Gender Stereotypes In Shakespeare's As You Like It

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Gender norms and stereotypes have never helped anyone. In As You Like It, Shakespeare works to show that women are strong, sometimes just like a male, and have no problem sticking together and helping others. Rosalind is our main heroine who shows the other characters how a woman can truly embrace her masculine traits and become a confident but lovable character at once. Today there are still issues with the belief that a woman can only be completely feminine and a male is only masculine, however, there has never been a rule made that that is the way it is. As You Like It explores the realm of gender roles that Shakespeare shows are not so clear cut, and women, like how Rosalind found herself, need to embrace every aspect to them and not be …show more content…

Shakespeare recognized that many women had no voice in his day. By societal means it was completely normal for the woman to nod and keep her true feelings inside because she had no right to be any other way. Before Rosalind is banished, Celia speaks of the typical housewife or female that would be met during these times, “’Tis true, for those that she makes fair, she scarce makes honest, and those that she makes honest, she makes very ill-favoredly” (1.2. 36-38). Celia claims through this quote that women who are fair are not honest or very expressive, but it can be claimed in reverse as well. The women in that society are considered beautiful if they are reserved and obedient. However, Rosalind breaks this belief at every turn, and based on her actions Shakespeare is trying to expose that there is a truly cunning and witty side to women. Those who watched Rosalind in the apparel of a man, gallivanting across the stage, and giving advice to the hopeless lovers would not take kindly to her heroism. Shakespeare, however, places his cherry on top of the controversial play with his epilogue. Here he slyly slips a note to the audience and they can find more appeal to the

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