When this is delivered we have to remember that women could not perform on stage in Shakespearian England. Therefore Rosalind would have been played by a male character, showing again the limitations of women. In conclusion the attitudes towards women in the plays Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida and As You Like It are that women are weak. This weakness is shown in different ways. In Hamlet and in Troilus and Cressida it is shown by women giving in to temptation and not being strong enough to withhold from it. However in As You Like It the form of weakness is shown by the need of a male presence.
Due to the position of women in Shakespearian society all these plays show women as the inferior sex. They are seen as unimportant and not serious. Although As You Like It shows a gradual progression of female characters all the plays studied reflect the dominant gender values at the time. Therefore in conclusion the attitudes towards women in the plays studies are in fact mainly negative attitudes in all three of the plays.
In conclusion Shakespeare’s play Hamlet portrays women as secondary characters which are weak and dependant on the male characters. The women don’t form their own views and opinions. They are shown as obedient to the male characters. The portrayal of women in this way shows that the attitude towards them in the play Hamlet is not one of equality. Women are seen as the inferior sex. The main female character in Troilus and Cressida is the character of Cressida. She is the love interest of Troilus. There are similarities to Hamlet in the attitudes towards women.
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