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Patriarchal society sociology essay
Thesis statement the portrayal of women in literature
Thesis statement the portrayal of women in literature
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The two societies found in The Yellow Wallpaper and Othello are both patriarchal in nature; the stories themselves take up the issue of women’s oppression in each society. Patriarchy “is defined as the source of women’s oppression and gender inequalities in which men, as a group, dominate women as another group” (Johnson as cited in Ravari 155 ). Male superiority is demonstrated in the two texts in the way female characters serve and obey their husbands, and how the male characters patronize and cause detriment towards the female characters. Although there are similarities in the effects and consequences the women feel, the differences in culture, era and location of the two stories causes a discrepancy in the experiences of the women from …show more content…
Both texts demonstrate the consequences associated with patriarchy, and extend to show that equality, and proper treatment of women can only be achieved in a non-patriarchal society. The societies found in the two texts, while different, share a number of similarities that can be compared by using examples from The Yellow Wallpaper and Othello. In both texts, women were expected to be silent, obedient, and subservient. While the men in court did show surprise to Othello slapping Desdemona, when Desdemona excused herself they merely commented that she was “truly (an) obedient lady” (iv.i.278-279) as if that was what was important and she was not just publicly abused by her husband. Emilia’s willingness to compromise herself by stealing the handkerchief and to lie for Iago’s cause points to the woman’s role in supporting her husband, a role which was not necessarily reciprocated. In The Yellow Wallpaper, Jane was a patient of the rest cure who became increasingly aware throughout the story that she had to keep her thoughts to herself or else continue being treated as a prisoner in the name of her health. In both tales, …show more content…
While these differences alter the experiences felt by each character due to their respective cultures, each aspect that differs between the two societies still adds to the overall oppression of women. Othello was set in the late 16th century in a hierarchical, status oriented society. The effects of a culture focused on rank and class level are reflected by the reactions that Othello, Brabantio, Iago and Cassio had throughout the play when their status was threatened. Iago’s ability to so easily manipulate these men by threatening their position shows the importance honour had in this society. Brabantio’s reaction to Othello’s and Desdemona’s marriage, Cassio’s anguish over his lost title, and Othello’s ease in being influenced by Iago are examples of this. The society in The Yellow Wallpaper differs in this way because while John did put himself as superior to Jane, he did not harm Jane in the name of his status, but rather a misguided medical belief that she was sick due to her gender’s pathology. The actions of the men in Othello were motivated by honour, while it was John’s arrogance that instead caused him to mistreat Jane. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the oppression towards women was led by the belief that women were pathologically inferior to men, where in Othello, as explained by Hammons, “[a]ccording to The Lawes Resolutions, because Eve’s transgression
In equation with the Elizabethan era, Shakespeare offers us a male dominated society in his renowned tragedy, Othello. Consequently, this definitely persuades a negative attitude and demeanor towards the women of the times. The female characters in the play: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca; play relevant roles in contributing to one’s understanding of this exhausted Elizabethan view. In contrast to the larger portion of the play, Emilia, spouse to the scandalous Iago, takes an opinionated stand for Desdemona in relation to her wholesome gone sour relationship with the Moor of Venice, Othello. I recognize Emilia’s “Betrayal lecture” as a justified outlook in accordance with today’s period and events surrounding Desdemona’s and Othello’s fatal misunderstanding.
The definition of Renaissance women is fundamentally important in William Shakespeare's play Othello. One of the major causes of Othello's tragedy is his belief that Desdemona is not chaste. According to the men of the Renaissance, chastity, silence, and obedience are three attributes that define Renaissance women. Although Othello takes place during the Renaissance, the women in the play, Bianca, Desdemona and Emilia, defy traditional norms by lacking at least one of the major attributes defining women; Bianca's lack of chastity is clearly displayed when she unlawfully sleeps with Cassio; Desdemona's lack of silence is clearly displayed when she constantly urges Othello to give Cassio's position back. However, in the last two acts, Emilia displays the strongest challenge to the definition of Renaissance women as silent, chaste, and obedient, mainly to defend Desdemona.
The role of the female has developed from being submissive and “obedient” in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting. The racism of the first text is overtly xenophobic and natural, whilst the “moor” is unnatural whereas the updated context portrays Othello’s race as natural and racism as unnatural. Therefore these examples show how Shakespeare’s Othello, and it’s appropriation, Geoffrey sax’s Othello, reflect the context and values of their times.
The portrayal of gender roles in William Shakespeare’s play Othello, demonstrates the inferior treatment of women and the certain stereotypes of men placed on them by society. Both the male and female characters in the play have these certain gender expectations placed on them. In a society dominated by men, it is understood that the women are to be seen rather than heard. The women are referred to and treated much like property. If indeed they do speak up, they are quickly silenced. One woman’s attempt to be the perfect wife is what ultimately led to her demise. The expectations of men are equally stereotypical. Men are to be leaders and to be in control and dominant especially over the women. The male characters compete for position and use the female characters in the play as leverage to manipulate each other. Shakespeare provides insight in understanding the outcomes of the men and women who are faced with the pressures of trying to live up to society’s expectations, not only in the workplace, but also in the home. The pressure creates jealousy issues amongst the men and they become blind to the voice of reason and are overtaken by jealous rage, leads to the death of many of the characters.
During the Elizabethan era women had a status of subordination towards men. They had a role to marry and oblige to their husband’s wishes. Shakespearean literature, especially illustrates how a woman is psychologically and physically lesser to their male counterpart. The play, Othello, uses that aspect in many different ways. From a Feminist lens others are able to vividly examine how women were subjected to blatant inferiority. Being displayed as tools for men to abuse, women were characterized as possessions and submissive; only during the last portion of the play did the power of women take heed.
