Known as an excellent interpreter of human thought and action, William Shakespeare often relied on gender roles and stereotypes to create an opinion in the audience about a character or event. Because Elizabethan society made such great distinctions between the actions and feelings of men and women, Shakespeare's gender imagery would surely have captured the audience's attention and understanding. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Twentieth-century feminist critics of Shakespeare see him as reinforcing patriarchal values ​​and perceptions of women during the Renaissance (Grady, 237). Madelon Gohlke defines traditional Elizabethan gender roles as masculinity representing “heroic violence” and femininity representing “submissive pacifism” (Grady, 238). Shakespeare uses both characters of both sexes and gendered language to show the masculine and feminine attributes of the characters, events and situations in the story in Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V. The masculine attributes in Shakespeare's historical plays are strength and honor, while the feminine attributes are weakness and unreliability. Therefore, Shakespeare continually displays female attributes in a negative light while extolling virtuous male qualities. WEAKNESS VS. STRENGTH Judging by his words and actions, Richard II presents himself as a weak and feminine king. He gains nothing for himself and shuns battle and quarrel. Richard attempts to mediate the conflict between Mowbray and Bolingbroke. The men want to decide with a duel, but Richard stops them before they start fighting. Both Mowbray and Bolingbroke are ready to die to clear their names of the murder, but Richard wants no part in any kind of physical conflict. Mowbray denounces the war of words as a "women's war" (I, i, 48). Then, he mocks Richard's nonviolent attitude as feminine. By refusing to submit to violence and finding a weaker solution (exiling both men), Richard takes on the female role, avoiding deadly conflict and resolving weaker consequences. Richard's handling of the conflict is not strong and decisive; rather it is poetic and idealistic. He does not rely on words of action, but on philosophical words and artistic metaphors, while duelists desire virile strength and action. Contrasted with the strong and courageous Mowbray and Bolingbroke, Richard appears truly weak and feminine. Richard II's weak leadership is contrasted with Bolingbroke's strong leadership and valor. Shakespeare clearly sees Bolingbroke in the male role and Richard in the female one. Bolingbroke is strong, fearless and decisive while Richard appears weak, afraid and careless of his kingdom. Bolingbroke does everything he can to earn a good reputation among his subjects, and his policies prove him to be a strong leader. “…He observed his courtship of the common people/How he seemed to dive into their hearts/With humble and familiar courtesy” (I, iii, 24-26). He is not afraid to defend his belief that he is the rightful king, and his powerful leadership and good relationship with the common people allow him to gain the Crown over a weak king. The English people need a strong man as a leader and not a weak and effeminate "boy" as a ruler. The garden scene in Richard II also associates women with weakness by pitting Isabel, the queen, against the gardener. Isabel, grieving for the well-being of her husband and her kingdom, provides only grief as the gardener tries to logically explain the situation to her. Notwill accept his strategic analysis of the situation; rather he simply dwells on the sadness of the deposition. "...Or do you think/of serving me last so that I can keep/your pain in my chest longer...". (III, iv, 94-95). Feminist critic Linda Bamber suggests relying on emotion rather than logic puts one at a disadvantage compared to the male realm of the Gardener, politics and war. Isabel is not the queen of a kingdom; in fact it is just the queen of a garden. Her pain, which cannot be "released into action" due to the weakness of her sex, completely distances her from the "male Self" (64-65). The Duke and Duchess of York represent a negotiation of gender roles. Although York likes to believe he controls everything, his wife appears to be taking the male lead in their latest exchange. In the first scene between the couple, the Duchess lets her husband take on the strong role and weakens his own emotions. However, in fighting on behalf of her son, the Duchess is authoritative, strong and intelligent compared to her rather dim-witted husband. As the Duchess pleads for her son's life, her husband denounces her as foolish and undisciplined. Try to give her back the feminine role. The Duchess, however, is determined to save Aumerle and summons the courage and authority normally attributed to a man to ask for forgiveness from