Is Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal Verona ironic and subversive, or is the play an endorsement of male power Essay Example

Is Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal Verona ironic and subversive, or is the play an endorsement of male power? Essay In order for me to answer the essay question the definition of patriarchy must first of all be established. The Oxford English dictionary describes patriarchy as a system of society or government ruled by men, suggesting that a patriarchal society is a society in which men completely dominate everything, such as political life and domestic life. Feminist critic Sasha Roberts supports this meaning as she defines patriarchy as a society dominated by men. During the Elizabethan period, brawls and feuds were part of peoples daily routine. Joan Homler views the constant quarrelling as a daily reality for the Elizabethans. In Romeo and Juliet the feud between the families of Montague and Capulet is a feud so ancient nobody recalls its genesis, and yet it is so widespread it threatens civic order. Although feuds were very common, they were mainly between factions of the aristocracy Sasha Roberts depicts this irrelevant-violence as a crucial facet of masculinity and also suggests that a certain faction of the aristocracy used duelling as a means of asserting power. Coppelia Kahn agrees with this patriarchal reason for feuding as she argues that feuding was the medium through which criteria of patriarchy oriented masculinity is voiced. The feuding appears to symbolise the malevolent masculinity that pervades Elizabethan England. The historian Robert Lacey, in his book, Robert, Earl of Essex, contributes to this view saying: We will write a custom essay sample on Is Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal Verona ironic and subversive, or is the play an endorsement of male power? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Is Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal Verona ironic and subversive, or is the play an endorsement of male power? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Is Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal Verona ironic and subversive, or is the play an endorsement of male power? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In such an age of naked brutality and casual bloodshed it was no coincidence that Shakespeares plays should centre on personally inflicted acts of justice and revenge Although Shakespeares period is ruled by a woman, Elizabeth I, it was a patriarchal society and this is reflected in Romeo and Juliet however, whether Shakespeare endorses male power or attempts to subvert it, is the question I will be exploring in this essay. In the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare presents various phallic images, through sexual slang and innuendo, which suggest a patriarchal Verona. For instance, Sampson, a Capulet servant, is conversing with Gregory, another Capulet servant, about his desires to sexually assault the Montague women: and thrust his maids to the wall. (Act1 Scene1, lines 16-17) This reference to rape from Sampson symbolises his status and power over women. It is possible to imply that Shakespeares choice of language is an indication of his endorsement of a patriarchal society. Another example which suggests Shakespeares support of patriarchy is during Sampson and Gregorys conversation: and therefore women being the weaker vessel are ever thrust to the wall. (Act1 Scene1, lines 14-15) Shakespeares decision to use the biblical term weaker vessel, derived from The First Epistle General of Peter, (chapter 3, verse 7), gives the idea that women are the weaker sex. Shakespeare appears to supports patriarchy as he suggests that Christianity fortifies patriarchy and therefore suggest that his beliefs are justified. Shakespeare is also associated with supporting patriarchy in the opening scene through his choice of dictions which introduce strong phallic images; to stand (Act 1 Scene 1, line 8) and long sword (Act 1 Scene 1 line 66) in a phallic perspective suggest to have an erection; tool (Act 1 Scene 1, line 30) and naked weapon (Act 1 Scene 1 line 32) both present an image of a phallus. Shakespeares attempt to imprint these phallic imageries into the mind of the audience can be interpreted as Shakespeare supporting patriarchy as he is suggesting that the phallus can be used to gain power and dominion over women and even possibly men. Although, as Sasha Roberts suggests, each generation rewrites Shakespeare for its own purposes it seems directors such as Baz Lurhmann have tried to direct their interpretation of Romeo and Juliet as Shakespeare would have done if he was alive today. To reflect Shakespeares possible support of patriarchy it appears Lurhmann includes elements such as very tall buildings in the opening scene, which create phallic images, and in turn they create a symbol of male power. Another element in Lurhmanns interpretation of Romeo and Juliet which suggests he believes Shakespeare supports patriarchy, is obtained from the male supremacy created in Tybalts character. He is presented in spaghetti-western style, which indicates his possessing of great authority and power, subsequently suggesting that generally all men possess this supremacy. The language employed by Shakespeare in the opening scene can be analysed as Shakespeares way of intensifying his support of the patriarchal society that existed during the Elizabeth Is reign. His use of lewd language seems to serve as a way of bringing forth his endorsement of