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Tamed Shrews And Twelfth Nights: The Role Of Women In Shakes. It is curious
to note the role of women in Shakespearean literature. ...
Tamed Shrews And Twelfth Nights: The Role Of Women In Shakespeare. It is curious
to note the role of women in Shakespearean literature. ...
Tamed Shrews And Twelfth Nights: The Role Of Women In Shakespeare. It is curious
to note the role of women in Shakespearean literature. ...
Submitted by oppapers on May 12, 2000
Category: English
Words: 1100 | Pages: 5
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It is curious to note the role of women in Shakespearean literature. Many critics
have lambasted the female characters in his plays as two-dimensional and unrealistic
portrayals of subservient women. Others have asserted that the roles of women in his
plays were prominent for the time and culture that he lived in. That such contrasting
views could be held in regards to the same topic is academic. It is only with close
examination of his works that we are able to suppose his intent in creating characters that
inspire so much controversy. Two works, Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night, stand
out particularly well in regards to Shakespeare’s use of female characters. After
examining these two plays, one will see that Shakespeare, though conforming to
contemporary attitudes of women, circumvented them by creating resolute female
characters with a strong sense of self.
The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, and has
weathered well into our modern era with adaptations into popular television series such as
Moonlighting. For all the praises it has garnered throughout the centuries, it is curious to
note that many have considered it to be one of his most controversial in his treatment of
women. The “taming” of Katherine has been contended as being excessively cruel by
many writers and critics of the modern era. George Bernard Shaw himself pressed for its
banning during the 19th century (Peralta). The subservience of Katherine has been labeled
as barbaric, antiquated, and generally demeaning. The play centers on her and her lack of
suitors. It establishes in the first act her shrewish demeanor and its repercussions on her
family. It is only with the introduction of the witty Petruchio as her suitor, that one begins
to see an evolution in her character. Through an elaborate...
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