Bethany Risinger Shakespeare Dr. Whaley Spring 2013 What Did Shakespeare Really Think about Women !. !

!ntrodu"tion Throughout history# the argument on $hether William Shakespeare# the %amous master o% theatre arts# degraded $omen or promoted $omen&s role in so"iety has pu''led many s"holars. !n addition# many (uestioned i% his plays ga)e $omen more %reedom or *ust made them seem silly and out+o%+line. !n many o% Shakespeare&s histories and tragedies# $omen are mostly seen as tragi" "hara"ters $hose role in the play is o% no great importan"e. Some o% these plays are Hamlet, Henry V, and Henry IV Part 1 all o% $hi"h ha)e strong male roles e,"ept %or the play# Cleopatra. The male "hara"ters are the heroi" ones or the only "hara"ters to mo)e the plot %or$ard. -o$e)er in the "omedies# .$omen are neither $eak nor )ain/ 01astan 1123. They are intelligent indi)iduals $hose roles are )ital to the plot and relationships $ith other "hara"ters. The $omen may not be the brightest "rayon in the bo, or the one that stands out the most# but they are e,tremely )ital to the plays plot. Some "riti"s ha)e said that Shakespeare $as a se,ist $hen he "reated the "hara"ter o% 1atherine in Taming of the Shrew. 4)en though she $as a strong and intelligent $oman# she still had to be .tamed/ by a man to a""ept her assigned role in so"iety. -o$e)er# Shakespeare takes on a $hole other perspe"ti)e $hen he "reated the "hara"ter o% 5ortia in The Merchant of Venice. The situation o% the $oman $ho disguises hersel% as a young man is one to

$hi"h Shakespeare repeatedly returns to in his "omedies. !t is "entral to The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night, and The Merchant of Venice as $ell as ! "o# $i%e It, and the de)i"e itsel% has been the sub*e"t o% mu"h "riti"al debate. 06organ 2223 !n The Merchant of Venice, 5ortia is able to sho$ her ability to reason# use logi"# and ultimately be"ome the smartest "hara"ter out o% them all. 4)en though she has to use a disguise to do so# Shakespeare sho$ed his )ie$s o% $omen through 5ortia. Though a $omen may appear to be %ragile and ha)e no kno$ledge other than their role in "hild+ bearing and being a $i%e# $hat lies underneath the dress and in the brain is $hat Shakespeare e,amines in The Merchant of Venice. 7s 6i"hael 6organ dis"usses in his book# .the 4li'abethan stage 0is3 operated through a mi,ture o% illusionisti" and non+ illusionisti" theatri"al "on)entions and "odes 02283. Shakespeare uses 5ortia to bring us into a dis"ussion about appearan"e )ersus reality dis"ussion. This essay&s purpose is to take a "loser analysis o% 5ortia&s "hara"ter in the )ie$s o% typi"al Renaissan"e gender pre*udi"es and Shakespeare&s )ie$ on the predominan"e o% $omen in so"iety. !!. Women in the Renaissan"e 9i)ing a histori"al ba"kground to $hat the gender roles during the Renaissan"e is important $hen analy'ing the "hara"ter roles in many o% Shakespeare&s plays. :nly on"e one has understood $hat people thought o% men and $omen during Shakespeare&s times is one able to analy'e the underlying meanings and messages that he is trying to get a"ross to his audien"e. Shakespeare li)ed in a time and pla"e $hen $omen $ere e,"luded %rom

the uni)ersities and the learned pro%essions# married $omen lost their right to their o$n property unless spe"ial pro)isions $ere made to preser)e it# and $i%e+beating $as regarded as per%e"tly a""eptable means o% resol)ing domesti" disputes. 0Ra"kin ;3 During the Renaissan"e# $omen had no )oi"e. They had )ery limited rights and $hat rights they did had $ere o%ten taken a$ay or abused. During that time period# they had the important# yet single role o% bearing. Basi"ally# they had no po$er $ithin so"iety or e)en inside o% their homes most o% the time. <rom 122= to 1>03# 4ngland $as rules by an aristo"rati" $oman o% nobility# ?ueen 4li'abeth !. !n a $orld $here $omen $ere in%erior# she had more po$er than anyone else. 4)en though her rule o)er 4ngland began si, years be%ore Shakespeare $as e)en born# she $as a big %an o% the theatre. Being o% nobility enabled ?ueen 4li'abeth ! to re"ei)e a great deal o% edu"ation in order to rule *ustly and e%%i"iently. !t $as a ma*or turning point %or so"iety $hen a $oman $as the sole leader o% the "ountry. So in a $orld $here the top go)ernment %igure $as a %emale# $hy $ere $omen still held ba"k by so"iety and seen as in%erior .6otherhood $ould de%ine 0$omen&s3 li)es and o""upy most o% their years/ as 6argaret 1ing e,plains in her book 023. She e,plained that bearing "hildren $as .a $oman&s pri)ilege and a $oman&s burden/ 01ing 83. <or the purpose o% keeping the $orld and marriage in order# the $oman $as to be submissi)e and the husband $as to be the head o% the household and the only one $ith po$er. 7 $oman $ho tra)eled do$n the "orridors o% ha)ing po$er# $hi"h "an be done by re"ei)ing an edu"ation as many thought# $as "onsidered no $oman at all and a threat to order in so"iety.

