I will be doing a short analysis on Marlowe's Hero and Leader, analyzing the power dynamic between Neptune and Leader in line 180-186. Traditionally, power is a trait of masculinity while femininity is usually synonymous with submission though, I would argue that femininity is a type of power that, like maculinity, can be used to reach a certain outcome. Neptune tries to seduce Leander through a series of coy actions. In lines 183 and 184, Neptune slides into Leader's arms, putting himself under Leander, in the submissive role. Neptune, up to this point has obviously had the upper hand; first, by dragging Leander underwater which displays his physical power over Leander, then Neptune "saves" him by giving him Helle's bracelet which puts Neptune
in the role of "protecter" and Leander in a role that is dependent on Neptune. Thus, for most of their encounter, Neptune has played a traditionally masculine role and almost forcibly put Leander in a traditionally feminine role. Then we get to line 180 and things begin to change, Neptune is now seen in the submissive role. Though, I would say that Neptune is still the acting agent in this scene and continues to hold the majority of the power in this encounter. Submission, in this scene, becomes powerful because Neptune uses it to attract Leander and, ultimately, have sex. Thus, submission might be seen as a type of power or ability rather than a dependent state, queering the traditional interpretation of femininity versus masculinity. The dance between the two concepts are displayed in an encounter by two men, which further drives the notion that femininity and masculinity are tools by which anyone can use to further their own causes as Neptune uses both traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine actions to make advances on Leander.
In a patriarchal society men normally have the power. This power is generally handed down generation to generation as seen in Sundiata where the lineage of the first kings of Mali is explained generation by generation (Niane 3). It can also be seen in The Romance of Tristan and Iseult when “[T']he barons, Andret, Guenelon, Gondoine, and Denoalen pressed King Mark to take to wife some king's daughter who should give him an heir...”(Bedier 26). In these examples men generally have the primary power. However, there is an argument to be made that women, in both Sundiata, and The Romance of Tristan and Iseult have some significant power in their society.
In classic works being a strong woman seems to run hand in hand with being manipulative. Medea lied and cheated friends to try to acquire time in order to get what she wants. In this case what she wants is revenge agents her ex-husband. She tricks a friend to give her asylum in Athens after she has committed her insane task. Medea even goes so far as to be able to con Kreon, the king himself into giving her an extra day. This unwittingly gives her exactly what she needs. Antigone tries her hand at manipulation but is not as successful as Medea. Antigone tries, with no avail, to persuade her sister, Ismene, to help her give their brother Polyneices a proper burial. In this way they are more like foxes, cunning but not always getting it right. Their deceitful nature is their strength.
Lady Anne derives power from the language she uses to present her oaths. Like Lady Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margaret also recite curses as a form of control over their situations. The manipulation of a curse for personal means is the only power that a woman has within the male dominated Shakespearean society. Whereas the male derives power from physical force, the women can exert some power through verbal strength.
While neither Machiavelli’s The Prince nor Shakespeare’s Henry V focus explicitly on gender roles, they both make assumptions and implications sufficient to illustrate their opinions about the nature and place of women in relation to men. In Machiavelli’s The Prince, men and women are depicted in traditional gender roles with women as tricky and unreliable, but ultimately yielding to men who are portrayed as tough and immovable. Shakespeare’s Henry V acknowledges these ideas, but also portrays women as able to influence events within the small domain they are given.
...tional obstacles to those faced by male counterparts. One common predicament, identified by the former Equal Opportunities Commission, is the requirement for women leaders to spend extra time and energy not just leading, but ‘proving’ that they can lead. Women leaders are penalized whether they confirm, or contradict a specific stereotype. A female leader can expect to be viewed as less competent when her behaviour is consistent with stereotypical ‘feminine’ behaviour, and as ‘un-feminine’, when her behaviour is inconsistent with stereotypes Ritvo et al (1995).
Leadership in William Shakespeare's Henry V. At the time when "Henry V" was written in 1599, England was in chaos. facing many dilemmas and challenges. The country was coming to the end of the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth was in the final years of her reign. and she was getting old, which must be taken into consideration.
In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow can be seen as the hero of the story despite his alternating morals and the fact that Marlow ultimately does nothing to improve the situation in Africa. Throughout the whole narrative Marlow finds himself thrust into many shocking situations yet chooses the path of an observant bystander, giving his own opinion at the time, but no lasting action or motivation is conceived. On top of this fact Marlow’s morals are anything but set in stone; they waver innumerable times over the course of the plot. Yet Marlow is more often than not seen as the prominent hero of the plot. How is this possible? This is because readers aren’t looking for perfection in a character, but depth, and Marlow achieves this level of depth through his epiphanies and the changes that take place in his perception of the world. These revelations in turn challenge the reader to reevaluate themselves.
At this time of the play being Shown Men had power over women and this
In Antony and Cleopatra, the important point one must recognize is not the battles present both in love and war, but the toe that is continuously slide across the line which Shakespeare always felt inclined to cross. There were no prototypical male or female protagonists in Shakespeare’s world. It is a factor that should always be acknowledged when stewing over this brilliant playwright’s work. Boundaries were meant to be crossed, and Shakespeare made his belief just as apparent in the sloshing of gender roles in Antony and Cleopatra.
"Power and Women in Lysistrata: Character Analysis of Lysistrata." Article Myriad. Web. 25 Mar. 2011. .
Shakespeare expresses the Freudian concept of sexual and aggressive conflict by assigning the traits to female and male characters respectively. The alternating suppression, sexuality over aggression and aggression over sexuality, plays out in Hamlet ultimately proving their symbiotic relationship. The sup...
Although the actual date is unknown Christopher "Kit" Marlowe was likely born in February 1564 in Canterbury, England. His parents were John Marlowe, a shoemaker, and Katherine Arthur, the daughter of a clergyman. Marlowe had eight other siblings, and was the eldest son. He attended King's School, Canterbury, as a Queen's Scholar. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, educational benefactors were common, and his fees may have been paid by Sir Roger Manwood.
In Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, it is shown that women are the stronger gender. Juliet shows this by making sacrifices, taking leadership, and showing bravery. Juliet makes sacrifices by offering to change her name from Capulet to something else, and run away with Romeo. She takes leadership by starting a relationship with Romeo and defying her father in marrying Paris. Lastly, she shows bravery by taking the sleeping potion and killing herself in a harder way than Romeo.
Cleopatra is the definition of feminine power. She can very well be one of the first notable women in history. She was a very powerful woman; she knew what she wanted very early in life. Cleopatra life storey is not how powerful she became for a woman in her time, but what she did for love; the love of Egypt and the love of a man.
Do women have more power than men? In some ways I would say yes they do? Women seem to be more in tune to their emotions and can deal with many situations at one time.