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Masculinity and femininity
How do gender roles play a part in literature
How do gender roles play a part in literature
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Shakespeare challenges the assumption that men hold more power than women do. He subtly hints that the power men posses is superficial when Jessica dresses like a boy, and later when Nerissa and Portia disguise themselves as men in The Merchant of Venice. Masculinity is merely a costume that can be donned or doffed at will; therefore its associated power can be removed and redistributed as well.
Shakespeare emphasizes gender barriers, yet also challenges them to show their inconsistencies. In court, the Duke articulates the common assumption that men represent the educated and professional members of society. As he anticipates the arrival of the "young learned doctor" (IV i143), he asks, "Where is he?" (IVi 144). The Duke has not yet read the letter from Bellario; therefore he infers that the doctor is a man based on a preconceived prejudice that doctors usually are male. Nerissa and Portia are well aware of this discrimination, so they take on the roles of men rather than disguise themselves as other women when they appear in court. They succeed in fooling everyone at Shylock’s trial that they are men, not women, thus dispute the gender barrier that presumes women are not sophisticated enough to be experts. Gratiano suggests that no barriers lie between the sexes when he refers to Jessica as a "gentle" (II vi 51). He puns on the word, which can mean a refined lady or a gentleman, implying that the two can be indistinguishable. In the final scene when Portia questions Bassanio about his ring, he declares, "No woman had it, but a civil doctor"(V i210). He suggests that the two could not represent the same person. As he continues to speak, he reinforces gender differences; he describes Portia as "sweet" and "good" then refers t...
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... influence that Nerissa now has over him.
Shakespeare subtly addresses gender disputes and overwhelmingly proves them erroneous. He allows Jessica, Portia, and Nerissa to cross gender lines and disguise themselves as men. While they are transformed, their actions exemplify masculine deceit. Portia makes Balthasar seem excellent, therefore proves that women can surpass men in intellect. The women ultimately challenge male power and honor with their reluctance to act as men. After proving that men do not always posses more power than women do, Shakespeare concludes the play with a scene that physically shows females with the upper hand. The women use masculinity merely as a costume, and when they "remove it" they retain power, thus prove that the two are not always coupled.
Works Cited
Shakespeare. Merchant of Venice. New York: Viking Penguin, 1965.
PART I. INTRODUCTION The molarity of an unknown acid will be determined using a method called "titration". Titration is the process of the gradual addition of a solution of known concentration to a second solution until the solute in the second solution has completely reacted. A solution of known concentration used in a titration is called a standard solution. In today's experiment, NaOH, a base, is the standard solution. Sodium hydroxide will be added to an unknown acid. The unknown acid and the base reacts and forms salt and water. This type of reaction is called neutralization: NaOH + HA ---> H2O + NaA HA is an abbreviation for an unknown acid. A substance called an indicator is added to show the end of the titration.
From the bitter Emilia to the pious Isabella, Shakespeare was a champion of crafting women. With a wide range of personalities, professions, and situations, Shakespeare mastered early in his illustrious career the art of creating diverse, dynamic, and multidimensional female characters. When stepping outside the traditional roles for female characters in theater, Shakespeare pushed boundaries by giving his women intelligent wit, innate humor, motives and goals which the Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences could relate directly to their own experiences. More than anything else, Shakespeare created a race of theatrical females who were first and foremost described as complete human women with virtues and vices which were believable and realistic. With these attributes, Shakespeare’s women were able to perceive unequal distributions of power in their worlds, particularly the distribution of power in the romantic relationships which in many cases were chosen for them. Comprehending with a bitter distaste the lack of control they held over their future lives, the women of Shakespeare took matters into their own hands more often than not, utilizing revolutionary or unconventional means to gain dominance in the power dynamics of their relationships. William Shakespeare offered his female characters the abilities and opportunities to recognize their subordinate positions concerning romantic relationships as well as the initiative to attempt a shift in these power dynamics.
William Shakespeare is well known for being a poet, playwright, and actor. Shakespeare's work appears to be very sexist in gender roles. He uses gender roles in his 'Romeo & Juliet' play. Juliet being the main and most important female role in this play; is supposed to be noble and respectful, but instead she goes against her father’s wishes and acts more educated than she really is. Romeo being the main male role in this play is supposed to be focused and noble, but instead he is passionate in love and isn't very wise with decisions but in comparison to Paris, who is very masculine, focused and noble shows a real renaissance male. This paper will demonstrate how Shakespeare uses gender role reversement ; by having feminism and masculinity, arrangement of marriages, and compare and contrast of different characters to prove the model of genders in Elizabethan England.
In conclusion, through the lens of Gender theory and examination, this play not only portrays women in a degrading manner, but definitely makes the male characters overshadow the female characters. As shown through two female characters whose parts are both subordinate and very compliant. Both women act like they are suppose to and do not even the slightest but challenge the male characters. Both women by the end of the play have completely lost their identities and have conformed to what society made them into, nothing but a puppet controlled by men. Hamlet is a play that has a clear distinction between male and female roles. The male roles are powerful, dominating, and controlling while the female characters are obedient, fractured and frail. "
Society in the16th century was highly structured. Women of the upper class were expected to be trophies for their husbands. The men were required to hunt, lead, and go into battle. If one chose not to follow these dictates, the rest of society would question, look down on, or even punish the deviant. The prominent author, William Shakespeare, placed this subject into comedy and tragedy plays with dramatically different outcomes. In Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare makes fun of stereotypical gender roles by establishing Beatrice and Lady Macbeth as the dominant characters over Benedick and Macbeth through imagery, dialogue, and character personalities.
