Role of Women in Shakespeare

Paper Summary:

This paper is a discussion of Shakespeare's portrayal of women in his many different works. The author discusses how the female characters are portrayed in several of Shakespeare's plays. In "Henry VI," the woman's placed is portrayed as being in the home, while in "Macbeth," Lady Macbeth's influence declines to the point where she becomes a nervous wreck. In "The Tempest," the heroine Miranda takes all of her cues from the male character, in "Hamlet" a women's involvement in political matters is suggested to be dangerous and in "The Taming of the Shrew," women who were beaten or treated badly by their husband were powerless to speak out against this abuse. The author uses many different sources to support their thesis that Shakespeare did not intentionally portray women in a negative light, but his works should be viewed as being a reflection of the world around him.

From the Paper:

"In "The Tempest," Tarqfrler writes that the heroine, Miranda, again is portrayed as a "conventional woman" (Tarqfrler pg). Although Shakespeare give her a "bright and cheerful nature" filled with kindness and compassion, "she is also oppressed by the male society" a woman who has none of the exaggerated affectations of social rules and timid conventions" (Tarqfrler pg). Shakespeare's male representative, Prospero, trains her in the essential of life, such as "speech, dress, obedience, gentleness and modesty" (Tarqfrler pg). Miranda is naive of the world's social structure, the protocol of aristocracy, moreover, she had no clue as to her place in the scheme of things (Tarqfrler pg). So although, her character is praised for its naivete and beauty, "she lacks profound intellectual and moral content" (Tarqfrler pg). Tarqfrler cites the critic Mrs. Jameson, saying, "She says that beautified nonsense existing in a charming manner does not constitute life. And for this reason Miranda disappoints us considerably. Miranda is a puppet and she lacks the quality and capability of her father. She is guided by Prospero, especially, in her "love affair." (Tarqfrler pg)."

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