Did Shakespeare have a problem with his daughters, Susanna, Hamnet and Judit Essay Example

protection.

In this time period, the obligation of caring for an unwed woman rested on her father, brother, or another near relative. If a woman was wedded, her husband had the responsibility to support her, although she frequently brought a dowry with her into the marriage. The upper class often had arranged marriages to maintain their riches and form alliances while lower-class women viewed marriage as their solitary means of security. It's paradoxical that Queen Elizabeth I ruled over a time when women had limited freedoms.

Queen Elizabeth faced societal pressures despite her reluctance to marry following the deaths of her close male relatives. As she was answerable to no man, marriage would have required her to become submissive to her husband. William Shakespeare, who lived during the Elizabethan era, incorporated the societal ideals into his plays, especially the roles of women. In his plays, women were able to establish their own identities instead of simply being seen as wives (like Emilia) or lovers (like Bianca). Shakespeare also explored the father-daughter relationship in his stories, offering a different perspective on women's characters.

Shakespeare's portrayal of female characters showed the evolution from the Elizabethan woman to the early Renaissance woman. It was evident that relationship with their male counterparts, particularly their fathers had an impact on their fate. Portrayed as an ideal upper-class woman in Merchant of Venice, Portia's obedience to her father was noteworthy. Conversely, Jessica, Juliet, and Desdemona were portrayed as deceptive and disobedient to their fathers, adversely affecting their fates. The female characters in Shakespeare's plays were presented with more complexities than typical Elizabethan women. The era of Renaissance brought with it a reformation and change

to the way women were viewed in England, superseding the Elizabethan era.

Although Shakespeare deviated somewhat from the archetype of the Elizabethan woman, he did incorporate elements of it in some characters. One such character is Portia from The Merchant of Venice. She is not only beautiful, but her immense wealth adds to her allure for men. In her father's will, he dictates that she cannot choose her own husband and instead creates a clever test for her suitors. They must select from three caskets - gold, silver, and lead - one of which contains a portrait of Portia. Whoever chooses correctly will win her hand in marriage.

The second scene in Portia's house in Belmont, begins with Portia expressing her displeasure at not being able to choose a husband due to her late father's will. In a conversation with her mistress Nerissa, she laments, "O me, the 'word' choose! I may not choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike; So is the will of a living daughter curb'd by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa that I cannot chose one, nor refuse none?" In this scene, Portia's desire for independence and the freedom to choose her own spouse is introduced. She realizes that even in death, her father's will overrides her own desires. This departure from the norm during the Elizabethan era, where arranged marriages were common for nobility like Portia, shows Shakespeare stepping out of the traditional mold. However, Shakespeare quickly brings Portia back into the Elizabethan mold through her eventual obedience to her father's will.

Despite her aversion to marrying any of the suitors who sought her

hand, Portia obeyed her father's will. Even after his death, it appears that he still had control over her life and considered her his possession. However, it cannot be definitively concluded that the will was solely meant to control Portia. As a father, it was his responsibility to provide for and safeguard his daughter, who was viewed as vulnerable because of her gender. He placed a lead casket with a portrait of Portia inside, indicating that he desired for her to find someone who loved her for herself rather than her wealth and who would choose the lead casket over the valuable silver and gold ones.

Portia's beloved Bassanio becomes the suitor who correctly chooses the lead casket containing her portrait. In Act II Scene II, when Bassanio speaks to Antonio about Portia, he first mentions her wealth before praising her beauty, saying "In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair and, fairer than the word." Despite being the suitor who chooses the correct casket, Bassanio is still driven by the desire for the wealth that comes with marrying Portia.

In Elizabethan society, it was customary for upper-class men to acquire wealth through marriage to women of the same social status, and Bassanio's union with Portia was no exception. Despite his genuine affection for Portia, Bassanio had a tendency to spend recklessly, making the allure of her dowry all the more enticing. Once they were married, Bassanio returned to Venice and used his newfound wealth to help Antonio pay off his debt, thus demonstrating one of the few instances where he used money wisely. Portia, on the other hand, was not only a financial

acquisition and dutiful daughter of the upper-class, but also an intelligent woman who emerges as the hero of the play by mediating the conflict between Antonio and Shylock.

Portia's clever interpretation of their bond and manipulation of Shylock's strict adherence to it led to her discovery of the loophole that ultimately saved Antonio's life. The bond specifies that it only permits Shylock to take a pound of flesh, but no blood. Therefore, if he does shed even a single drop of Christian blood in the process, his lands and goods will be seized by the state of Venice. Despite the general portrayal of Shakespearean women as inferior, Portia's prominent role in the play marks a renaissance in Shakespeare's female characterization. Her portrayal as an intelligent and witty woman in an era when women were often uneducated was a bold and progressive move by the playwright.

Despite this, the heroine of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, Portia, did not stray too far from the conventional expectations of a good Elizabethan woman. Her obedience and other Elizabethan qualities made her acceptance as a heroine easier. Portia ultimately ends up with Bassanio, who views her as a possession and sex object, but she is content in the utopia of Belmont because of her obedience and the opportunity to display her wit among men. On the other hand, Jessica, the daughter of Shylock, is portrayed as disobedient for eloping with Lorenzo, a Christian, and stealing from her father. Shylock, who isolates Jessica from the world to maintain power over her, believes he has raised her to be submissive and obedient. However, her actions prove otherwise. In Act II Scene III, as

she prepares to leave, Jessica says "Our house is hell". Despite this, Shylock never distrusts her due to his belief that he has control over her.

. The man expects obedience from the woman and is focused on his wealth and revenge. He also desires to keep shallow, frivolous talk out of his home. In Act II, Scene V, he dreams of money and plans to consume the Christian he despises with hatred.

In Act II, Scene V (lines 14-15), the character declares that his keys are located and instructs Jessica to watch over his house (lines 12 and 16). The information is presented within a paragraph tag.

When Jessica flees, Shylock is not upset because he lost his daughter, but rather because he lost his possessions, including Jessica. He exclaims "My daughter!O my ducats!O my daughter! Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats! Justice! The law! My ducats and my daughter!" He lists the items stolen from him, including double ducats and precious stones. Despite this, he values his possessions over his daughter, wishing "my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear." Shylock's treatment of Jessica reflects the societal norms during the Elizabethan era, where daughters were considered possessions and expected to be obedient and loyal. Jessica tries to free herself through disobedience which is considered rebellion.Despite the typical outcome of death for Shakespearean women who refuse to obey, Jessica's story diverges from this pattern as she defies the oppressive Jewish figure Shylock and marries her beloved Lorenzo. Not only does she inherit Shylock's possessions, but her disobedience ultimately leads her to a joyful life in Belmont.

Had Shylock not been the

antagonist in the Merchant of Venice, Jessica would have shared a fate similar to Juliet's, given her disobedience to the societal norms of Elizabethan times.