Shakespeare’s Women and Patriarchy: A Complex Dance

Shakespeare employs a complex dance to navigate patriarchy and gender norms in ancient times. A patriarchal society is one in which males hegemonize most of the fundamental aspects of the society, including in the spheres of diplomacy, property control, and even ideas about morality. Women are meant to lower their innate dignity and capitulate to male authority. Yet in Shakespeare’s tales, women move through intricate steps of resistance against a dogmatic system, defying a rigid order in their pursuit of autonomy.

In his plays, Shakespeare depicts women’s marginalization, portraying them as being subjected to the control of males in society. Dancers integrate different moves to stand out in their performance. Shakespeare shows that women in patriarchal societies must also make intricate and strategic moves, balancing their desire for freedom and power while also conforming to tradition. A failure to learn the dance can lead to one’s downfall.

There are distinct scenarios where women defy set norms to attain autonomy. For instance, Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is pressured to marry a spouse whom her father chooses. If she fails to obey his command, she’s faced with the threat of becoming a nun or even killed (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”). However, she strategizes to elope with Lysander. In rebelling, she demonstrates her desire for autonomy in personal decision-making. In the same scene, Helena begs Demetrius to be with her, transforming herself into an object for male desire. She must use her vulnerability in order to get what she wants, unlike men, for whom the universe seems to operate in favor of (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”). Shakespeare shows that women struggle to break free from the oppression of the patriarchy. 

However, most of the women who go against the patriarchal structures tend to suffer negative consequences. For instance, Lady Macbeth is ambitious and tries to manipulate her husband to follow her intuition to take and hold the throne. She also defies traditional gender norms by embracing masculinity, proving that women are also powerful (Cheng). But defying the patriarchal system, leads to her downfall. She feels guilty for pushing for the murder of Duncan and eventually suffers from a mental health condition. This demonstrates the struggle for women in pursuing their goals, particularly to attain leadership positions amid the psychological pressure to maintain their feminine natures – this nature being formulated and presented to them by society (Cheng). Lady Macbeth had been raised to submit and be led; taking authority from her husband was an overwhelming task, leading to the loss of her sanity.

Also, Desdemona decides to defy orders and choose the husband of her choice (Othello). Cassio becomes envious of Othello and decides to trigger discord in Othello’s marriage by implicating them in having a love affair with Desdemona. Cassio and his wife collected Desdemona’s handkerchief, which was dropped by her husband, to persuade Othello that his wife had given it to Cassion to prove her love (Bevington and David). He was convinced that his wife had fallen out of love as he was a black man. Infuriated by jealousy, he starts maltreating his wife and later kills her. This implies that the patriarchal system continually puts women in a vulnerable position, hindering their triumphs. For instance, if Othello valued his wife, he could talk to her to understand the root cause of the problem and learn if Cassio’s accusation was true or false. However, he focused on how he felt when he heard that his wife had an affair and killed her without holding a conversation with her (Bevington and David). Generally, in the portrayal of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage and the ultimate death of Desdemona, women are viewed as objects for male satisfaction, not as companions and people who could be involved in problem-solving or be heard.

 Also, Portia in “The Merchant of Venice” is forced to identify as a male to succeed in saving Antonia in the legal justice proceedings, demonstrating how society holds that only men can be wise. Having to pretend to be a male lawyer shows that despite being knowledgeable, she would fail to be heard because as a woman (“The Merchant of Venice”). Although she used deception, Portia was bold enough to challenge the patriarchal systems and illustrate the potential held by women in society. These scenes in the different plays portray the complex dance juxtaposing rebellion and compliance.

Generally, the complex dance in Shakespeare’s plot intends to depict women as both obstinate and tractable within the established dogmatic system. During Shakespeare’s era, women were delineated as assailable, and men were portrayed as powerful and in control of society. However, Shakespeare utilizes female characters to illustrate the potential they possess through their struggle to attain autonomy. Many women in Shakespeare’s plays feel the need to break free from elements of the patriarchal system and make decisions about their lives independently. However, they always encounter struggle and barriers, which they may or may not overcome, depending on their ability to maneuver within the systems of oppression in which they lived. This helps illuminate power and gender issues.

Works Cited

Bevington, and David. “Othello | Summary and Characters.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2025, www.britannica.com/topic/Othello-by-Shakespeare.

Cheng, Yuhe. “Feminist Study of Lady Macbeth.” SHS Web of Conferences, vol. 158, Jan. 2023, p. 02025. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202315802025.

“The Merchant of Venice.” Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-plays/merchant-venice.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares-plays/midsummer-nights-dream.