Laertes’s sister, and Hamlet’s sometimes love. Ophelia is a sweet, innocent woman, who obeys to both Polonius and Laertes. She is a smart young and loving woman that is overtaken by dramatic fate, madness and death (Berensmeyer, 2007, p. 38).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter contextualizes the role of women in the Elizabethan era and introduces feminist criticism as the theoretical framework for analyzing Shakespeare’s tragedies.
2. WOMAN IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY HAMLET: This section investigates the constraints placed upon female characters in Hamlet, specifically exploring the submissive nature of Ophelia and the ambiguous role of Queen Gertrude.
2.1 THE CHARACTER OF OPHELIA: This chapter analyzes Ophelia as an embodiment of Elizabethan daughterhood whose innocence and lack of autonomy lead to her tragic descent into madness.
2.2 THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET’S MOTHER: GERTRUDE: This chapter explores the complexity of Gertrude’s character, focusing on her influence as a mother and her pivotal, though often misunderstood, role in the tragedy.
3. WOMAN IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY OTHELLO: This chapter examines the intersections of love, marriage, and male authority in Othello, highlighting the isolation and degradation of the female protagonist.
3.1 THE CHARACTER OF DESDEMONA: This chapter focuses on Desdemona’s strength and independent choices in the face of Othello's growing suspicion and the societal pressures that ultimately lead to her death.
4. CONCLUSION: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that female characters in these plays are essential for conveying the extreme nature of gender differentiation and the consequences of patriarchal control.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Feminist Criticism, Elizabethan Era, Ophelia, Gertrude, Desdemona, Hamlet, Othello, Tragedy, Gender Roles, Patriarchy, Female Subordination, Madness, Marriage, Literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the representation of female characters in Shakespeare’s tragedies, specifically Hamlet and Othello, through the lens of feminist criticism.
Which female characters are central to this study?
The research primarily examines Ophelia, Queen Gertrude, and Desdemona.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze how patriarchal structures and Elizabethan conventions restrict, define, and ultimately impact the tragic fates of these female characters.
What methodology is applied?
The author uses feminist criticism to examine how patriarchal ideology in Shakespearean literature often distorts or represses female experiences.
What defines the main body of the work?
The main body is divided into investigations of specific plays and characters, detailing their social constraints, relationships with men, and paths toward tragedy.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key themes include Shakespeare, Feminist Criticism, Gender Roles, Tragedy, and Female Autonomy.
How does the author characterize Ophelia’s madness?
The author argues that Ophelia’s madness is linked to her femininity and is a direct product of the societal pressures and the isolation she experiences as a daughter.
What role does the handkerchief play in the tragedy of Desdemona?
The handkerchief is interpreted as an allegory of female power and its loss, serving as a catalyst for Othello's descent into suspicion and irrational violence.
Why is Queen Gertrude considered an ambiguous figure?
Gertrude is described as mysterious because she rarely speaks of her own feelings, leaving the extent of her knowledge and her motivations regarding her marriage to Claudius open to interpretation.
- Quote paper
- Sara Ekici (Author), 2009, Feminist Criticism: Female Characters in Shakespeare’s Plays Othello and Hamlet, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/137842
