William Shakespeare s Hamlet And The Duchess Of...

Shakespeare and Webster represent the female characters in ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The duchess of Malfi’ by using general themes such as the patriarchy and the social control, the female identity and its independence, this institution of marriage, the expressions of sexuality and finally women shown to be either conformist or transgressive. Men were firmly in control in the Elizabethan and Jacobean era, and the expectations for women were to stay home, cook, clean and raise a family. Women’s status and roles were subject to the Tyranny of patriarchy, they were given strict disciplinary rules to follow whether by law or unspoken norms to prevent from rebellion. Women’s rights were restricted, legally, socially and economically, unlike today were women are more powerful and independent. Today women and men are seen to be equal and women can do pretty much everything a man can do (voting, working, becoming president) although there are many people still tod ay who disagree with women having these rights. There are aspects of renaissance patriarchy demonstrated in both plays, which is exercised as a form of social control using dominant gender ideologies. Hamlets in his first soliloquy talks about his mother and how quick she was to remarry after only 1 month of his father’s death, he then says â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman† not only including his mother but the whole women population also indicating that he has superior intellect and moral understanding. He dedicates the word frailty to aShow MoreRelatedComparing Hamlet And The Duchess Of Malfi2373 Words   |  10 PagesCompare the depictions of Madness in Hamlet and The Duchess of Malfi. What is the significance of madness in each play? During the late sixteenth century, dramas an plays became a big role in entertainment and madness became one of the major themes, as Salkeld recognises that the use of madness as a metaphor for subversion became increasingly marked throughout the first half of the seventeenth century . (Salkeld, 1994, pg.144)This madness created a spark within the Elizabethan era and caused