The aim of the present paper is to examine the role of women in Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". The first section investigates women in early modern England and is divided into the subsections "Sex and gender in early modern England" and "Norms of femininity". Section two explores the role of women in the sixteenth century comedy. More precisely, the emphasis here will be upon the analysis of female-female and female-male bonds of the characters in the play.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 INTRODUCTION
- 2 THE SOCIAL SITUATION OF WOMEN IN THE ELIZABETHAN AGE
- 2.1 SEX AND GENDER IN THE ELIZABETHAN AGE
- 2.2 SOCIAL NORMS OF FEMININITY IN THE ELIZABETHAN AGE
- 3 WOMEN IN A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
- 3.1 FEMALE – FEMALE BONDS
- 3.2 FEMALE - MALE BONDS
- 4 CONCLUSION
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to examine the role of women in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It investigates the social situation of women in early modern England, focusing on sex and gender distinctions, and norms of femininity. The paper further explores female-female and female-male bonds within the play.
- Gender roles and norms in early modern England
- The impact of patriarchal structures on women's lives
- Feminine attributes and societal expectations for women
- The representation of female relationships in A Midsummer Night's Dream
- The interplay of power dynamics between male and female characters in the play
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the play A Midsummer Night's Dream and its context, highlighting the theme of gender conflict in the play's narrative. It sets the stage for examining the role of women within the play.
Chapter two delves into the social situation of women in the Elizabethan Age, distinguishing between sex and gender, and highlighting the dominance of patriarchal structures. It explores the expectations and norms of femininity during this period.
Chapter three focuses on the portrayal of women in A Midsummer Night's Dream, specifically examining the dynamics of female-female and female-male bonds. It analyses how these relationships reflect the broader societal context of the time.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on key concepts such as gender roles, societal norms, patriarchal structures, feminine attributes, power dynamics, and female relationships. It examines these concepts in the context of early modern England and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Martha Nisi (Autor:in), 2015, Women in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". Sex, Gender, and Social Norms of Feminity in the Elizabethan Age and in Shakespeare's Comedy, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/375648