patriarchy and as a dramatic function, as Molly Mahood suggests. In Romeo and Juliet the plot is enveloped in patriarchy particular in the Capulet household. And it is in the Capulet household were most forms of patriarchy are endorsed or challenged by the mother figures of Lady Capulet and the Nurse. In Lady Capulets first appearance on stages she challenges Capulets action and behaviour: Capulet: Give me my long sword, ho! Lady Capulet: A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword? (Act 1 Scene 1 lines 66-67) This sarcastic intervention is challenging patriarchy as sword meant penis in contemporary sexual slang and she arguably insults Capulets virility by suggesting his sword is inappropriate and redundant. Lady Capulet again criticizes her husbands behaviour saying, Fie, fie you are too hot (Act 3 Scene 5 line 176). Lady Capulet appears to be challenging a patriarchal society in which men are irrelevantly violent. Another example of patriarchy being subverted is found when Lady Capulet threatens to put Capulet under surveillance: Ay, you have been a mouse- hunt in your time, / But I will watch from such a watching now. (Act 4 Scene 4 line 11-12) Again it is possible to suggest that patriarchal authority is being subordinated, as Lady Capulet is reversing what as being described as the patriarchal gaze, in which women were subjects to mens surveillance. The Nurse is also part of this defiance of patriarchy as she fights for Juliet saying God in heaven bless her! (Act 3 Scene 3 line 168). In addition to this, she expresses her disapproval of Capulet saying you are to blame, my lord, to rate her so. (Act 3 Scene 3 line 169). From this it is apparent of Nurses subversion of patriarchy. Although both Lady Capulet and the Nurse challenge patriarchy they also endorse patriarchy and accept the inevitable defeat to men. The Nurses use of bawdy language, which encourages Romeo to stand up, stand, and you be a man (Act 3 Scene 3 line 87), is an example of the Nurse endorsing patriarchy. The Nurses use of stand bears a bawdy resonance of the erected penis and in doing so it appears she recognises that there is no way to bring to an end the patriarchal dominance of her society. Lady Capulets endorsement of patriarchy takes place when she rejects her daughter: Talk not to me, for Ill not speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee. (Act 3 Scene 3 lines 202-203) Lady Capulet appears to be commanding her daughter, just like Capulet always does, but this time to submit to a patriarchal society just like she herself has. Through this Lady Capulet has endorsed patriarchy when she aligns herself with him and his control over Juliet. It is impossible to establish a full conclusion as to whether Romeos character is weak or strong and passive or assertive; this is due to various examples of Romeo being each of these characteristics. For instance Romeo is portrayed as a weak character is through his refusal to be aggressive and to quarrel with Tybalt. Another example of Romeos weakness is witnessed during his feminine behaviour as he cries after being banished from Verona. Friar Laurence criticizes his effeminacy, saying Art thou a man? Thy tears are womanish. (Act 3 Scene 3 lines 108;109) Friar Laurence reveals his attachment to patriarchal assumptions of feminine weakness and masculine mastery, and it is also clear that he believes, tears are conceived to be a sign of emotional vulnerability which should be only found in women. Friar Laurence also describes Romeo as an ill-beseeming beast (Act 3 Scene 3 line 112) that is unseemly woman in a seeming man (Act 3 Scene 3 line 111). Friar Laurence is suggesting that Romeo is behaving in an inappropriate manner like a woman; whereas men, by contrast, should show more strength and assume their position as the head of the house. However Romeo is viewed to be behaving in a completely contrasting manner. You can see this by the rash decision he makes: he is compelled to sneak into the Capulets garden just to catch a glimpse of her. This shows how strong his character is, and that he is assertive rather than being weak and passive. Nevertheless I am unable to suggest that Romeo character is definitely strong and assertive as there are other examples which suggest he is weak and passive. Shakespeare puts considerable emphasis on male bonding and friendship. This is, according to feminist critics, due to the fact that male friendships of the play are partly responsible for the tragedy that falls on Romeo and Juliet. It is this male friendship which leads to the demise of Mercutio and Tybalt who both die, and Romeo who is banished from Verona, and loses his true love: Mercutio is insulted by Romeos persistence to not fight that he decides to fight on Romeos behalf. Consequently, Tybalt murders him. It is at this point that male bonding conflicts with love for a wife; Romeo at first refused to fight Tybalt because he loves Juliet in such a way that he rejects his masculinity. However, after the death of Mercutio, the male bonding is rapidly ignited and Romeo kills Tybalt for Mercutios soul (Act 3 Scene 1 line 117). As Sasha Roberts suggests the bonds between men are defended to the death, unlike the female bonds which are strong but are not protected fiercely, possibly because of mens patriarchal obsession. Shakespeare at this point in the play has clearly endorsed patriarchy by pointing out how it is strongly defended, compared to matriarchy. It can be considered ironical that the two characters, Capulet and Old Montague, who are the ultimate symbols of a patriarchal