Date of Award
8-2004
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Dr. Anthony Russell
Second Advisor
Dr. Raymond Hilliard
Third Advisor
Dr. Alan Loxterman
Abstract
The feminine in Shakespeare's plays, like the Bakhtinian grotesque, often offers a critical perspective on patriarchal society. Shakespeare creates characters whose feminine perspective enables them to stand outside of the patriarchal paradigm and operate according to alternative modes of behavior. While the dominant system regards power solely as a masculine territory, Shakespeare suggests that true power can only be effectively pursued by those who are not bound to a particular gender identity, but are able to shift their personas in accordance with their ever-changing milieu. In Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Henry V, and Coriolanus, Shakespeare depicts both the ineffectiveness of characters that are completely committed to a masculine sense of identity, and the effectiveness of characters who are able to stand outside of the patriarchal system, and perceive identity as an artificially imposed construct which can be altered at will.
Recommended Citation
Beavers, James Aaron, "Beyond gender : the pursuit of power in the Henriad and Coriolanus" (2004). Master's Theses. 652.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses/652