her son. The Duchess controls the entire scene with King Henry, using diplomacy and careful language to convey her predicament. Her husband's outbursts appear silly and rather petty in comparison to her strength and courage in petitioning. Indeed, King Henry's gracious acceptance of her pleas gives her even more strength. She handles her worries as she would a man's; he doesn't stop her mouth simply because she is a woman. During this scene, a woman takes on the role of a man while her husband is relegated to second position. Just as Richard II portrays a manly trait as strength, Henry V continues this portrayal in the Battle of Agincourt between the English and French soldiers. Although the English soldiers appear weak and without enough strength to attract the attention of the French, they have an internal, masculine strength, which proves to be the key to their success. In Kenneth Branagh's version of Henry V, the English soldiers present themselves to the audience as powerful, courageous and willing to fight to the death. The French soldiers appear in all their guises with the stupid Dauphin at the head. The contrast in the appearance of the two groups is particularly evident when Montjoy, dressed in beautiful cloaks and banners, confronts Hal one last time to ask him to desist. Hal's more masculine clothing and strong stance give him a masculine identity, which directly opposes the French messenger's feminine clothing. Male strength conquers female weakness once again at Agincourt.DISHONOR VS. HONOR In addition to strength, Shakespeare also exalts honor as a masculine virtue and plays on the age-old stereotype of femininity as deceitful, dishonorable, dodgy, and untrustworthy. Richard, unlike Bolingbroke, does nothing to gain the love of his subjects. His way of acquiring property is dubious and shows that he is a weak man trying to appear strong. Only minutes after Gaunt's death, Richard orders the house searched and claims the property for his own. Even after Northumberland and York denounce his plan, Richard does not heed their warnings and continues the actions that make him an unpopular ruler. Perhaps Shakespeare here plays on the stereotype that women are not trustworthy and will do anything to get what they want, while men are willing to fighthonorably for their claims. To make matters worse, Richard runs away to Ireland, shirking his first duty. in his country, England. Therefore, people feel that they cannot rely on him. Elizabethan society viewed women as unreliable and unpredictable creatures; they could not be easily trusted. Richard's feminine attributes at this time would certainly have made him an unpopular leader. Therefore, they would have been more than welcoming to the honorable and masculine attributes of Bolingbroke, who is willing to rise up and take control of Richard's mismanaged and abandoned kingdom. Just as Shakespeare places the feminine Richard II against the masculine Bolingbroke, he creates the same stark contrast of gender attributes in the first part of Henry IV. Hotspur is the quintessential Elizabethan male. He is a strong and honorable warrior, ready and willing for battle at all times. His main goal is to protect and defend his country and his king from traitors. Chivalrous and loyal, Hotspur exemplifies the characteristics on which Elizabethan masculinity is based. Quick to anger, he doesn't mince words when criticizing those around him. He denounces a messenger as a woman. It insults man's masculinity and considers him to be devoid of honor, weak and senseless. “…For it made me mad/To see him shine so bright and smell so sweet,/And speak so like a gentlewoman in waiting” (I, iii, 53-55). Hotspur doesn't even trust women. He refuses to tell his wife about the battle because he believes she will talk about it. As a typical male of that era, he thought women couldn't keep a secret. He believes it is better not to know about his mission. He doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that she questions his actions. She doesn't play the simpering woman very well until he threatens that he doesn't love her and that he won't sleep with her unless she lets him go without asking questions. After her declaration, she once again becomes the reticent ideal of an Elizabethan woman. Directly contrasting Hotspur is the character of Falstaff. Falstaff has no sense of honor. He seems to think honor is a waste of time. His addiction to gossip and deceit casts him in a negative, feminine light. Linda Bamber suggests that because Falstaff displays a world outside the political realm: bawdy humor, drunkenness, and sexuality, he presents himself as a female character juxtaposed to the staunchly political and honorable male characters (68). Falstaff made his way into the prince's life with a shy and undisciplined attitude rather