Shakespeare’s Representation of Women in The Merchant Of Venice

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Shakespeare’s Representation of Women in The Merchant Of Venice

In ‘The Merchant Of Venice’ Shakespeare portrays the character of Portia as a

subservient woman but as the play progresses he develops the character and Portia
becomes the most dominant character in the play, overcoming the stereotype that
restrains women in the society at that time.

Throughout the play Shakespeare develops Portia’s character from what seems like
a subservient woman, who is forced into a marriage, to an independent woman
who is considered an equal by her husband. The arranged marriage shows that
Portia was given no freedom by her dominant dead father, which may be why
Portia seems to make horrible comments …show more content… 
But this imaginative act works when Portia wins the case showing that the shackles
of patriarchal society bind not all women. (Act 4)

Initially Shakespeare makes us believe that the character of Portia is weak and
submissive but this was only to emphasise that women were far from this. During
the first task Shakespeare demonstrates that women have opinions but also that
men sometimes leave women powerless. In her soliloquy Portia implies that she is
racist when the Prince of Morocco chose the wrong casket, “Let all of his
complexion choose me so” (Act 2 scene 8) – she hopes that all men with dark skin
make the same choice. However this point just emphasises Portia’s powerlessness
in choosing a husband.
When Bassanio completes the casket test Portia willingly offers herself to
Bassanio, but does not do this freely, as the casket test was invented by her father
so that when he died he could still control her, “I may neither choose who I would
nor refuse who I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curb’d by the will of a
dead father”. (Act 1 scene 2 line 22 – 25). At the end of the play when Portia gains
independence and confidence in the courtroom, she loses this by forgiving
Bassanio when she could have divorced him and freely chosen her
The Merchant of Venice has some of the strongest
female characters that William Shakespeare wrote. These are Portia,
Nerissa, and Jessica. Not only strong will and determination enter into their
overall strength, however; elements of maturity in terms of self-respect and
compassion also factor in their characterization. Portia and Jessica balance
each other; both are young women entering adulthood and on the verge of
marriage. Nerissa matters because she can counsel her mistress.

Portia respects her father’s wishes in choosing a partner, despite

reservations about thwarting her own desires. Nerissa, her maid, shows
good judgment in helping her realize the importance of correct decision-
making.

Whereof who chooses his [Portia’s father’s] meaning

chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any

rightly but one who shall rightly love.

Jessica, unlike Portia, defies her father and impulsively chooses her own
partner and elopes with him. Love seems to be her...

Role of Women in The Taming of the Shrew 

The Taming of the Shrew

"And where two raging fires meet together
They do consume the thing that feeds their fury"
Smart, passionate, and mad as hell, Kate wants nothing to do with
marriage or men. But in Padua, marriage and money are the name of the
game, and Kate’s younger sister Bianca is the ultimate prize. Alas for
Padua’s vying bachelors, Bianca can’t marry ‘til her sister gets hitched. So
when the wild renegade Petruchio arrives in Padua in search of a wife (and
her dowry), he and Kate collide in a battle of wills that could change the
rules of their world forever.

Shakespeare’s explosive and provocative comedy stirs up questions about

love, power, identity, and wealth, compelling us to examine the rules of our
world and the roles we play inside it. Talkback with actors after every show!

‘Role of Women in The Taming of the Shrew "The Taming of the Shrew" is a great
example of Shakespear's use of women. Shakespeare indeed does transcend the
stereotypes of his own time. In Shakespeare's, "The Taming of the Shrew" the
relationship between the sisters Katherine and Bianca appears to be strained with
rampant jealousy. Both daughters fight for the attentions of their father. In
twisted parallel roles, they take turns being demure and hag-like. Father of the
two, Baptista Minola, fusses with potential suitors for young Bianca and will not
let them come calling until his elder, ill-tempered daughter Katherine is married.
The reader is to assume that meek, mild-mannered, delicate Bianca is wasting
away while her much older, aging, brutish sister torments the family with her foul
tongue. Katherine seems to hold resentment toward Bianca. Her father favors
Bianca over Katherine and keeps them away from each others' torment. When
gentlemen come calling, Bianca cowers behind her father and Katherine speaks
up for herself. "I pray you sir, is it your will to make a stale of me amongst these
mates?" (1.1.57-58) Bianca and Katherine dislike each other feverishly. Katherine
torments Bianca with words and physical harm. She binds her hands, pulls her
hair then brings her forth to her father and the gentlemen callers. Bianca denies
liking any of the visitors and portrays herself an innocent that merely wants to
learn and obey her elders. She says, "Sister, content you in my discontent to your
pleasure humbly I subscribe. My books and instruments shall be my company, on
them to look and practise by myself." (1.1.80-84) Because Katherine speaks freely
and asserts herself she is labeled as "shrewish." When Hortensio describes her to
Petruccio, he spews out that she is "renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue."
( 1.2.96) He gilds the lily further by clearly telling of her fair fortune if suitable
man comes courting and wins her hand in marriage. Petruccio sees dollar signs
and rushes onwards in grand dress and fluently gestures to court the gracious
"Kate." When he first begins his ritual of winning the family and Katherine to his
love, he is seeking his fortune in her dowry. The mention of her being at all
undesirable does not put rocks in his path. He speaks of "One rich enough to be
Petruccio's wife, as wealth is burden of my wooing dance be she as foul as was
Florentius' love, as old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd as Socrates' Xanthippe or
a worse, she moves me not or not removes at least affection's edge in me, were
she as rough as are the swelling Adriatic Seas." (1.2.65-71) Petruccio comes calling
for the older sister, and Bianca in turn sneaks about with Lucentio who is dressed
in scholars clothing. They pretend to be working on Latin and fool her father with
disguises and books
"The Taming of the Shrew" is a great example of Shakespear's use of
women. Shakespeare indeed does transcend the stereotypes of his own
time. 