<or years $omen li)ed by the @utheran notion o% ha)ing to .remain at home# sit still# keep house# and bear and bring up "hildren# but 0Shakespeare&s3 plays present us $ith $itty and resolute $omen $ho are neither in%erior nor subordinate/ 01astan 1123. This $ay o% li%e that $omen $ere to %ollo$ $hat Shakespeare attempted to pro)e $rong in so"iety. Though the Renaissan"e repressed the po$er o% $omen# Shakespeare used his %emale "hara"ters to present the idea that all o% $hi"h the Renaissan"e "laimed true about $omen $as in %a"t# $rong. -e used them to sho$ the audien"e that $hat they belie)ed in $as $rong and that $omen had mu"h more po$er and kno$ledge than e)er thought be%ore. !!!. 5ortia in The Merchant of Venice !n order to sho$ his personal )ie$s o% $omen# Shakespeare had to "reate a "hara"ter that portrayed these stronger "hara"teristi"s o% $omen in one o% his plays. This "hara"ter "ame to be kno$n as 5ortia a "ross+dressing heroine in the play The Merchant of Venice. She# unlike any "hara"ter in any o% his plays# $as intelligent %rom the beginning to the end o% the play. Throughout the play# 5ortia is "onstantly the "hara"ter that dri)es the play on$ard. She is able to manipulate the "hoosing o% the "askets so that 7ntonio $ould pi"k the "orre"t one# is able to sho$ mer"y# and is %ull o% $it and play%ulness. 4)en at the beginning o% the play# she is seen po$er%ul in her home sin"e her %ather&s death in the $ay she manipulates the game o% pi"king the "asket. -o$e)er# $hen Bassanio "ame and she be"ame %ond o% him# she %ound $ays o% indire"tly pointing to$ards the "orre"t "asket that $as the one to $in her hand in marriage. Through her song# she $as able to subliminally "on)in"e Bassanio that the "asket he $as supposed to "hoose $as the lead

one. !n order to do this# she had to manipulate his thinking by using $ords in her song. !n this song# the %irst three lines o% the it are .Tell me $here is %an"y bred# :r in the heart# or in the head -o$ begot# ho$ nourished / $hi"h all end $ith a $ord that rhymes $ith lead 0The Merchant of Venice ct & Scene '(. Ae,t to this signi%i"ant e)ent in the play that pointed to$ards her intelligen"e# the time that the audien"e sees 5ortia&s true intelligent sel% is $hen she plays the part o% a la$yer in the %inal "ourt s"ene. 5ortia has to disguise hersel% as a la$yer be"ause she kno$s .a maiden hath no tongue but thought/ 0The Merchant of Venice 7"t 3 S"ene 23. Through saying this# 5ortia is saying that ho$e)er mu"h a $oman kno$s and is a$are o%# she may not speak openly be"ause she as a $oman has no )oi"e in so"iety. -o$e)er# in the "ourt s"ene# 5ortia e,er"ises her %reedom o% spee"h in so"iety no matter $hat her gender is. -er spee"h in this s"ene sho$s the audien"e ho$ intelligent she really is. !n the $ay that she gi)es the spee"h is "alm yet still tri"ky by saying things like .When mer"y seasons *usti"e. There%ore# Be$#/ it sho$s that she remains re"olle"ted and $ants Shylo"k to "onsider $hat she $as saying 0The Merchant of Venice 7"t 8 S"ene 13. 4)en though 5ortia kno$s that the la$ about "utting a$ay a pound o% %lesh "annot be tossed out# she kno$s e,a"tly ho$ to t$ist his mind into making him do $hat she $ants him to. !n %urther dis"ussion $ith Shylo"k# she steers him her $ay through her "le)er $ording to make it seem like he is doing $hat he $ants. She is only able to do so though through the $earing o% a disguise as a man. Through this# she is able to .be"ome one o% the boys/ 01emble C13 and parti"ipate %ully in so"iety. -ad she "ome into the "ourtroom $ith her $omanly "lothes and hair# her arguments $ould ha)e been "ompletely ignored be"ause the male is the only dominant %igure in the "ourt o% la$. !t did not matter $hat she $as

trying to say $hether it $as sa)ing her %riends li%e or not# they $ould not e)en think to listen to her.

