FREE ESSAY ON WOMEN IN SHAKESPEARE

WOMEN IN SHAKESPEARE

Women in Shakespeare
Often in literature, parallels are used to accentuate certain things. William Shakespeare
utilizes this tool in both The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In both
of these comedic plays, there is a set of women who are at odds with each other. These
relationships can be compared and contrasted in different aspects.
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 eachothers' 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 spouts that she is renowned in Padua for her
scolding tongue. ( 1.2.96) He gilds the lily further by explicitly telling of her fair
fortune if suitable man comes courting and wins her hand in marriage. Petruccio sees
dollar signs and rushes forth in grand dress and eloquent mannerisms 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 while romancing the entire time.
Katherine is honest in her words and deeds. She does not wish to be teased or tormented
and flees from Petruccio's twisted words. Kate and Bianca trade roles at this time and
the dainty, controlled sister is Kate. The bolder, out-spoken Bianca woos her Lucentio in
the courtyard of the Minola home. At the Sunday wedding gathering of Petruccio and
Katherine, the groom grabs the reins of control and demands that he and his bride leave
the festivities before they have begun. He offers Bianca and Lucentio the bedroom and
party that they must leave behind. This symbolizes the transfer of attitude in the two
sisters.
Kate has to follow her new husband out of the home and leaves Bianca free roam over the
wedding party.
When the sisters are brought together again, it is at the wedding festivities of Bianca
and Lucentio as well as the Widow and Hortensio. Katherine is called a shrew yet again by
the Widow and Bianca flirts openly with Petruccio. The three new brides leave the dining
table and make for the sitting room with the other women. The three men are left to
discussion and after dinner music. 
Petruccio offers a wager against the thought that the wives in turn should come to their
husbands when called. The Widow and Bianca are foul and refuse to come seeking their
husbands and throw out the servant both times. When Katherine is called to come to her
husband she does so with grace and quiet obedience. She is then asked to bring forth the
two disobedient wives. 
During this entire play the label of shrew is misplaced with dear Kate and should be
rightfully placed in the lap of Bianca. Kate brings out the two women and scolds them
while maintaining her own dignity and elegant grace. She shows them that indeed her
husband got the better end of the marriage contract. At this Petruccio kisses his Kate in
front of everyone and they leave the gaping mouths of the crowd. 
In Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Hermia and Helena's relationship changes
greatly after the intervention of Puck with the love potion. Once best friends, they have
become each other's enemies, and all for the love of Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia and
Helena were best friends when they were at school. "All school-days' friendship,
childhood innocence?" (3. 2. 201) They had complete trust in each other, telling each
other their deepest secrets. "Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters'
vows, the hours that we have spent," (3. 2. 198 - 199) They worked together on everything
they did including sewing and singing. "Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, Both
warbling of one song, both in one key," (3. 2. 205 - 206) To some people, Helena and
Hermia became the same person, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts and
having the same morals and principles. "As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds Had
been incorporate. So we grew together," (3. 2. 207-208) Behaving in the same way, they
spent as much time as possible together. This time passed quickly, whilst the time spent
apart was slow and seemed pointless. "When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting
us-O, is all forgot?" (3. 2. 200 - 201, Helena) Although Helena and Hermia were two
separate people, they were, "a union in partition", compared to a double cherry. "Two
lovely berries moulded on one stem." (3. 2. 211) Their friendship was so strong that they
seemed to be connected, the same person in two different bodies. "So with two seeming
bodies, but one heart," (3. 2. 212) This had lasted all their lives until the
intervention of Lysander and Demetrius. The strong friendship between Helena and Hermia
quickly disintegrated when they became involved with the two men. The love potion was
meant to help, but Puck's mistake managed to completely reverse the relationship. When
both Demetrius and Lysander were under the influence of the "love-in-idleness" flower,
Helena believed that both were mocking her. "You both are rivals and love Hermia And now
both rivals, to mock Helena." (3. 2.155 -156) When Hermia seems to take the same
attitude, even though she doesn't know what's going on, Helena accuses her of betraying
all women by entering into it. "Our sex, as well as I, may chide you for it," (3. 2. 218)
Helena and Hermia quickly enter into a massive argument, accusing each other of stealing
their love. "You thief of love. What, have you come by night And stolen my love's heart
from him?" (3. 2. 283 - 284) Their childhood friendship is forgotten in an instant,
completely torn apart by the two men. It is not the love potion, which has had this
effect on the women directly; it is the performance of the two men, arguing over Helena
who have caused the break up. This exhibition of feelings upsets and confuses both Helena
and Hermia. Hermia feels cheated, and Helena is the first person she can find to blame.
"O me, you juggler, you canker-blossom," (3.2.282) Helena, however, thinks everything is
some kind of cruel trick against her, and remains slightly calmer than Hermia. "Lo, she
is one of this confederacy. Now I perceive they have conjoined all three To fashion this
false sport in spite of me." (3.2.192 -194) As she is taller than Hermia, she calls her a
"puppet". "Fie, fie, you counterfeit, you puppet, you!" (3. 2. 288) Hermia takes this
insult as though it is the reason that Lysander doesn't love her anymore. "Her height,
forsooth, she hath prevailed with him." (3.2.293) She goes on to call Helena a "painted
maypole" and is obviously very worked up and angry. "And with her personage, her tall
personage," (3 2. 292) Helena is afraid of what Hermia might do to her, and Hermia is not
short of threats in her vicious mood. "How low am I? I am not yet so low, But that my
nails can reach unto thine eyes." (3. 2. 297 - 298) Helena does not want to fall out and
does not understand why their past was so quickly forgotten. "Good Hermia, do not be so
bitter with me. I evermore did love you Hermia, Did ever keep your counsels, never
wronged you " (3. 2. 306 - 308) Hermia, however, feels hard done by. She feels that
Helena has caused her true love to turn against her, and if Helena disappeared,
everything would be fine. "Why, get you gone. Who is't that hinders you?" (3. 2. 317)
Helena also has the solution of running away, but can't as she foolishly still loves
Demetrius. Helena and Hermia's relationship has changed completely, entirely because of
the effect of the love potion on Lysander and Demetrius. The friendship shown before the
argument contrasts greatly to the hostility afterwards. The change has been for the
worse, completely destroying the women's trust in each other, and all because of a fight
between two men, caused by a mischievous spirit.