Adapted from Shakespeares The Tempest by Sheri Metzger Feminism was a pivotal movement in England in the 1600s As a result men tried to suppress womens attempt at equality this is rooted in ID: 657207
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Slide1
The Tempest
A Feminist
Reading
Adapted from:
Shakespeare's
The Tempest
by
Sheri MetzgerSlide2
Feminism was a pivotal movement in England in the 1600s
As a result, men tried to suppress
womens
'
attempt at equality - this is rooted in
patriarchy
Patriarchy: A system of society/government where men hold the power and woman are excluded by it
Men were taught to suppress women in a variety of ways:
“How to” manuals were distributed
Church sermons - Anglican and Catholic - said that gender inequality was ordained by GodSlide3
Sermons, interpreted by
men
,
went like this: Women are inferior to men because the Bible “says so”
Eve
, of Adam and Eve fame, was used as the
scape-goat
for suppressing women
She represented the fall of man
( read “
men
"
)
and justified the need to control women
This control was especially important because women served as
political currency
Women were seen as “mothers of the nation” - the brides of kings and mothers of future kings
Controlling their
behaviour
and sexuality was of utmost importance - e.g. Prospero controlling Miranda’s virginity; Alonso marrying off
ClaribelSlide4
Miranda: The only female form on the island with men - her primary purpose is to be Ferdinand’s wife
Marrying him is
advantageous
but for whom?
Redemption for Prospero
Forgiveness for
Alonso
Her virginity rights all wrongs
Her
value lies in her virginity
When she and Ferdinand meet his first question is directed
to
wards
her virginity. He asks, “if you be maid or no?” (
1.2.4
27
).
In other words:
do you have value or not?
- he can only marry a
virgin
Her worth is in her virginity and this makes virginity a
political matterSlide5
Miranda must be pure - he needs assurance that his offspring is HIS - her virginity means that his paternity will not be questioned
Miranda and
Claribel
are
commodities
Commodity: An item that can be bought or sold
Miranda’s value as
b
arter
is her virginity - virtue is a characteristic of nobility and Prospero informs her of this when he speaks of their past
Speaking of her mother he says, “she was a piece of virtue…” (1.2.56-59). This is
generational
Paradoxically - Prospero uses Miranda’s virginity as bait with Ferdinand but then he warns him not to touch the bait… until the time suits ProsperoSlide6
Claribel’s marriage is also political - she did not want to marry the king of Tunis but her obedience to her father is
paramount
thus
reiterating the fact that she is a commodity used for political
gain
Shakespeare often used the stage as a
microcosm
to explore the larger
macrocosm
of the universe