Verona, are also the prime examples of anxious men. They are both anxious about the possibilities of losing their omnipotent status: Capulet is apprehensive about his ever more challenging and disobedient daughter, Juliet and also prospect of losing power to Tybalt; while Old Montague is agitated and alarmed about being overtly out-classed by Capulet. This suggests that although Shakespeares portray of Verona is endorsed, there is possibly an ironic sensation to this depiction. The idea of romantic love appears to be rejected by Shakespeare as his play ends with Romeo and Juliet dying, rather than living happily ever after, like a typical love story. It seems that this end on a tragic note is Shakespeares way of suggesting that romantic love is destined for failure. This notion of Shakespeare rejecting romantic love is intensified as this concept is yet again incorporated by him in A Midsummer Nights Dream, where the two lovers Pyramus and Thisbe s faith concludes unhappily with their death. From this is possible to suggest that Shakespeare, a likely supporter of patriarchy and the masculine ideas that follow patriarchy, viewed romantic love as an opposition of patriarchy and therefore reflects his rejection of romantic love in Romeo and Juliet as an indication of his endorsement of patriarchy. Like Romeos character, it is also moderately difficult to come to a definite climax about Juliets character. On her first appearance is submissive, conventional and demure, but rapidly matures to womanhood. Feminist critic Sasha Roberts describes Juliet as far from being a simple, conventional heroine. She views her as a multidimensional character bringing forth the idea that she is a multifaceted and versatile character. Sasha Roberts also views Juliet as an unruly woman: Rather than representing a female ideal Juliet evokes the problematic figure of the unruly woman; the woman who challenges patriarchal dictates and social convention. This idea that Juliet is very much an assertive character is noticeable in many scenes, one of them being the balcony scene in which she has double the number of lines as Romeo, dominates the conversation and continuously orders Romeo Well do not swear (Act 2 Scene 2 line 116). This dominance, including her subversion against patriarchy has made me conclude that Juliets character is strong and assertive. Over the years many critics have raised many questions surrounding Mercutios character, and the most famous question seems to be, is Mercutio a misogynist? In my opinion having read his infamous Queen Mab speech, Mercutio appears to be a misogynist. This view has being constructed due to Mercutios reference to women as merely sexual and reproductive objects rather than subjects: This is the hag, when maids lie on their back, / That presses them and learns them first to bear, / Making them women of good carriage. This is she- (Act 1 Scene 4 line 91-93). His use of the word hag- an incubus or nightmare that induced evil, suggests his true feelings of repulsion towards women. Coppelia Kahn take these lines to reveal Mercutios fear of giving in to the seething nighttime world of unconscious desires associated with the feminine, from this it appears Mercutio is a misogynistic character. In Terry Hands 1973 RSC production he deliberately emphasizes the latent misogyny and sexual anxiety present in Mercutio during the Queen Mab speech: Mercutio carried a grotesque, coarse-featured, life-size female doll, upon which he vented clearly sado-masochistic sexual loathing which was both deeply-disturbed and equally disturbing. In this pivotal moment of the play it is very apparent of Mercutios misogynistic characteristic. Capulets unfair treatment of Juliet and his family widely reveals how, in Shakespeares epoch, fathers controlled the lives of wives and daughters and also regarded them as possessions. This treatment reflects the subordinate position of women during the Elizabethan period. An example of this is Capulets commandment over his wife, go you to her ere you go to bed, this mirrors the reality that women had limited personal autonomy; their status and roles were subject to the tyranny of patriarchy and their rights were restricted, legally, socially and economically. Having analysed the question of patriarchy in Romeo and Juliet, I conclude that there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal Verona is endorsed or subverted and ridiculed. This is due to various examples which support both ideas; for example Romeos effeminacy and Juliets assertiveness can be viewed as Shakespeare subverting patriarchy; however the dominance of male characters such as Capulet, Tybalt, Mercutio, Benvolio and Sampson, and also the inclusion of a biblical term which hints that patriarchy is accepted can both be viewed as Shakespeares support of patriarchy. In my opinion, another element which could affect how the audience views Shakespeares portrayal of a patriarchal is the interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, for example I recently saw a production of Romeo and Juliet performed by an all-boys school. In this production the homo-eroticism of the play is emphasized and there appeared to be an ironic and subverted depiction of a patriarchal Verona, due to an all male cast. Overall the ambiguity of Shakespeares portray of Verona has made it very difficult to come to a definite conclusion therefore I end this essay by suggesting that Shakespeares opinion of patriarchy, obtained from the Elizabethan society and reflected in his portray of Verona, is that of both subversion and endorsement.