Shakespeare uses this "ourt s"ene to sho$ that in the Renaissan"e# only men $ere seen to be kno$ledgeable and able to ha)e a )oi"e in any legal matter. The "hara"ter o% 5ortia being not only .generous# a%%e"tionate# so %ull o% %un# and su"h a true lady/ but $ise as $ell "ould only "ome out and ha)e an opinion i% she $ere in a "ostume 01emble 28;3. .05ortia&s3 assumed mas"uline identity gi)es her )oi"e in $hi"h she arti"ulates misogynisti" Renaissan"e truisms about $omen&s $a,en and their %railty/ 06organ 28=3.The %a"t that a $oman has to dress up as a man in order to be heard is e,a"tly $hat Shakespeare $as trying to get a"ross by se"retly sho$ing ho$ their Renaissan"e )alue o% $omen is $rong. -e $as trying to sho$ the audien"e that $oman should ha)e a say# be"ause sometimes they may be the )oi"e o% reason and in the right mind to say something. The "hara"ter o% 5ortia and her superb intelligen"e $as "reated by Shakespeare to sho$ the audien"e and so"iety that things are not al$ays $hat they seem.

!D. Disguise 5ortia ha)ing to disguise hersel% in the "ourt s"ene sho$s Shakespeare&s audien"e that their )ie$s o% $omen are not al$ays $hat should be reality. 7ppearan"e is only skin deep as "lothes and "ostumes are like an e,tra layer o% one&s epidermis. -o$e)er# many people at the time only looked at the out$ards appearan"e $hen *udging someone. !% they sa$ a dress# they thought o% a person o% lo$ status# but $hen they sa$ trousers# their status )ie$ o% the person $ould be immediately raised to a higher le)el i% not

se)eral le)els. -o$e)er# $hat many %ailed to reali'e or simply re*e"ted $as the %a"t that inside those "lothes# $as a person that has their o$n set o% indi)idualisti" "hara"teristi"s. The "lothes or "ostumes had a signi%i"ant role in allo$ing 0or not allo$ing3 a "hara"ter to sho$ their true personalities. By $earing a disguise or "ostume as a man# .a %emale "hara"ter is able to display a broader range o% human "hara"ter traits than they "ould display as $omenE they are# in a sense# liberated %rom the "on%ines o% the appropriate/ 01imbrough 213. !n other $ords# a $oman is al$ays supposed to a"t her appropriate role in so"iety# but $hen she has the "han"e to e,press hersel% in another $ay# all she has to do is put on a pair o% pants. Through this# it seems that a $oman "an only be re"ogni'ed $hen she is in disguise. :ther$ise# she is not taken seriously and that is $hy she must $ear a disguise in the play. There is a great importan"e set on sel%+presentation# dress #gesture# and per%orman"e $hen one is attempting to establish ones status in a so"iety. !n the "ase o% gender# the male has a higher pla"e in so"iety than $omen do# so dressing up as a man gi)es the %emale the opportunity to mo)e a"ross so"ial borders and present themsel)es as someone they are not. By doing this# the "hara"ter is able to also see the $orld through a di%%erent perspe"ti)e. .The %igure o% the "ross+dressed $oman simply emphasi'es the dominant gender relations and stereotypes o% the Renaissan"eE that the temporary Fholiday& in men&s "lothes is al$ays in the ser)i"e o% the e)entual aim o% "on)entional marriage in $hi"h the $oman $ill subordinate hersel%/ 06organ 2223.

!n The Merchant of Venice, 5ortia is able to "ross so"ial borders by disguising hersel% as a man. When she does this# others are able to listen to her arguments and belie)e them only be"ause she is a man. Shakespeare uses her in this play to sho$ that $omen are strong and smart no matter ho$ they appear on or o%% the stage. !% they dress as a man# the audien"e $ill be more $illing to a""ept them e)en $ith the kno$ledge o% their "hara"ter really being a %emale. .The "ross+dressing plot "an thus be read in a radi"al and liberating $ay as a "riti(ue o% "on)entional Renaissan"e gender rolesE at its most e,treme it "an be seen as an attempt to oppose the stru"tures o% domination inherent $ithin patriar"hy be destabili'ing the )ery notion o% gender/ 06organ 2223. What is interesting about 5ortia&s disguise is that in her doing putting it on# it "reates a double+role shi%t %or the boy $ho is a"ting as her "hara"ter in the play. :n stage# 5ortia $ould ha)e been played by a boy a"tor dressed as a $oman# so $hen 5ortia puts on a disguise to be a man in the play# it is like the boy a"tor taking o%% his .disguise/ or "ostume and be"oming his real sel% on stage. Boika Solo)a e,plains in her book that 5ortia $ould ha)e been a .boyGyoung man playing a girl disguised as a boy/ in the "ourt s"ene 0=83. !n the "ourt s"ene# this ironi" double role re)ersal gi)es the boy a"tor ironi"ally an ease to his part. !t gi)es the audien"e a reminder that the .male a"tors 0are3 disguised as $omen/ too 0<rank ;13. D. 5ortia Sho$ing Shakespeare&s Die$s on Women 7lthough Shakespeare "reated a %e$ roles that sho$ed $omen as $eak or

