Gender and sexuality are two natural, intertwined and characteristic traits of living beings; how... more Gender and sexuality are two natural, intertwined and characteristic traits of living beings; however, their expression and conception has always been subject to vigorous categorisation by social standards and ethical norms. The Early Modern period and the Victorian Age did not escape such scrutiny; both male and female gender and sexuality had to be expressed and represented by fixed societal standards and norms. This essay will argue that gender and sexuality assumed a dynamic connotation in the works of novelists and writers, by analysing two primary texts, Jane Eyre, which belongs to the Victorian tradition and Hamlet, which belongs to the Early Modern tradition. The characters chosen to support the argument are Jane, Bertha and Mr. Rochester, from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and Ophelia and Gertrude from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The pinnacle of this analysis resides on the themes of insanity, self-control and unconventionality and the associated implications they have in the matter of gender and sexuality. The argument will also be supported by secondary sources which will reveal a juxtaposition of gender and sexuality between society and textual representation of specific characters.
Caius Iulius Caesar belonged to the gens Iulia, which prided itself in being direct descendants o... more Caius Iulius Caesar belonged to the gens Iulia, which prided itself in being direct descendants of Iulus, Aeneas’s son. Caesar had a brilliant political career. He worked his way through the different ranks of the cursus honorum, until he became consul (and ultimately was proclaimed imperator). He anchored himself to the cause of the populares while fighting one of the most prominent leaders of the optimates, Pompey.
On the 15th of March, 44 BC, Caesar met his demise. He was assassinated in the curia Pompey by a group of oligarchic and republican supporters who planned to free Rome from the chains of tyranny. With Caesar’s death, two of the leaders of the conspiracy, Brutus and Cassius, believed it was possible to restore the old political republican system in Rome. However, they were forced to leave Rome soon after the death of the imperator. Later, they lost their lives in the battle of Philippi, making impossible the restoration of the old republic.
Pompeii, which is also known as “The Lost City of Pompeii”, is located in an Italian city, Naples... more Pompeii, which is also known as “The Lost City of Pompeii”, is located in an Italian city, Naples. Pompeii was well established during the Roman Empire and thus incorporated Roman culture and Roman institutions. Pompeii’s citizens were involved in activities that dealt with the negotium (these were activities that were related to the state/politics and to public life) as well as with the otium (these were related to the personal sphere of life, which included intellectual activities). The citizens of Roman Pompeii used the forum to discuss political matters. They also entertained themselves with ludi (games) and with festivals, which took place in the amphitheatre.
Life in Pompeii was always uneasy due to intermittent earthquakes. The city was located only eight kilometres away from Mount Vesuvius. Earthquakes were considered by Pompeii’s inhabitants to be natural events that did not constitute a threat. This misunderstanding of earthquakes and of seismic activity ultimately contributed to the annihilation of Pompeii’s population in 79 CE during a devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Gender and sexuality are two natural, intertwined and characteristic traits of living beings; how... more Gender and sexuality are two natural, intertwined and characteristic traits of living beings; however, their expression and conception has always been subject to vigorous categorisation by social standards and ethical norms. The Early Modern period and the Victorian Age did not escape such scrutiny; both male and female gender and sexuality had to be expressed and represented by fixed societal standards and norms. This essay will argue that gender and sexuality assumed a dynamic connotation in the works of novelists and writers, by analysing two primary texts, Jane Eyre, which belongs to the Victorian tradition and Hamlet, which belongs to the Early Modern tradition. The characters chosen to support the argument are Jane, Bertha and Mr. Rochester, from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and Ophelia and Gertrude from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The pinnacle of this analysis resides on the themes of insanity, self-control and unconventionality and the associated implications they have in the matter of gender and sexuality. The argument will also be supported by secondary sources which will reveal a juxtaposition of gender and sexuality between society and textual representation of specific characters.
Caius Iulius Caesar belonged to the gens Iulia, which prided itself in being direct descendants o... more Caius Iulius Caesar belonged to the gens Iulia, which prided itself in being direct descendants of Iulus, Aeneas’s son. Caesar had a brilliant political career. He worked his way through the different ranks of the cursus honorum, until he became consul (and ultimately was proclaimed imperator). He anchored himself to the cause of the populares while fighting one of the most prominent leaders of the optimates, Pompey.
On the 15th of March, 44 BC, Caesar met his demise. He was assassinated in the curia Pompey by a group of oligarchic and republican supporters who planned to free Rome from the chains of tyranny. With Caesar’s death, two of the leaders of the conspiracy, Brutus and Cassius, believed it was possible to restore the old political republican system in Rome. However, they were forced to leave Rome soon after the death of the imperator. Later, they lost their lives in the battle of Philippi, making impossible the restoration of the old republic.
Pompeii, which is also known as “The Lost City of Pompeii”, is located in an Italian city, Naples... more Pompeii, which is also known as “The Lost City of Pompeii”, is located in an Italian city, Naples. Pompeii was well established during the Roman Empire and thus incorporated Roman culture and Roman institutions. Pompeii’s citizens were involved in activities that dealt with the negotium (these were activities that were related to the state/politics and to public life) as well as with the otium (these were related to the personal sphere of life, which included intellectual activities). The citizens of Roman Pompeii used the forum to discuss political matters. They also entertained themselves with ludi (games) and with festivals, which took place in the amphitheatre.
Life in Pompeii was always uneasy due to intermittent earthquakes. The city was located only eight kilometres away from Mount Vesuvius. Earthquakes were considered by Pompeii’s inhabitants to be natural events that did not constitute a threat. This misunderstanding of earthquakes and of seismic activity ultimately contributed to the annihilation of Pompeii’s population in 79 CE during a devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
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On the 15th of March, 44 BC, Caesar met his demise. He was assassinated in the curia Pompey by a group of oligarchic and republican supporters who planned to free Rome from the chains of tyranny. With Caesar’s death, two of the leaders of the conspiracy, Brutus and Cassius, believed it was possible to restore the old political republican system in Rome. However, they were forced to leave Rome soon after the death of the imperator. Later, they lost their lives in the battle of Philippi, making impossible the restoration of the old republic.
Life in Pompeii was always uneasy due to intermittent earthquakes. The city was located only eight kilometres away from Mount Vesuvius. Earthquakes were considered by Pompeii’s inhabitants to be natural events that did not constitute a threat. This misunderstanding of earthquakes and of seismic activity ultimately contributed to the annihilation of Pompeii’s population in 79 CE during a devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
On the 15th of March, 44 BC, Caesar met his demise. He was assassinated in the curia Pompey by a group of oligarchic and republican supporters who planned to free Rome from the chains of tyranny. With Caesar’s death, two of the leaders of the conspiracy, Brutus and Cassius, believed it was possible to restore the old political republican system in Rome. However, they were forced to leave Rome soon after the death of the imperator. Later, they lost their lives in the battle of Philippi, making impossible the restoration of the old republic.
Life in Pompeii was always uneasy due to intermittent earthquakes. The city was located only eight kilometres away from Mount Vesuvius. Earthquakes were considered by Pompeii’s inhabitants to be natural events that did not constitute a threat. This misunderstanding of earthquakes and of seismic activity ultimately contributed to the annihilation of Pompeii’s population in 79 CE during a devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius.