Feminism The Tempest - 1352 Words

Correia ï ¿ ½ PAGE ï ¿ ½6ï ¿ ½ Brandon Correia Ms. Bradley ENG-3U1 December 10, 2007 Feminism in the Tempest Feminist theory aims to understand the nature of inequality and focuses on gender politics, power relations and sexuality. To do Feminist Research is to put the social construction of gender at the center of one s inquiry. Feminist theory is about seeing gender as a basic organizing principle which profoundly shapes/mediates the concrete conditions of our lives. In the play The Tempest, by William Shakespeare Miranda is a perfect example of a woman s role in literature from a feminist theorist perspective. In The Tempest, Miranda s prescribed gender role and physical stature account for her naturally being subordinate to males. In†¦show more content†¦An example of this is when Miranda states, you have often Begun to tell me what I am but stopped And left me in bootless inquisition. (1.2.35-40) it becomes clear that Miranda is the inferior character in this situation and this is the result of the dependency she relied on from Prospero. Miranda s need for attachment is a main reason why she becomes inferior to the make characters in the play that plot action in solidarity. If a woman s priority is to pledge obedience to the male; she will become inferior to him. Tita Baumlin author of the book Holy Estates: Marriage and Monarchy in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries states that, in Shakespeare s time father s interactions with daughters encourage them to be subordinate. If the female listens to the fathers words as commands she will than become an object that can be controlled by that male figure. Although every father would demand respect, there is a line between respect and objectification. Baumlin also argues that marriages were meant to replicate the social and political order, metaphors of bondage in marriage tracts of the period were intended to reinforce the ruler s absolute power. Criteria suchShow MoreRelatedFeminism : A Multi Disciplinary Approach For Sexual Characteristics And Sex Parity Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesFeminism generally refers to a multi-disciplinary approach to sexual characteristics and sex parity. This is understood thro ugh political activism and social theories. This particular approach consists of beliefs and ideas regarding what customs are like for women, compared to how the world functions for their male counterparts. The main supposition in Feminism is that women are not treated in the same way as men, and that they are at a disadvantage. 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These themes include the usurpationRead MoreThe Tempest Feminist Analysis1208 Words   |  5 PagesThe Undermining Power of Masculinity in The Tempest â€Å"The more people argue loudly, against feminism, the more they prove we need it† -Caitlin Moran, How to Be A Woman Sycorax is ostensibly absent from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The witch does not appear on stage once, as she dies long before the actions of the play begin. She is, however, invoked frequently, through memories and retellings and secondhand accounts, primarily by the character of Prospero. Many critics have used Sycorax’s absenceRead More Taking The Castle of Otranto as your example, outline the main conventions1454 Words   |  6 Pagesstories. The narrator also contrasts other ordinary incidents, with how they might have developed in a gothic novel; for example, Catherine’s journey to Bath is accomplished â€Å"with suitable quietness and uneventful safety. 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