Exploring Shakespearean Plays: the main role of women

Shakespeare’s themes

Women and love

An obsessive desire for love and power lies at the center of Shakespeare's tragedies. In these dramatic plays-also in the sense of a game-Shakespeare's heroines play an active role. Juliet is a 14-year-old girl who, in her absolute love for Romeo, finds the strength to oppose her parents, her relatives, and an entire society that denies her the right to love. Few scenes in Shakespeare are as brutal as the one in which Juliet's father, upon hearing that she refuses to marry Count Paris-her family's chosen husband- savagely insults her, while her mother refuses to respond to her pleas for help.

Women and vulnerability

Shakespeare emphasizes this aspect of her character, often portraying her as wishing she were a man; Macbeth himself remarks on how much more of a man she is than he is. Through Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare explores this dimension of human nature more effectively than he does with most of his male characters-perhaps with the exception of Richard III.Shakespeare's tragedies, women often embody vulnerability, caught in the tension between their own desires and the oppressive forces of society and the men around them. Desdemona and Ophelia are both tragic examples of how female vulnerability is exploited and ultimately leads to their downfall. Desdemona, in Othello, is a woman who loves with an intense sincerity, but her vulnerability lies in her unquestioning loyalty to her husband, Otello. Despite her strength of character, her innocence and trust make her susceptible to Otello's growing jealousy and doubt.

Ophelia, on the other hand, in Hamlet, represents a different kind of vulnerability. She is a woman without agency, controlled by the men around her -her father, Polonius, and her lover, Hamlet. The loss of her father, combined with Hamlet's rejection and cruelty, drives Ophelia to madness. Her vulnerability is not only emotional but also reflects her limited role in a world where her identity is defined by the men she serves or loves.

Women and power

In the eternal struggle for power that runs through world history and everyday society, Shakespeare's heroines do not conform to stereotypical female behavior. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is not merely a complement to her husband, but rather the driving force of the play: the witches' prophecy and Macbeth's ambition seem to serve merely as tools for her immense desire for power. Shakespeare emphasizes this aspect of her character, often portraying her as wishing she were a man; Macbeth himself remarks on how much more of a man she is than he is. Through Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare explores this dimension of human nature more effectively than he does with most of his male characters-perhaps with the exception of Richard III.

FRANKENSTEIN OR THE MODERN PROMETEUS

SHAKESPEARE OUR CONTEMPORARY

"Shakespeare forever"

Over four hundred years have passed since William Shakespare stopped writing, however his poetry and plays are as vivid and alive today as they were back then. Who doesn't know the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet or the famous soliloquy of Hamlet:“to be or not to be”? But with so many modern stories and writers, why should students continue to study Shakespeare?

There are several reasons why everyone should be encouraged to read the plays of one of the world's most famous literary figures. His works certainly have extraordinary storylines, his plots and his writings still inspire the modern books, films and TV series.

The themes are universal and the characters are so interesting, for instance the most famous stories talk about Macbeth's desire of power and ambition, the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet due to the conflict between their families, the evil influence of jealousy that takes Othello to kill his wife and himself and also the revenge and the doubts of Hamlet after the murder of his father.

Shakespeare has explored every area of human emotions and has created characters that grab the audience's attention. There are a lot of different characters like kings, villains, murderers, lovers and witches. Reading Shakespeare also encourages readers to use the imagination and learn about different topics of today’s world like the ambition of politicians or the femicides due to jealousy or love.

Another important part of Shakespeare’s plays is his language,in fact he introduced a lot of new words and phrases that are still in use today such as:”A heart of gold”,”Knock Knock!Who’s there?” and ”All of a sudden”.Unfortunately many people who use these phrases don’t know that they are using Shakespeare’s language.

There is no better way to become a better reader than to study Shakespeare,it can be difficult,but it can be rewarding.His writings and themes are timeless and full of meanings that are still important today.We can still learn a lot from his plays,we can understand the history behind his writings and we can learn by the messages left by him.

To sum up, “Shakespeare was not of an age, but for all time”, his plays were read in the past, read in the present and will continue to be read in the future. He will always be a modern writer.

written by Delia Luciano and Fausto Cipriano
class 3BSA

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