The construct of the ‘Other’ in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale

Abstract

Female characters play an important role in Shakespeare’s plays. Just as in reality, women of Shakespeare’s dramas have been bound to rules and conventions of the patriarchal Elizabethan era. Therefore, it was very common in Elizabethan England to compel woman into marriages in order to receive power, legacy, dowry or land in exchange. The construction of female characters in Shakespeare’s plays reflects the Elizabethan image of woman in general. Hermione, the heroine of The Winter’s Tale is taken here for analysis. She is a beautiful woman and dutiful wife. But she suffers from patriarchy. She is the Queen of Sicilia, wife to King Leontes, and the mother of Mamillius and Perdita. She fulfills her roles with a tender dignity and grace that is not found in the opposite sex. She goes through her tumultuous journey of experiencing shame, degradation and grief, Hermione suffers inexplicably because of the irrational behaviour of her husband. Common topics of feminist studies of Shakespeare include examinations of patriarchy, gender and sex roles and relationship between gender and power. The Elizabethan society of Shakespeare's day was completely dominated by men. Such a male-domination greatly constrained Shakespeare's female characters. Women of Shakespeare’s dramas are bound to rules and conventions of the patriarchal Elizabethan era. The construction of female characters in Shakespeare’s plays reflects the Elizabethan image of woman in general. Shakespeare’s words and phrases construct characters closely gendered as male and female. The heroes are given a free ‘voice’ whereas the women remain only their ‘echo’.