Shakespeare's Women

“Shakespeare’s Women” – A study

Under the Guidance of Prof. Chatterjee

Smriti Vats
M.A Part 1
Roll No. 860

CONTENTS:

  1. Introduction
  2. Treatment of Women in the Tragedies
        a. Hamlet
        b. Othello
        c. Antony and Cleopatra
  3. Treatment of Women in the Comedies
        a. Much Ado About Nothing
        b. Taming of the Shrew
        c. As You Like It
  4. Conclusion

INTRODUCTION:

As the veil of time covers all clarity of perception most certainly,   students of Literature will always find themselves at cross-paths in their understanding of the themes and context of any Author / Poet / Playwright, their socio-cultural environment and the effects this environment has on their work.

The Great Works of William Shakespeare too is   viewed through a lens that is 4 centuries old. We know very well the socio-political-religious state of England in Shakespeare’s time…Henry the Eighth had died leaving his country in the throes of a religious divide that was to change the face of Christianity forever. Notions of domestic and social life were never to be the same again. Art and culture was discouraged and talent was hence greatly depleted. The country’s wealth was greatly depleted by the King’s gluttonous ways. Several thousand dissenting voices had been silenced by the tyrannical regime of the King. To add to all, none of the King’s male progeny had survived long enough to claim the throne after his death. England was threatening to fall apart at the seams due to the rising discontent and disharmony within her own political boundaries. It was this troubled state of affairs that Elizabeth the First inherited as her father’s legacy.

The Queen was shrewd and capable, advised by the wisest of men. The excesses of the rebellious Henry the Eighth were undone by her swift and totalitarian authority. The queen emerged as a symbol of puritan chastity – an inversion of her father’s widespread image of a degenerate tyrant. The...