Characteristics Of Portia

In the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare, women play an important role. The women are important factors in foreshadowing and in the development of many of the characters. To look at the role of women in the play we must look deeper in to the roles of the only two women in the play; Calpurnia, wife of Caesar, and Portia, wife of Brutus. Both of these women are key in foreshadowing the murder of Caesar. After Caesar’s murder we do not hear much of either of them.

Without money, Bassanio believes himself an unfit suitor for Portia, unable to match any of her other, richer suitors in sexual appeal. It is doubly significant that though he speaks of love and sexual

The question asks us, “Explore the ways in which Jane Austen and Shakespeare present strong feelings in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘The Merchant of Venice’.

As a senior revising and expanding this essay, I realized how much I have grown as a writer and a student of literature. When I began revising, I realized that the focus of the paper needed to be narrowed and focused more on the play Arcadia, in which Thomasina is the exception to the types of women characters stereotypically

Hermione and Harry help each other with their strengths and abilities. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Hermione always wanted to do everything by the rules. Sometime during the year, she realized that friendship can be more important. Hermione explains, “ ‘Please, Professor McGonagall –they were looking for me. I went looking for the troll because I –I thought I could deal with it on my own…’ ” (120). For the first time ever, Hermione has lied to a teacher. This begins the turning point where Hermione, Harry,

As a means of showing the unjust view of women, Desdemona and Elizabeth’s deaths are caused by society’s

  In eighteenth century novels, a common means of discussing the role of women in society is through the characterization of two good sisters. The heroine of such a novel is a pure, kind young woman who also has a streak of spunkiness. Her sister may be more good and kind, but she is more submissive and reserved. I would like to look at these sisters (and their mothers) in Ann Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance , and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole.

The feminist critical perspective examines the roles that women play in literary works and their true significance to the text. Their roles are usually decided on by the society or time period in which the story is set. In "The Merchant of Venice," females were suppressed by the societal ideals of Shakespeare's Elizabethan era, which is portrayed through the characters of Portia and Jessica, who could not establish their own powerful identities because they were women. Portia and Jessica are the main female characters in the play. If they had been given a chance to show their skills, they undoubtedly would've been extremely strong women. However, they had to mask their abilities in order to appeal to their male counterparts. Their

The intent of this essay is to compare and contrast the characters of Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas. The main points that will be compared and contrasted include the relative beauty, age and the characters of Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas. The similarities and differences in their families, position in society and their wealth, their differing attitudes to marriage, and finally, who has the better deal and why, will also be discussed. By the end of this essay, the reader will be able to discern the differences and similarities in both Elizabeth and Charlotte.

Beatrice is very different than the common expectation of women by people looking back on Shakespeare’s period and of the public of Shakespeare’s time in many ways. As

     Within Measure for Measure the character of Isabella is characterized as an innocent pure female, and there is a focus on her ever-present moral dilemma. By using Elizabethan perspectives on women, nuns, and chastity, Shakespeare uses Isabella to reveal character traits and morality of those around her.  However in opposition Isabella made be seen as an individual who pontificates too much when her brother’s life is at stake, it is perhaps easier for Isabella to suffer the condemnation of a modern audience.

In a cast of over 30 characters, there are only two women. This is a statement describing the world renown play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. These two female characters are Calpurnia, the wife of Julius Ceasar, and Portia, the wife of Marcus Brutus. Other than these two women, the cast is composed entirely of male characters. In a work of literature so populated by men, one may ask why Shakespeare takes the time to include any women at all. However, after further reflection, it is clear to see the reason as to why they are included. Upon including Calpurnia and Portia in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare deepens our understanding of their husbands, highlights the social values of the time, and

Portia still tries to uncover the cause of Brutus' sorrow, and proves she is worthy of keeping a secret because of her nobleness. First she states,

She is immediately established as the perfect woman to show a sharp contrast and othering of Othello. She is described as “A maiden never bold, of spirit so still and so quiet that her motion blushed at herself” (Othello 1:3:112-114). Throughout the play, though Othello treats her cruelly multiple times, she never lashes out or fights against him, she

Her modesty is such that she tends to self-denigrates herself, despite the fact that she contributed to a large extent to the the success of Harry. Because of this episode, among others, these scholars that think that the Harry Potter series presents a stereotypical gendered vision therefore argues that Hermione is only an enabler of Harry and Ron's adventures, that she is kind of passive. However, during this episode, Ron can also appear as an enabler, as he sacrifices himself on the chessboard so to allow Hermione and Harry to go on. Then, Hermione makes her own sacrifice as well, like Ron did. But as argues Klingbiel, “like a good fairy tale hero or new female superhero, Hermione is flawed; her over-reliance on books, annoying people to prove she is smart, shows her uncertainty and fear. The adventure she embarks on and the experience she gains teaches her a lesson.” (174-175). She also states that, “in the world of wizards and witches, magic is strength” and “in order to gain magic, along with certain innate ability, one must also study for it. In Rowling's world, knowledge is power.” (172). In this world then, Hermione should be one of the most powerful character, as she is “the cleverest witch of [her] age” (Rowling, 1999, PoA, p. 372), according to