| dc.description |
Shakespearean comedies have been examined from different angles and perspectives by a host of critics, but very few critics have studied these comedies from a feminist perspective. In the few such studies undertaken, there are many controversial assertions and claims. The portrayal of women in Shakespearean comedies has been a subject of some studies, from different angles, but still there is a space and scope for initiating a study to examine the portrayal of women by Shakespeare in his comedies. The present study intends to take care of such issues and fill the possible gaps. The study intends to explore the place and rights of women as they are portrayed in Shakespearean comedies. The study intends to show that Shakespeare apparently seems to project feminism and a liberal attitude towards his women, but actually he ends up on the side of patriarchy, though on occasions, he does portray women from the nascent feministic perspective. As a result, the reader or spectator comes across in these comedies, very submissive and conventional women, who subscribe to patriarchal values in toto. The diversity in the nature of women in Shakespearean comedies reflects the divergent socio-cultural trends of the late sixteenth and seventeenth century. The study is based upon the exhaustive text analysis and interpretation of six comedies in the light of Feminism. These comedies are Twelfth Night, Much Ado about Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors and A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream. The main hypothesis of the study is that though Shakespeare does not project or promote any particular ideology or agenda, so far as the portrayal of women is concerned, he still is on the side of patriarchy and his comedies strengthen and support the patriarchy and patriarchal values. |
|