Gender Roles in Shakespeare Essay - 1760 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is a peculiar feature of Shakespeares plays that they both participate in and reflect the ideas of gender roles in Western society. To the extent that they reflect existing notions about the proper roles of men and women, they can be said to be a product of their society. However, since they have been studied, performed, and taught for five hundred years, they may be seen as formative of contemporary notions about the relationships between males, females, and power. Derrida was right in asserting that quot;there is no outside to the text.quot; His claim is that every text is affected by every other text and every other speech act. As an instance, most of Shakespeares plays have†¦show more content†¦Elizabethan society had a loosely determined set of normal behaviors that are frequently linked to gender. Despite diffusion of these gender expectations in both time periods (see Dollimore, Traub), there are definite behaviors that either lie within the constructs of gender or exceed/transgress patterns accepted as conventional. Through the mechanisms of exaggeration or transgression, Shakespeares comedies focus attention on the matter of gender and derive comedy from the situations created. Characters that are natural representations of their gender do not contain the same possibilities for comedy. Beatrice says quot;O, that I were a manquot; (Much Ado About Nothing, IV.i.303), implying in context that her gender has made it impossible for her to act. Other female characters in Shakespeare do take on male roles, and whether it is because their true identity is hidden or simply by virtue of their acceptance as non-female, they are able to function in the text in ways that an undisguised female character could not. Rosalind/Ganymede instructs Orlando in the ways of love. Viola/Cesario enters Orsinos house and, consequentially, his heart. Portia argues a case at law; actually serving as a judge in a dispute involving her new husbands best friend. In assuming a mans role, these women overcome the limitations to which Beatrice finds her sex subjected.Show MoreRelatedGender Roles in Shakespeare1834 Words   |  8 PagesGender Roles in Shakespeare It is a peculiar feature of Shakespeares plays that they both participate in and reflect the ideas of gender roles in Western society. To the extent that they reflect existing notions about the proper roles of men and women, they can be said to be a product of their society. However, since they have been studied, performed, and taught for five hundred years, they may be seen as formative of contemporary notions about the relationships between malesRead MoreGender And Gender Roles In Macbeth By William Shakespeare1043 Words   |  5 PagesIn Macbeth by William Shakespeare, gender plays a pivotal role in the development of the overall plot and as the play advances, certain characters, including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience a reversal in traditional gender behaviors. Additionally, we see gender confusion among other characters that enhances conflict in the play. Originally, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are portrayed in ways that enforce their respective masculinity and feminism in accordance to the society around them. As MacbethRead MoreShakespeare s Viewpoint About Gender And Gender Roles1412 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Shakespeare’s viewpoint about gender and gender roles in the play? Do you agree? 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