Gender And Sexuality In Shakespeares Plays English Literature Essay

Gender And Sexuality In Shakespeares Plays incline Literature EssayThe three William Shakespeares plays, The Twelfth Night, small town and The spends story grant the same reputation sex and sexual urge. In the three plays the plight of women is address (Ralli, 2008). The Twelfth Night portrays a sexual mess where people go to various heights to win the people they love. crossroads shows how men take women as morally corrupt because they follow their hearts desire. In The Winters storey evil for women is portrayed by King Leontes as he maltreats her married woman and daughter on accusation of infidelity. hamlet and The Winters tale share roughly similarities and differences in matters of sexual practice and sexuality.In both plays settlement and The Winters Tale, Shakespeare brings out the theme of gender and sexuality. In Hamlet gender uncertainty is brought about by the musical theme of incest. Claudius and Gertrude are married although they were gainer sister-in-l aw and brother-in law. Ophelia and Laertes display a race that could be taken as incestuous. Ophelia and Laertes are sister and brother hardly Laertes sometimes uses sexual terms to speak to his sister. When Ophelia dies, Laertes leaps in to the grave and holds her in his arms a sign of affection (Shakespeare, 1869).Hamlet and Gertrude relationship however shows the strongest form of incest. Hamlet is obsessed with Gertrude and preoccupied with her in such a trend that he is fixated with her sex life with Claudius.Hamlet shows hatred against one gender specifically women. Hamlet hates women after(prenominal) her set about is so fast to work married to Claudius after his fathers death. He believes that women are morally corrupt and does non take Gertrudes actions as a sign of female sexuality. Throughout the play, Hamlet is cynical about women as can be seen in his relationships with Gertrude and Ophelia. Hamlet is seen urging Ophelia that instead of facing sexual corruption i t is better if she united a nunnery. He even uses the words Frailty, thy name is woman on her bewilder (Gertrude) to show she hated women.In the play The Winters Tale, Shakespeare shows the theme of gender and sexuality. Hermione faces the wrath of his husband Leontes when he is faced with sexual jealousy. Leontes believes that his married woman is having wild-eyed relations with Polixenes his friend (Prosser, 2003). Instead of taking revenge on Polixenes, Leontes im prisons his married woman as a punishment after Polixenes escapes. The play is full of misogyny as Leontes regards her wife as nonhing. After her wife gives birth to a daughter, he claims that she belongs to Polixenes and orders her to be taken to desolate land far a trend. As a sign of revitalization, Shakespeare uses Perdita, Leontess daughter to build the family back together and recuperate the broken relationship with Polixenes. Florizel, Polixeness son falls in love with the devoted Perdita and wants to marry her. Throughout the play Hermione spends all her time defending herself against the below the belt accusations of her husband. The play shows the mistreatment of female in the society.In the two plays Hamlet and The Winter Tale, the geniuss Hamlet and Leontes demonstrate the theme of gender and sexuality through the motif of misogyny. Hamlet displays his hate for women when he is disgusted with her mothers decision in marrying Claudius rightful(prenominal) a few days after his fathers death. Hamlet believes that this is sexual immorality. Hamlet is in love with Ophelia, Laertess brother whom she warns that she would rather go to nunnery rather than get down sexually corrupted. Hamlet seems to have the opinion that a woman acquiring married immediately after the husbands death is immoral. He does not shoot the men who do these sexual wrongs.The same character of misogyny applies to Leontes who believes her wife Hermione must pay for his suspicion of infidelity. Although he doe s not have all prove that his wife is unfaithful, he sends her to prison believing that she did an unforgivable sin. Leontes shows hatred for women because it would have been logical if he punished Polixenes for the same sins but after he escaped he sought to punish the wife. The hatred for women is get ahead shown when he even refuses to acknowledge her daughter as her own. He opted to see her as an object of infidelity and she should be abandoned.The plainly difference amidst Hamlet and Leontes is that Hamlet is compassionate while Leontes is not. Hamlet loved her mother Gertrude despite her disloyalty. Although he hated what her mother was doing, Hamlet did not demote supporting her. Hamlet loved Ophelia despite the opposition from her family. He only condoned the character but did not use his powers to abuse or mistreat these women. On the other hand Leontes apply his power to inflict carnal and emotional pain to his wife and daughter who were supposed to be her family.S hakespeare has used similar figurative language in the two plays Hamlet and The Winters Tale. In both cases figurative language brings up the key ideas of gender and sexuality that show love, guilt and revenge. Both plays use a figure of lecturing known as soliloquy. In Hamlet the soliloquies use include instances where Hamlet says o that this too solid flesh would melt( characterization1 Scene 2), O, What a page and peasant slave am I( practise 2 Scene 3), To be, or not to be( practice 3 Scene 1), How all occasions do inform against me(Act 4 Scene 4) among others.In The Winters Tale soliloquy is used in Act 4 Scene 3 where Autolycus speaks of his past life. Although he is addressing the audience it is as if he is talking to himself. He talks about his trickery and the way he sees a young shepherd (Clown) approach him which makes him gloat(Helprin, 2005).The most lucid soliloquy is when he says I have served Prince Florizel My traffic is sheets With die and no-count I purchase d this caparison A prize A prize(Helprin, 2005)In both plays, Shakespeare also uses Imagery. In the Hamlet imagery is used to defend concepts and abstract ideas (Shakespeare, 1869).Act V, Scene I, Yoricks Skull discovered on the graveyard represent symbolism. The skull represents the inevitableness of death. Hamlet talks to the skull a figure of speech known as soliloquy (V.i.174-179).In The Winters Tale, imagery is used to express the contrasting ideas of guilt versus innocence. Shakespeare uses the word of honor to portray the sinful acts of adults. He uses Isaiah116-9 A little child shall mastermind them .Through the death of Mamillius, a little child, King Leontes is reformed. Perdita was a source of bliss to Paullina, Polixenes, and Antigous and finally to Leontes (Act I, Scene II, and Lines 83-87).Shakespeare also uses epigrams in the play on Act I, Scene II, Lines 203-205 He makes a Julys day short as December. Act II, Scene III line 185 I am a conjoin for each wind th at blows.The other similarity between Hamlet and The Winters Tale is the use of one distinct round of drinks character. In Hamlet, the main character is Hamlet. Hamlet builds up the on the whole story which revolves around him. In the whole play he brings out the theme of gender and sexuality through romance, guilt and revenge. Hamlet wants to eliminate Claudius because he was involved romantically with her mother which he suspects was the reason he killed her mother. In The Winters Tale Leontes is a round character who brings out the theme of gender and sexuality. Leontes is jealous because he thinks his wife and Polixenes are romantically involved (Helprin, 2005).A major similarity between the two plays is that the major conflict in the plays is brought about by romance. In the Hamlet, Claudius falls in love with Gertrude. Due to the romantic relationship he kills Hamlets father. Hamlet is thereafter trying to revenge for his fathers death. In The Winters Tale, Leontes is annoye d because he believes his wife is romantically involved with his friend. He throws his wife in prison and disowns his daughter. His daughter falls in love with Polixeness son and gets married. Their romance leads to conglutination which thereafter unites the two families.