While there have been a great number of changes in the world since Shakespeare wrote Othello, there are a few truths about humanity and society that remain true. Othello is notorious for it’s examination of race, but is not given enough credit for its observations of gender. Iago embodies masculine gender roles in a severe and exaggerated way, allowing his desire for proving his masculinity to corrupt him morally. Iago then turns and uses his own fears of inadequacy against Othello as the root of his revenge and to improve his own self-image. Desdemona is hurt most by the need for gender roles, which ultimately ends up in her death. The characters in Othello are severely harmed by the gender roles they feel the need to adhere to.
During this time period, the men would work to support their family. Additionally, the woman would stay at home and care for her husband and children. This society thought of women as weaker than men. They were often treated as possessions of their husbands, “This concurs with Othello 's own insight when he describes murderous jealousy as innate in the husband-wife relationship which posits the wife as the exclusive possession of the husband and is thus at odds with the human condition wherein one can never know another person 's inmost thoughts and desires” (Vanita 342).The language Shakespeare uses in the play supports that men seemed freer than women. When Brabantio speaks of his daughter he describes her as obedient. Likewise, Desdemona obeyed Othello’s orders and stated she is indeed obedient to him. When Othello was convinced Desdemona was cheating on him he proceeded to murder
Gender inequality will always affect the way women are portrayed in society, the weaker, unnecessary, and other sex. It is not just a subject of the past, but still holds a name in society, however in the olden eras the way women were treated and are looked at, in a much more harsh condition. In Shakespeare’s Othello and Shelley’s Frankenstein women’s roles in the books are solely based on the way they are treated in their time period. The way women are portrayed in these books, demonstrate that they can never be in the same standing as men, considered the second option, and therefore will never have the same respect as men. In both Othello and Frankenstein women are treated as property, used to better men’s social standards, and lack a voice,
In “The Yellow Wall Paper”, a women and her husband who has moved to a shabby chic house to improve upon her health is ordered to quit writing. She is put in a room that must have been for children or for playing has sickening yellow wallpaper that could drive anyone to claw at the wall due to its distasteful appearance. Although she tries to get her husband to let her leave the dreadful room, he never complies to relieve her of her minds slow destruction. Little does he know that his inaction will lead to catastrophe due to his lack of accomplishment. On the other hand, in “Shakespeare’s Sister”, it is not the woman herself that is treated so unfairly, but the concept of how she could have been treated. The girl in her thoughts receives the brunt of male superiority just because she was born a female. She would never receive an education, her writing would not be accepted, and she would only be expected to get married and have children all due to the true fact that she was born the opposite sex of
...of Elizabethan England and put women in their place. Men view women as possessions, who are to remain obedient and submissive all the time. The only power over men women have is their sexuality, which is seen as evil and is to be resisted my men. Men are free to call women whores and accuse them of lewd acts with no substantial evidence. However there is a suggestion that women are starting to question the male authority society has set, this is evident when Desdemona is conversing with Emilia: 'Nay, we must think men are not gods" (III.4.144). This suggests that Desdemona had viewed men as god like in the past, but perhaps her experiences with Othello have changed her mind. The language and actions of the three women in Othello, while they seem to follow the expectations and standards of society, also seems to take a big step towards a more egalitarian society.
In Shakespeare's Othello, men don’t view women as equals. Men, like Iago make degrading comments to women face to face comparing them to prostitutes, and say the only thing they are good for is raising children. Iago also has a master plan to ruin Othello’s marriage, and he thinks it will be easy because women are viewed as lose and they sleep around. When women try to speak their mind to stand up for themselves, the men won’t listen. The play Othello displays the theme of fear of female empowerment through Shakespeare’s use of the characterization of Iago and the symbolism of the red strawberries.
During the Shakespearean time women were treated as inferiors. The three women in Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca encountered many degrading and unfortunate situations. They were to be obedient. The women had to comply with the commands, orders, and the instructions of the men. Women were made to believe that they had no rights. The men would publicly humiliate the three women. It was difficult for the women to stand up for themselves due to that time in society. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, he portrayed the three women to be viewed as obedient, loyal, and submissive to their husbands.
The play Othello is presented as a male-dominated society where women are only recognized as property; objects to own and to bear children. Women in the Elizabethan society and in Shakespeare society were not seen as equal to men and were expected to be loyal to their husbands, be respectful, and to not go against their husbands judgements or actions. Shakespeare presents Desdemona, Emilia , and Bianca as women in the Elizabethan time where they were judged based on their class, mortality, and intelligence. Shakespeare makes his female characters act the way they would be expected to act in an Elizabethan society. The role of these women in Othello is crucial because they show how women were treated and how unhealthy their relationships between men really were in both Elizabethan and Shakespeare's society.
In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, he demonstrates the importance of being a male or female by indicating the different social status between men and women to reveal the effects of gender. Shakespeare illustrates the role of women during Elizabethan, and how they were ruled by man, their father and husband. At the beginning of the play, while Iago and Roderigo are trying to let Brabantio to notice that his daughter was stolen. The line “…Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! Thieves, thieves!” revealed the uneven social status between male and female, and how women are seen as objects owned by men, by listing Desdemona, houses and bags together reflected the uneven position in the Elizabethan period - the female’s condition in society
The role and status of women is dramatically explored in Shakespeare’s Othello, this is demonstrated through the way women are presented, and the way they are treated by other characters throughout the play. The female characters, Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca, whilst all having different statuses, have similar roles in terms of the function they serve to the plot of Othello. Shakespeare uses numerous ways to demonstrate the role and status of women in Othello.