unintelligent like :phelia in Hamlet, Shakespeare pro)ed his real )ie$s o% $omen by using his "hara"ter 5ortia. !n The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare suggests gender pre*udi"es impra"ti"al be"ause as soon as 5ortia disguises hersel% as a man# she is instantly "hanged %rom a $eak $oman into a strong male la$yer $ho has a )oi"e abo)e anyone else. -e makes his %emale "hara"ters in plays disguise themsel)es into men in order to ha)e them e,press things they $ould not be able to as a $oman. Shakespeare# to some# is labeled as the ."hampion o% $omen# their la$reake# their brother# 0and3 their %riend/ 0-ankey 82;3. Shakespeare attempted to ad)an"e the position o% $omen in so"iety by gi)ing them an edu"ation so that others $ould see them as %ully "apable human beings. !n The Merchant of Venice, he does this "on)in"ing in the most dramati" and meaning%ul $ay. Throughout the story# the audien"e not only sees 5ortia as edu"ated# but also $ise a "hara"teristi" that Shakespeare belie)ed most o% $hat $omen "ould ha)e. The audien"e is able to see this "learly by the %a"t that she kno$s the la$ so $ell that she is e)en able to be substituted %or a *udge. !n the "ourt s"ene# e)en Shylo"k admires her intelligen"e by e,"laiming .: $ise young *udge# ho$ ! do honor theeH/ 0The Merchant of Venice ct ) Scene 1(. 5ortia is *ust as smart i% not smarter than all the rest o% the "hara"ters in the play no matter i% she $ere a $oman or man. D!. Ion"lusion By using all o% these gender roles so dramati"ally in his plays# Shakespeare mo"ks the gender pre*udi"es that many people had in the Renaissan"e period. -e mo"ks them by making one&s gender easily disguised# pro)ing that the pre*udi"es are only skin deep

and la"k )alidity in de%ining one&s "hara"teristi"s as an indi)idual. By simply putting on pants# it ga)e 5ortia a )oi"e in so"iety. 5ortia $as an e,"ellent "reation that Shakespeare had in mo"king the gender roles o% the time too. -e $as able to sho$ the audien"e that a $oman "ould ha)e an intelligent mind and that her )oi"e should be )alued no matter $hat the "ir"umstan"es are. The role o% $omen in so"iety $as an important "hara"teristi" in the Renaissan"e. They $ere to remain silent and obedient to their husband. -o$e)er# Shakespeare used his "hara"ter o% 5ortia to "hallenge the norm o% $omen being under men in status $hi"h naturally "reated mu"h uproar $ithin the "ountry o% 4ngland. !n addition to these important gender rules o% the time# the role o% men being the head o% the household $as also important to the people o% the Renaissan"e period. @ike stated earlier# $omen $ere to marry and bear "hildren# that is it + nothing more. !n this sense# Shakespeare may ha)e gone against gender roles as an indi)idual# but the role o% a $oman being under submission to her husband $as something that Shakespeare ne)er played $ith. Jes# 5ortia $as the smarted "hara"ter in the play# but her role as a $i%e ne)er $as against $hat the Renaissan"e people belie)ed. She remained true to her husband and $as submissi)e to him in the duration o% the play. Being under the in%luen"e o% traditional )ie$s# the people had mu"h opposition to Shakespeare&s 5ortia in The Merchant of Venice be"ause she stood %or so mu"h that they $ere against in the realm o% $hat $omen should and should not do. Shakespeare al$ays had underlying meanings in e)erything that he $rote and "reated. -e $as al$ays trying to sho$ or tell the audien"e something that he thought important to share. There $as a reason he made 5ortia&s "hara"ter a %emale *ust like

there $as a reason he made her the smartest o% them all. !n the "ase o% The Merchant of Venice, he "reated the "hara"ter o% 5ortia and her role $ithin the play to sho$ the audien"e not only $hat his )ie$ o% $omen $ere# but $hat the audien"e&s )ie$s should trans%orm into. Women $ere soon going to be"ome o% greater status in so"iety and the role o% 5ortia ga)e the audien"e a glan"e o% $hat $as going to happen someday in their generation or ne,t.

Sour"esK

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