Transgressing Prescribed Gender Roles in Shakespeare Essay

Deception, as well as their relationship, is crucial to the overall plot. The character of Lady Anne has crucial dramatic functions within the play because her character supports Richard’s growing reputation of manipulating and morally wrong motives. When she is seduced by Richard, it shows his success at manipulation, which eventually does fail in the later acts of the play.

Throughout Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there is an overlaying presence of the typical roles that men and women were supposed to play. During Elizabethan times there was a major difference between the way men and women were supposed to act. Men typically were supposed to be masculine and powerful, and defend the honor. Women, on the other hand, were supposed to be subservient to their men in their lives and do as ever they wished. In Romeo and Juliet the typical gender roles that men and women were supposed to play had an influence on the fate of their lives.

Gender roles play a major part in interpreting plays and poems. From the Early Modern English period to the 18th century and Enlightenment to present day gender roles and how they are viewed have changed. In the first piece woman were viewed as less than men and had to maneuver around to please men. As time progresses, the second piece shows how gender roles become more equal in life. This changes through time and is shown when you read Twelfth Night by Shakespeare and "A Nocturnal Reverie" by Anne Finch.

In Twelfth Night, the protagonist of the story, Viola, is displayed as a rational, sacrificial, sincere, strong, witty woman, who disguises herself as a man, to become a faithful attendant of Orsino. Viola is one with sacrificial and patient love, willingly loving Orsino, and attending to his every need. Orsino, on the other hand, is shown as an emotional man, who has superficial and transient love for Olivia. This love is very abruptly shifted to Viola at the end of the play, when Viola reveals her true identity. Through this contrast of these two individuals, we can see that Shakespeare makes a distinct different between genders, and allows to draw a contrast between characters to think deeper into their characters and purpose in the story, beyond their surface appearances.

Some critics and other readers of Shakespeare's plays argue that he treats women with disrespect. However, he actually treats them with a great amount of respect. Shakespeare has been criticized by many modern writers for his portrayal of women.

    Othello represents a prime example of Shakespeare's ability to develop relationships between the sexes so as to demonstrate those relationships' weaknesses. In Othello, the sexes are divided by misconceptions and ego- centric views of the opposite gender. The men of the play, in particular Othello, maintain a patriarchal, chivalric notion of the sexes, while the women of the play yearn for more involvement in their husbands' affairs. So it is that the thrust of the play emerges from "the opposition of attitudes, viewpoints, and sexes." (Neely 214)

Throughout Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there is a clear overlaying presence of the gender roles that both men and women were supposed to play in the Elizabethan Age. During the time period of Shakespeare, there was an explicit distinction between what was expected of males and females. In this story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet live in a society of heavy gender roles and prominent male superiority. Accordingly, this fits into the plot of the play. Demonstrated numerous times in Verona, females were viewed as inferior and had no say in making their life decisions and had to be subservient to what men said. On the other hand, men were expected to follow the set rules they had to observe

All throughout the Shakespearean play Othello gender roles are portrayed as severely unequal. Act 2 in specific portrays women as possessions rather than treating them at a level equal to men. The men are seen as more powerful and as if they own the women. For example in scene three Othello says, “Come, my dear love, the purchases made, the fruit are to ensue; the profit’s yet to come ‘tween me and you. - Goodnight,” (II.III.9-11). When Othello says this he isn’t merely talking about fruit, he is talking about his marriage to Desdemona. Othello is stating that their marriage is more a monetary transaction, something he purchased rather than a true loving relationship. Instead of being equals in their relationship, it is now seen as if Desdemona

Rosalind’s character is at the center of almost everything that happens in As You Like It. Rosalind’s importance is emphasized by the fact that she has more lines that any other character of Shakespeare plays. Rosalind made the choice to dress as a man. She wanted to look like a man. ‘The complexity of her role is enhanced by the fact that for much of four acts she dresses like a man and successfully passes for one” (1617). She feels comfortable dressing like a man with the power that entails. Rosalind initially dresses like a man to protect herself in the forest, but as she continues in this guise she becomes more powerful

What makes the play interesting, especially for the time it was written is that Shakespeare poses some serious questions about the role of gender when he had Rosalind possesses many of the traits typically

Women under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I were for the first time being allowed to break out of long-imposed social constraints, which was one of the first steps to being seen as equals to men. In "Twelfth Night" the females donned facades that gave them a chance to fully demonstrate just how similar women are to men, in terms of characteristics and personality traits. Olivia's disguising herself from the world around her despite the disapproval of her court, as well as her ability to successfully rule over that court without a man proves her independence. Viola's costume as a man gives her an outlet to express her confidence and to solidify her certainty in herself. Maria's guise of being an unsophisticated lady actually lets her complex humour and personality shine through.

By examining Shakespeare’s treatment of familial ties in his plays The Life and Death of King John and The Winter’s Tale, we can see how his attitudes and opinions towards family relationships evolved. In King John (written between 1594 and 1596), Shakespeare adopts what was then a fairly conventional attitude towards family relationships: his characters never question the highly patriarchal family hierarchy. They also assume that the majority of wives will be unfaithful, simply because they are female—however, they take the charge of adultery rather lightly. By contrast, in The Winter’s Tale (written between 1610 and 1611), he adopts a much more progressive, feminist view of family

Shakespeare also uses discovery in 'As You Like It' to explore the gender construct. Rosalind discovers that gender is not based on physical features or stereotypes and that a simple change in stance, posture and/or mannerisms can change them. In 'As You Like It', Rosalind's personality remains the same throughout her experience as Ganymede - she essentially only changes her clothing when switching genders. Her recurrent personality is seen through Orlando's interaction with both identities. Orlando is happy to woo both Rosalind and Ganymede, even promising to return to Ganymede "with no less religion than if [he] wert indeed his Rosalind". The simile used, stresses the similarity between the identities, further emphasised when Duke Senior

Another point to make on this matter would be that the character of Rosalind would have been played by a male and the audience would know this. This could mean that the reason Shakespeare included Rosalind’s enjoyment of manly sports was because Rosalind is actually a man in the attire of a woman. There is a large confusion of the gender of Rosalind throughout the play. By confusing the gender, Shakespeare is focusing more on the personality of Rosalind than her appearance. The question of gender is continued at the very end of the play. In many of his plays, Shakespeare ends with an epilogue read by a male character. In As You Like it, the epilogue is performed by Rosalind. The epilogue seems to be outside the play as if the actor was talking but Rosalind is still in character. She says herself;

     Throughout history, men and women have been assigned specific roles to which society prescribes standards and qualifications. There are certain tasks that have been traditionally completed only by men, and others that have been assigned to women; most of which are separated by the realm of the domestic sphere. During the period of the Renaissance, men and women were assigned very different roles within society. The value, social expectations, legal status, and rights of citizenship differed greatly between the sexes as well as among the classes. Many of these gender roles can be identified through careful readings of the literature produced throughout the Renaissance.