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By Sara Stan
How many times have you heard from your teacher or even the internet that Shakespeare was ahead of his time? Ben Jonson already said in 1623: “He was not of an age, but for all time!” And it seems he was right because people still read his works and talk about the richness and flexibility of Shakespeare’s distinguished language, as well as the inexhaustible number of interpretations.
The time period
At first glance, William Shakespeare may not appear to be a feminist, yet in many ways, he was one — a sixteenth-century feminist, no less. This is especially impressive given that he managed to hide pro-women ideas in his plays, specifically in his comedies, during a time when speech was heavily censored and women were still seen primarily as objects and valued mainly for their role in procreation.
As all plays had to meet the standards of the Master of the Revels, and the Renaissance society did not traditionally value the freedom of women, Shakespeare is not viewed as a feminist by modern interpretations. There were a handful of socially acceptable traits and positions for a renaissance woman, stressing the teaching of household management skills and the feminine values of chastity, obedience, and silence, yet Shakespeare portrays some female characters quite interestingly. For instance, in “The Taming of the Shrew “ and “The Merchant of Venice”, Shakespeare introduces two contrasting heroines navigating Renaissance society’s constraints. Katherine represents how a strong woman should not act, while Portia exemplifies the ideal: beautiful, obedient, yet maintaining her strength and independence. Together, they offer Renaissance women a model for balancing strength and intelligence with societal conformity, reflecting a distinctive form of feminism that is characteristic of Shakespeare’s work.
Defying gender norms
Despite this seeming encouragement for women to conform to the society’s standard, Shakespeare surprises everyone and gives his female characters an incredible degree of autonomy and complex personalities which subverts the rigid gender norms of the Renaissance. Two perfect examples of this are characters like Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Rosalind in “As You Like It”. They challenge norms by disguising themselves as men, using these moments to explore freedom and self-expression denied to them as women.
Women’s education
In the same manner, Shakespeare grants these women knowledge, wisdom, and wit, and he essentially acknowledges women’s intellectual capabilities, advocating for their recognition in a time when, unfortunately, education was limited for them. In “The Merchant of Venice”, despite being constrained by societal norms, Portia uses her knowledge to take control of her destiny, notably in the courtroom scene where she disguises herself as a male lawyer to defend Antonio. Similarly, Beatrice from “Much Ado About Nothing” showcases a sharp intellect, often outsmarting her male counterparts in their verbal exchanges.
In an era that limited women's voices and placed them in restrictive roles, Shakespeare’s female characters broke the mold, demonstrating intellect, independence, and strength. Through his nuanced portrayals, his works continue to resonate not only because of their poetic beauty and depth but also because of the timeless struggle for equality and self-expression they reveal.
Power and social authority
As a result of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, questions were beginning to arise about women’s place in society, and then we have characters like Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra take on “masculine” roles, navigating male-dominated political structures.Their situations are a cautionary tale of the dangers of a patriarchal society pose to women, as their assertiveness leads to tragic ends. In Lady Macbeth’s case, although she is incredibly ambitious, she lacks moral barriers, there is a lesson to be learned about the destructive nature of the reckless chase for power.
Marriage
Traditionally, Renaissance society viewed the family as a mini-state, a system based on an order where men were the heads of households, and women were considered to be naturally subordinate.At the same time, Puritans believed in spiritual equality among the sexes, questioning the old Catholic doctrine of female subordination and attacking traditional Renaissance customs such as forced marriage, marriage for money, child marriages, and marriages between very old men and young women.In response, In “The Taming of the Shrew” Shakespeare addresses most of these issues in the form of a comedy.A major source of humor is Gremio, the older suitor trying to capture the younger Bianca’s hand. By mocking this situation Shakespeare is objecting to the widely accepted practice of families arranging for men to marry significantly younger women.
In the end, we can say that Shakespeare had a great general idea about what a woman is.In fact, that’s what feminism is:an idea, a concept that we developed.Just because the word itself did not exist during Shakespeare’s time doesn’t mean there weren’t strong women before, or that Shakespeare didn’t think that maybe women were worth more than what society allowed. Gender roles play such a major theme in almost all of Shakespeare’s work, it’s possible to think that he believed in an idea akin to modern day feminism.Indeed, instead of coming out and saying something about a woman’s role in society he sat down and wrote a bunch of intricate and beautiful masterpieces and characters.
References
William Shakespeare: Sixteenth Century Feminist-Virgina Bateman
Shakespeare and the nature of women-Dusinberre
Women: Women in the Renaissance-Ed. Paul F. Grendler.
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