Facts and Figures About Nouns in English

Facts and Figures About Nouns in English In this edition of Language Notes, we turn our attention to the naming part of speech: nouns. Common NounsHere, according to researchers at Oxford University Press, are the ten most frequently used nouns in English:timepersonyearwaydaythingmanworldlifehandWoman comes in at number 14, work at 15, and war at 49. Neither play nor peace, unfortunately, is ranked in the top 100. The 2006 study was based on analysis of the more than one billion words in the Oxford English Corpus. NominalizationIts not hard to manufacture nouns in English. For instance, adding -ing to a verb creates a noun (or, more precisely, a gerund): Winning isnt everything, Waiting can be painful, Good eating deserves good drinking. Likewise, adding a suffix such as -ness or -ity to an adjective can turn it into a noun: Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. And simply putting the definite article the before an adjective also does the trick: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Noun StackingAnother way to multiply nouns is to string two or three together, as in precipitation event or interrogation en hancement techniques. Such nounism, says William Zinsser, is a new American disease (though it appears to have spread overseas as well): Today as many as four or five concept nouns will attach themselves to each other, like a molecule chain. Heres a brilliant specimen I recently found: Communication facilitation skills development intervention. Not a person in sight, or a working verb. I think its a program to help students write better (On Writing Well, Collins, 2006). Supersized NounsIn his delightful book When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It (Broadway Books, 2007), Ben Yagoda calls attention to another unfortunate nominal trend: the needless expansion of nouns and the growing reliance on polysyllabic synonyms, apparently in the belief that the longer the word, the better. Thus, utilization is preferred to use, signage to signs, andmy pet peevetransparency to openness. Not a Single SmithereenThe Latin phrase plurale tantum (plural only) refers to any noun that appears only in the plural and has no singular form: jeans, for example, and tweezers and underpants. In Crazy English: The Ultimate Joy Ride Through Our Language (Pocket Books, 1989), Richard Lederer asks, Doesnt it seem just a little loopy that we can make amends but never just one amend; that no matter how carefully we comb through the annals of history, we can never discover just one annal; that we can never pull a shenanigan, be in a doldrum, eat an egg Benedict, or get just one jitter , a willy, a delirium tremen, or a heebie-jeebie? Why, sifting through the wreckage of a disaster, can we never find just one smithereen? And in case you were wondering . . .Yes, theres also a term for a noun that appears only in the singular form: singulare tantum. In this category we find mass nouns (also known as noncount nouns), such as mud, knowledge, spaghetti, and (coming in at number 15 on the list of the most common nouns in English) work. To continue this investigation of the most prolific part of speech, visit our glossary entry for noun. Also see our List of 100 Irregular Plural Nouns in English and our  Exercise in Identifying Nouns.

Research/review paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

/review - Research Paper Example This figure is the amount of money that young adults seek to earn by the time they reach the age of thirty years. However, they give a much lower figure of 27,000 dollars a year. On this basis therefore, the optimism of people under this age bracket is replaced by signs of sadness, and depression. To correct these misconceptions, the authors denote that these people need to be wise, tenacious and fearless, for them to make an impact in the society. I completely agree with the claims contained the article. In my own opinion, majority of people under this age bracket are not able to fulfill their ambitions because of the structure of the economy, government policies, and fierce competition on the available scarce resources. For example, when these people graduate from their colleges, most organizations want to hire people who are highly experienced. On this basis, these young adults will miss on the opportunity of acquiring the job under consideration. This will force them to look for alternative sources of employment, which do not earn them as much money as they would like to earn. On this basis, these young adults are unable to meet their target of making 75,000 dollars per year before reaching the ages of 30 years. The structure of the economy also plays a great role in affecting the ability of these people to achieve their goals, and thereafter fulfill their ambitions. ... These people are always optimistic about the future, because of their parents and teachers. Parents usually encourage them on while they are young on the importance of working hard in school, and on the available resources they will enjoy after finishing school. However, their parents do not tell them that these resources are scarce, and there is fierce competition for purposes of accessing these resources. After graduating from school, and realizing that these resources are scarce, that is when these people became sad, and some develop depression. On this basis, I completely agree with the assertions of Whelan (4) that these people are always optimistic, but later on become disappointed because they are unable to achieve their expectations, and goals. The author of this article proposes a solution that these young adults need to be wise, tenacious and fearless. For them to succeed therefore, they should be under the guidance of purposes and hope. Whelan (12) denotes that for these p eople to be wise, they have to identify what drives them, and in which direction they want to go. These young adults must also identify the meaning behind the choices that they make, and they must portray honesty about their feelings. In my own opinion, wisdom is an important element in an individual’s life. Without wisdom, a person is bound to make wrong choices in life. These wrong choices might lead to the destruction of the person under consideration. In my own opinion therefore, I agree with the assertions that these young adults must review the choices they make, and identify the meaning behind those choices. These will therefore help them to make choices that will help