The reason people exist is because of two important things: memory and language, which have been vital in the evolution of humanity. (Our ancestors needed language to explain how to light a fire to keep them warm and a memory to remember how to do it). So we have a memory because if we did not we would never have evolved far enough for you to ask this question in this place. So how does it work? The process involve in the human memory are very complex… I will present you the neuralgic and biologic part then Aurelie will talk about the characteristics of our human memory and then Sebastien will explain the troubles of the memory…
This essay will discuss how Shakespeare depicts women in his works including Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice. As Shakespeare produced his work during the Renaissance period, this essay will also talk about how Shakespeare’s plays were written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and how Shakespeare’s work may have paralleled the same view that society had of women and their role. Writing techniques used by Shakespeare such as the use of language in dialogue and cross-dressing will be considered in this essay, to show how women were perceived in his work and the controversy it caused to the society.
Neurophysiology is the study of the brains behavior. Personality affects how a person will behave in certain situations. Human’s attitudes are determined by their environments, personal preferences and dislikes all reflex their everyday actions. Personality is 50%-70% hereditary and that home environment has little impact on child development. Motivated behavior; extraverts demonstrate an increased sensitivity to reward signals. There are three criterions necessary to establish the neurobiological basis of such a personality: a) define the network of neural structures associated with the trait, b) explain how individual differences occur within the functioning of that network and c) identify the sources of individual differences. Neurobiology investigates these questions with a reductionism approach, examining chemical release at synapses and correlating such activity with behavior. Personality research has a long history in the field of psychology. Only in the last forty years, however, have scientists begun to look for biological explanations. Is it possible that eventually neurobiology will be able to explain personality on the same level as motor responses or our sense of hearing? Still, the chemical basis of personality gives us great insight into how and why we behave as we do. It can help explain why different people react differently to similar situations. Perhaps most importantly, it offers the potential to alter such behavior, from treating mild cases of anxiety to severe personality disorders.
Shakespeare shows how the women characters are not strong minded, but shows how their love and deception towards the male characters leads them to their behavior. Lead to their own demises due to the flaws such as dependence they have. The male characters bossed the women around and the women did as they were told. Shakespeare used Gertrude and Ophelia to show how the men seemed to do as they wished and women were forced to follow. It provides the power that the male towards the woman. The dependence of women on men may have traditionally been a factor in their lives; however, in today's ever-changing society, women have become more and more independent to overcome circumstances such as these. Not only were the women manipulated by the male characters, but they were also controlled by their beloved ones.
... Critical Interpretations, ed. Harold Bloom (New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987) 43. For further discussion on renaissance gender performance and identity politics among Shakespeare's cross-dressed heroines, see Michael Shapiro's Gender in Play on the Shakespearean Stage: Boy Heroines and Female Pages (Ann Arbor: The University of MIchigan Press, 1994).
Treatment of women has evolved much since Elizabethan England. As a preface to the dissection of The Tempest – in particular, the character of Miranda, Shakespeare’s role for women as a whole must be addressed. According to Carolyn Ruth Swift Lenz’s introduction of Woman’s Part, “patriarchal order takes different forms and is portrayed with varying degrees of emphasis throughout the Shakespearean canon” (5). In the midst of this patriarchy, where do women stand? What social assumptions guided the pen of the great English poet and playwright as he wrote The Tempest? Lenz discusses that “In the comedies women are most often nurturing and powerful; as their values educate the men, mutuality between the sexes may be achieved” (6). However, “in tragedy…their roles are at once more varied, more constricted, and more precarious…they are condemned for acting, accused of being deceitful even when they are not” (6). Why the canyon between the two? How does Shakespeare reconcile women in what The Norton Shakespeare terms a romance play?
In the 16th century, women and men were defined as having specific and contrasting roles within society. Men were defined as being powerful and dominant while women were defined as being submissive and meek. These ideals can be seen across cultures and throughout time. With these definitions of gender roles in place, the text suggests that gender is a social construct therefore qualities of femininity and masculinity are subjective. This is shown when Portia cross dresses as the lawyer Balthazar (IV) and when the truths of the rings are discovered by the two women (V). The strong female characters in the play exemplify that women are not confined to their social construct as they manipulate the male characters. During the 16th century only
Throughout Shakespeare’s various works, it has been observed that he rarely uses females in his literature, but when he does, he uses them for a distinct purpose, as is evident in Julius Caesar. By defying the societal standards of her gender and showing genuine interest in her husband’s thoughts and feelings, Portia, the wife of Brutus, reveals key aspects of his character while adding depth to the story. For her time, Portia was a woman who both respected herself and took pride in herself, without allowing society to make a mark on her. This is evident when she states, “Think you I am no stronger than my sex/ Being so father'd and so husbanded?" (Port...
Men have so much control in this society and Shakespeare has a little bit of a change in the women in his play.
The brain is by far the most complex system in the human body. Although many processes and components of the brain are important for humans to function, memory is by far one of the most unique characteristic s of the brain. The implication of memory can be seen in every aspect of a human's life, whether this is the retention of facts or executing and performing tasks to survive memory is a compilation of information that allows for functionality among people. Memory defines a person. The primary question regarding this topic is how can humans store information and then apply it to their surroundings? Answers are dependent on how the brain gains and stores information and then communicates that information to different parts of the brain. A human’s memory is based upon the brain’s structures, a person’s perceptions, and visualizations of their surroundings.