The Presentation of Women in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Griffin’s

1533 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Representation of women in Shakespeare's plays

The Presentation of Women in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Griffin’s Sonnet 39 What attitude do their presentations of women reflect? Discuss in detail how the poets’ choice & use of language influences your reading of poems. It is evident in both Griffin’s poem and Shakespeare’s poem that their love for their beloved is matchless; however the presentations and the personal interpretations of the two poets give a totally different message to its readers. It is often in Shakespeare’s sonnet 130 that we realize he ridicules his mistress and praises her in a way that misleads its readers to believe that Shakespeare doesn’t love her. Whereas, in Griffin’s Sonnet 39, he puts his lady as the central motive of the poem and this is obvious as almost every line in his poem begins with the word “her.” Without a doubt, the first line in both poems portrays a direct contrast from each other. In Griffin’s poem, he compares his lady’s hair to “threads of beaten golds” (line 1), which suggests the high status and attractiveness of his lady. On the contrary, Shakespeare begins his sonnet by depreciating the status of his mistress as she is “nothing like the sun” (line 1). This is also seen in the latter lines of the sonnet; her lips are not as red as coral, her breasts are dun-colored and the black wires growing on her head. (lines 2-4). In Griffin’s sonnet, we can see how he praises the beauty of his lady and her perfection with the use of figurative languages. Although the two sonnets seems to be similar, both admiring the beauty of their lovers, it is still apparent that the two women in the two sonnets are presented in different ways and the fact that there is a contrast between the two of them. The poem, Son... ... middle of paper ... ...the way how Griffin presents his lady may sound the world’s perfect woman. Nonetheless, because of his hyperbolical statements and exaggerations, it may sound perfect to its readers, but then again, the lady becomes an idealize character and her beauty is only artificial. Through a detail study within the two poems, it is obvious that the two women presented in both poems are not similar. The poets’ viewpoints differ as they have personal opinions with regards to the qualities possess by their mistress or lady, whether they’re goddess-like or genuine in nature. As readers, we’re greatly influenced by the words written by the poets; we are dependent on their language and words to reveal the implications and the underlying message. [1] James P. Wolf. Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry – G [Online] Available http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/pimb_g.htm

Show More
Related

  • Gender Normalities Theory in The Book of the City of Ladies as Applied in Shakespeare's Othello

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Emilia in Othello confronts gender roles when she exploits the method introduced by Christine de Pizan in The Book of the City of Ladies. Christine’s realization of women’s oppression in her journey with the Ladies allows her to view life with a new perspective. Likewise, Emilia demonstrates the same ideals from The Book of the City of Ladies with her opinionated mindset and deviation from the women’s social norms of the time. Furthermore, Emilia develops in a similar progression as Christine, especially in the deconstruction of the men’s manipulation. Even though they go against gender stereotypes, complete equality is one battle avoided by Christine and Emilia. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia defies gender norms when she employs a speculative mindset introduced by the character Christine in The Book of the City of Ladies.

    Read More

  • In This Strange Labyrinth, by Mary Wroth

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e speaker admits she is worried and confused when she says, “The sonnet is the story of a woman’s struggle to make choices regarding love.” (14) Her mind is disturbed from the trials of love.

    Read More

  • Close Reading of Shakespeare´s Sonnet 130

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sonnet 130 is Shakespeare’s harsh yet realistic tribute to his quite ordinary mistress. Conventional love poetry of his time would employ Petrarchan imagery and entertain notions of courtly love. Francis Petrarch, often noted for his perfection of the sonnet form, developed a number of techniques for describing love’s pleasures and torments as well as the beauty of the beloved. While Shakespeare adheres to this form, he undermines it as well. Through the use of deliberately subversive wordplay and exaggerated similes, ambiguous concepts, and adherence to the sonnet form, Shakespeare creates a parody of the traditional love sonnet. Although, in the end, Shakespeare embraces the overall Petrarchan theme of total and consuming love.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare’s beliefs on gender roles

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the beginning, Macbeth is a play filled with contradictions. In the opening scene, the witches, who are women with beards, declare, “ fair is foul and foul is fair”(1.1.12 Shakespeare). In this disarranged and chaotic world, the conventional gender roles are sometimes unseated as well. However, when they are unseated, negative repercussions always ensue. Furthermore, in Macbeth, Shakespeare implies that traditional gender roles are the most beneficial and should be followed invariably.

    Read More

  • Comparing and Contrasting Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 and Clause McKay's The Harlem Dancer

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    The speaker uses metaphors to describe his mistress’ eyes to being like the sun; her lips being red as coral; cheeks like roses; breast white as snow; and her voices sounding like music. In the first few lines of the sonnet, the speaker view and tells of his mistress as being ugly, as if he was not attracted to her. He give...

