Patriarchy and Gender Roles in King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Through his characters and characterization in both King Lear and A Midsummer Nights Dream, Shakespeare want not to reproduce the dominant ideas on patriarchy at the time, nevertheless rather to critique the ideology of patriarchy and the socio-political construction of male and womanish roles. Be advised, fair maid.To you your father should be as a god, unity that composed your beauties yea, and oneTo whom you are but as a take a crap in wax,By him imprinted, and within his powerTo leave the figure, or deflower it.- William Shakespeare. A Midsummer Nights DreamJudith Butler in her book sexual urge Troubles asserts that sex is a construction of an individuals society and upbringing, believing that the concept of female and male identity is not inherent to the individual but is rather a product of society. at that place has been numerous debates on the concept of sex and gender, Valerie Traub in Gender and sexual urge in Shakespeare states that Sex refers to the biological di stinctions between male and female bodies while gender refers to those meanings derived from the division of male and female . . . the attributes considered appropriate to each masculine and feminine.. In the Shakespearean period, the traditional role of females at the time was one of lower status as their role in society was primarily domestic, forcing them to remain in the private sphere of the public. Men however, were viewed as superior and ruled in all aspects even throughout half a century of Queens, women lived the vivifi pukeion of the inferior sex. The patriarchal ideology was used to support this position of women in the renaissance period. Despite these ruling notions, William Shakespeare often commented, through the characters in his plays and sonn... ... Genres. new York Routledge, 2005. Print.Traub, Valarie. Gender and Sexuality in Shakespeare, in The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare, ed. Grazia, de Margreta, Wells, Stanley. Cambridge Cambridge University Press , 2001, 129.Warren, Samantha. Shakespeare On Gender Roles. https//suite101.com/a/shakepeare-on-gender-roles-a330914. n.d . Web. blemish 18 2014.Webb, C. Allen. Literature & Lives A Response-Based, Cultural Studies approaching to Teaching English. National Council of Teachers of English. 2000. WebThe Role of Inversion in Kings Lear. http//voices.yahoo.com/the-role-inversion-shakespeares-king-lear-11582864.html?cat=44. August 6 2012. Web. March 16, 2014.Gender Studies in King Lear and Macbeth. http//www.thetutorpages.com/tutor-article/a-level-english/gender-studies-in-king-lear-and-macbeth/4308. March 21 2012. Web. March 16 2014.