William Shakespeare s Female Characters - 1232 Words

Katherine Sosa. Julie Clifton. April 22, 2015 Shakespeare s Female Characters. The English playwright and poet William Shakespeare is generally known to be one of the greatest English writers and creators of all time. However, his works open themselves up to interpretation, whether in historical context or symbolism; they lend themselves to every readers individual response. In this research paper I will be addressing patriarchy, his treatment of female characters as commodity, and the misogynistic themes in his works. My goal is not to find the ultimate answer to the question of whether Shakespeare was a misogynist or not, that would simply be unrealistic. But through analysis of some of his major female characters I hope to show that a misunderstanding, and a fear of women is shown in his works. In the end females are usually subdued and the patriarchal structures are secured again. There are many types of female characters represented in Shakespeare s various plays: tragic innocent women, women falsely accused of adultery, a nd scheming women are just a few examples. First lets talk about the tragic innocent female characters. These women are usually pure and chaste and later they tragically die after their innocence is destroyed. An obvious example of a tragic female would be Juliet. At only thirteen she is extremely vulnerable, and naive. During the course of the play she is systematically stripped of everything, because of her love forShow MoreRelatedFemale Characters Of William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet2248 Words   |  9 PagesAbstract—Numerous characters appear in the works of England’s most prominent play writer, William Shakespeare. Most of the time, his male protagonists possess various and complex characteristics throughout the storyline of his work, making it interesting for the readers to analyze their actions in many different aspects. 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