than with frankness and honor. Falstaff now expects favors in exchange for his friendship with the prince. Shakespeare not only links dishonor to femininity within individual characters such as Hotspur's wife and Falstaff, but also identifies femininity and dishonor in battle scenes. King Henry V considers it "feminine" to destroy the entire city of Harfleur and show no mercy towards its people. Instead, he fights in a manly and honorable way, allowing citizens to wave the white flag. King Henry also sees the French as women after killing the innocent porters to add to the total of the dead. Henry is completely disgusted and sees this atrocity as a woman's revenge. Shakespeare actually equates dishonor and femininity in his historical plays. The Duke and Duchess of York in Richard II show a negotiation between the masculine role of honor and the feminine role of untrustworthiness. York is honorable and loyal to the Crown; he is willing to hand over his treacherous son to King Henry. The Duchess is also loyal, however she is loyal to Aumerle. He will fight with all his strength so that he is not sentenced to death as a traitor. In the scenes of theirdiscussion and audience with the king, the Duke and Duchess of York both appear to possess masculine honour. Both characters are ready to fight for what they think is the right solution. There's no stopping the Duchess; she is honor-bound to save her son's life. However, the Duchess exemplifies the feminine trait of unreliability. Her husband expected her to simply stay at home and endure the king's decision. Sacrificing her husband's trust for the life of her son, the Duchess of York mounted her horse and followed them to correct the situation. Henry also comes across as very honorable here, sparing Aumerle's life and forgiving him. After all three characters are in the chamber, Henry listens to each one in turn, allowing everyone to have their say. As king, Henry could simply kill Aumerle right there or order a woman out of his presence. Instead, he acts more than justly and honorably by pardoning Aumerle and sending the young man home with his mother. Prince Hal presents a negotiation between the masculine traits of strength and honor and the feminine traits of weakness and dishonor. For the most part, Hal is a strong leader and exemplifies masculine strength in his actions and words. He is the leader of his group of ruffian friends which includes Bardolph and Falstaff. His father, however, deems the young Prince Hal incapable of ruling a kingdom and denounces his son's irresponsible actions as female weakness. “Can no one tell me about my unthrifty son?/…If any plague hangs over us, it is he./…Whom he, a lascivious and effeminate young boy,/takes it upon himself as a point of honor to support/So a dissolute crew" (Richard II, V, iii,1-11). After being admonished by his father, Prince Hal quickly changes his policies and outlook on life. “Yet here I will imitate the sun/which allows the contagious clouds to choke its beauty from the world,/…breaking the ugly and loathsome mists/…redeeming the time when men least think I will” ( I Henry IV, I, ii, 197-217). Hal will allow his father, his companions and his kingdom to believe that he is a good-for-nothing boy until the surprising moment when his true strength shines through. Then everyone will see him as a stronger leader and will be in awe of his presence. Just as the sun appears brighter after being covered by clouds, Hal will appear a stronger ruler if he hides his strength now and only shows it later When Hal becomes king Henry V, he is a strong ruler who fears nothing. He knows that the French forces are much stronger than the small English army, but he refuses to let the French Dauphin insult him and his kingdom to summon the troops and make the Dauphin go back on his words As he rallies the troops before Harfleur, the king Enrico instills courage and strength in his men simply with the words he uses to build their morals. Here he transfers some of his strength to the frightened men. In Branagh's version of the film, the audience sees the desperate faces of the tired and exhausted army for the first time, but as their king speaks, their faces change from concern to mission. Thus Henry gave his army his manly strength and valor. On the topic of honor, King Henry V only displays male honor when circumstances permit. He is also very capable of showing female dishonor and unreliability. His closest friends put their trust in him as a young man. Henry mocks them while he is sowing his wild oats and then simply throws them away, even having Bardolph hanged as a thief in Henry V. Henry only uses these friends as he needs to use them. He sees them as a cover and lets them go when he wants to let his sunlight shine. Now that he has his kingdom, he doesn't need to, 1990.