    Read More

  • Gender Roles of Shakespeare’s Characters

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Status, Gender, and Social Roles in William Shakespeare's Plays

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    The nexus of status, gender, and societal roles are consistently topics of interest among people, and can be found throughout the plays of William Shakespeare. More evident in their original production, however, through modern renditions and personal interpretation of readings these topics reoccur often His work dictated specific roles for men and women. Through analyzing said roles one can derive insights regarding the esteem of women and how the relative devaluing of women shaped normal gender roles. However, Shakespeare provides conflicting interpretations, dependent upon the light in which his work is read. Among the possible differing interpretations of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” stands a reoccurring argument throughout history of, men vs. women in a battle of status/power. After reading the play one could make the argument that women are inferior to their counterparts, however, at the same time, the argument could be made that women have more power than men, and both positions be considered accurate.

    Read More

  • Women: The Role Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

    1877 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the Elizabethan society, it was expected for women to be obedient and to be in her place.

    Read More

  • The Perception Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s play Othello, the male characters perceive women as adulterous and property, treating them as inferior that need to be submissive and obey. Iago creates a false perception of his wife thinking she is promiscuous. Also, Othello sees his wife as promiscuous, an impression created by his jealousy and one he has convinced himself of it. Furthermore, Iago and Othello perceive their wives as inferior, and by his words, the reader can see that they are both their wife and subordinate. At last, the male characters refer to Desdemona’s marriage as a “steal” and “purchase” of property, then, Iago and Othello end their wives’ lives because they see them as possessions of no good.

    Read More

  • Essay on Gender in William Shakespeare's Sonnets

    1781 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much has been made (by those who have chosen to notice) of the fact that in Shakespeare's sonnets, the beloved is a young man. It is remarkable, from a historical point of view, and raises intriguing, though unanswerable, questions about the nature of Shakespeare's relationship to the young man who inspired these sonnets. Given 16th-Century England's censorious attitudes towards homosexuality, it might seem surprising that Will's beloved is male. However, in terms of the conventions of the poetry of idealized, courtly love, it makes surprisingly little difference whether Will's beloved is male or female; to put the matter more strongly, in some ways it makes more sense for the beloved to be male.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 20

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    has the gentle heart of a woman but is not inconsistent as is the way

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 As A Parody Of Courtly Love

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s sonnet 130 is a sonnet much different than the normal love sonnets of that time. A well-known re-occurring them in Shakespeare’s sonnets is love. Shakespeare’s sonnet 130 can be interpreted many different ways. Sonnet 130 describes what love is to Shakespeare by making the poem a joke in order to mock other poets. In sonnet 130, Shakespeare spoke of a courtly love. Shakespeare goes against the usual style of courtly love writing in this sonnet. “In comparison to Petrarch’s Sonnet 90 and Shakespeare’s own Sonnets 18 and 20, Sonnet 130 is a parody of courtly love, favoring a pastoral love that is austere in its declaration, yet deep-rooted in sincerity” (Dr. Tilla Slabbert 1). Sonnet 130 mocks the men who use the traditional

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis of Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare

    2546 Words  | 6 Pages

    William Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived in a time of religious turbulence. During the Renaissance people began to move away from the Church. Authors began to focus on the morals of the individual and on less lofty ideals than those of the Middle Ages. Shakespeare wrote one-hundred fifty-four sonnets during his lifetime. Within these sonnets he largely explored romantic love, not the love of God. In Sonnet 29 Shakespeare uses specific word choice and rhyme to show the reader that it is easy to be hopeful when life is going well, but love is always there, for rich and poor alike, even when religion fails.

    Read More

  • Critical Appreciation Of Sonnet 130

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s sonnet 130, the speaker ponders the beauty, or the lack thereof, of his lover. Throughout the sonnet, the speaker presents his lover as an unattractive mistress with displeasing features, but in fact, the speaker is ridiculing, through the use of vivid imagery, the conventions of love poems and the way woman are portrayed through the use of false comparisons. In the end, the speaker argues that his mistress may not be perfect, but in his eyes, her beauty is equal to any woman who is abundantly admired and put through the untrue comparison.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Shakespeare

    1889 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gender roles are an integral part of human culture, and have existed as long as the species has. In its simplest form, a gender role can be defined as a set of expected male or female behaviors shaped by the contemporary culture and personal upbringing. William Shakespeare attempts to address this issue, among countless others, in his many works. An author during the English Renaissance period, including the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James, he was aware of gender roles that were very clearly defined. Although he echoes and at times supports the stereotypes of women and men of the time and their various societal roles and responsibilities, he also notably questions and even challenges these exemplifications.

    Read More

More about The Presentation of Women in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Griffin’s

Open Document