In Shakespeare's, "The Taming of the Shrew" the relationship between the

sisters Katherine and Bianca appears to be strained with rampant jealousy.
Both daughters fight for the attentions of their father. In twisted parallel
roles, they take turns being demure and hag-like. Father of the two,
Baptista Minola, fusses with potential suitors for young Bianca and will not
let them come calling until his elder, ill-tempered daughter Katherine is
married. The reader is to assume that meek, mild-mannered, delicate
Bianca is wasting away while her much older, aging, brutish sister torments
the family with her foul tongue. Katherine seems to hold resentment toward
Bianca. Her father favors Bianca over Katherine and keeps them away
from each others' torment. When gentlemen come calling, Bianca cowers
behind her father and Katherine speaks up for herself. "I pray you sir, is it
your will to make a stale of me amongst these mates?" (1.1.57-58) Bianca
and Katherine dislike each other feverishly. Katherine torments Bianca with
words and physical harm. She binds her hands, pulls her hair then brings
her forth to her father and the gentlemen callers. Bianca denies liking any
of the visitors and portrays herself an innocent that merely wants to learn
and obey her elders. She says, "Sister, content you in my discontent to
your pleasure humbly I subscribe. My books and instruments shall be my
company, on them to look and practise by myself." (1.1.80-84) Because
Katherine speaks freely and asserts herself she is labeled as "shrewish."
When Hortensio describes her to Petruccio, he spews out that she is
"renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue." ( 1.2.96) He gilds the lily
further by clearly telling of her fair fortune if suitable man comes courting
and wins her hand in marriage. Petruccio sees dollar signs and rushes
onwards in grand dress and fluently gestures to court the gracious "Kate."
When he first begins his ritual of winning the family and Katherine to his
love, he is seeking his fortune in her dowry. The mention of her being at all
undesirable does not put rocks in his path.
the role of women in Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It.
In the Introductory Activity, students will begin with an examination of beliefs
about women from texts written during Shakespeare’s day, which will allow
students to imagine what women’s lives were like. In the Learning Activity,
students will view video segments from Shakespeare Uncovered to review the role
of Rosalind in As You Like It and learn about the practice of disguise in
Shakespearean theater. Students will then turn to Act III, Scene ii of the play and
analyze the text to uncover the ways in which Rosalind is both empowered and
restricted as a woman within this scene. Viewing additional segments from
Shakespeare Uncovered, students will begin to consider how Shakespeare’s views
on women compare with modern-day attitudes. In the Culminating Activity,
students will produce a paper in which they tackle the question, “Was Shakespeare
a feminist?” This lesson is best used during a reading of As You Like It.
12/24/2019 Feminism in William Shakespeare's As You Like It ⇒ Free Book
Summary [Link]
you-like-it-essay 1/1 “As You Like It” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.
This play is popularly known as comedy and romance play. The play tells about
love story, actually there are eight characters which appear in the story. The main
character is Orlando and Rosalind, and the other six characters also in love. The
whole story focuses to these two main characters which already in love from the
beginning. It’s really funny because at the end of the story all the characters
married and got their mate. Rosalind decides to dress as a young man and she
chooses the name Ganymede. In the play, no one recognize her true self as a girl.
She can manipulate herself to be a boy. This play is written in Elizabethan’s age,
which feminism had not appeared yet. The feminist literacy criticism of today is
the direct product of the women’s movement of the 1960s (Barry, 1995:121).
Even, feminism had not appeared yet, the mechanism of patriarchy which is the
cultural mindset in men and women had been established since centuries ago.
The women’s movement of the 1960s was not, of course, the start of feminism
(Barry, 1995:121). Before feminism appeared, many feminist’s agents tried to get
the equality of gender. In Elizabethan’s age, women have more freedom than
before. There are also women who well educated such as Queen Elizabeth. In
fact, an education was luxurious for most people. It’s just upper class people who
can get well education. Even, women in Elizabethan’s age have more freedom,
there’s still the condition of the domination of men in all aspect which put women
below the men. It is no surprise that in Shakespeare’s era in which young women
are to be forced into arranged marriages and they should obey their husband and
father. In this era, women can work in some literature work. By putting the
female characters in the works of art was one of the attempts to reveal the truth
about women. Women’s characters in Shakespeare’s work are always unique and
interesting. Some of Shakespeare’s female characters are described with strong
will of their own, strong characters such as, Juliet and Portia. Rosalind is one of
Shakespeare’s most appealing characters. She is favored with beauty, wit, youth,
and depth of feeling. Rosalind is regarded as the ideal romantic heroine, she has
strong character and she is warm and humanlike. In this play, she also dominated
the stage. Rosalind as the main woman’s character in this play has the spirit of
feminism because she is different from ordinary woman. She didn’t obey the
men, and she is very active. She will disguise herself as a boy and she is acting like
a boy. The play is not simply a comedy love story. Patriarchal system and gender
stereotype lie in this play. Therefore, the perspective of feminism is needed in
order to strengthen the women characters as a feminist agent. By analyzing As
You Like It, people can understand more about the idea of feminism. In this play,
at Shakespeare’s time still has patriarchal system which put women inferior to
men. Gender stereotype as a part of feminism is really clear in As You Like It. If
the reader understand the gender stereotype in the story, it can be easier to
understand the idea of feminism in As You Like It.