Paper Summary:

This paper focuses on William Shakespeare's use of women in his plays. It shows how Shakespeare chose to include women such as Lady Macbeth, Desdemona and Imogen as counterparts to the male protagonists often guiding the play. It describes the roles played by Lady Macbeth, Desdemona and Imogen and how they are necessary to not only maintain the flow of the play, but often to coerce their male counterparts into extreme behavior. The paper focuses on the strength and abilities of these women, deriving a logical conclusion as to why Shakespeare may have given them such great importance.

From the Paper:

"English poet, playwright and actor, William Shakespeare, bestowed upon the world a canon of literature that has earned him recognition as the greatest playwright of all time. Through his literary genius, Shakespeare created some of the most famous literary works studied across the globe. His methodical and artistic nature provided an enhanced view of our world through imitation and a means by which issues such as race, class and gender could be transcended. Shakespeare's creative efforts encouraged cultural influence allowing him to attain this profound appreciation that no other author has rivaled. His ability to captivate audiences in numerous languages has allowed him to remain the "greatest playwright of all time." Time after time, William Shakespeare proved himself to be the "soul of the age"(Jonson), providing works that imitated real life, while incorporating lyrical images that transcended this Elizabethan Era literature and become contemporary in "all time"(Jonson). His writing often combines an efficient use of symbolic messages, facets of British and Roman history, romance, revenge tragedy, comedy and myth. The versatility of Shakespeare's prose from one literary piece to the next seems to be central to his success. The brilliance of William Shakespeare is exposed in his dynamic ability to write and perform the greatest theatrical works the world has ever experienced."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. NewYork:Rutledge, 1990.
• Dash, Irene. Wooing, Wedding, and Power: The Women in Shakespeare's Plays. New York:Columbia UP, 1981.
• Dusinberre, Juliet. Shakespeare and the Nature of Women. London:Macmillan, 1975.
• Freud, Sigmund. Freud on Macbeth Some Character-types Met With In Psycho-analytical Work (1916).
• Garber, Marjorie. "Cymbeline." Shakespeare After All. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004.

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