The Family in Four Shakespearean Plays: A Short Analysis

Abstract

Gender study is one of the most select areas of modern research in nearly all branches of knowledge, that is, politics, history, sociology and of course literature. Feminist criticism has been phenomenal in closely studying works of literature. The modern era, which tries to usher in a world of equality for all, is highly concerned with the political, economic and social equality and freedom of women. In this article, four plays ( Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter’s Tale and Cymbeline) of William Shakespeare have been selected for the purpose of gender analysis. The article tries to explore the family in Shakespeare’s times, the status of women and the social hierarchy in Elizabethan times. Shakespeare’s plays highlight many more issues of gender and identity that are of universal importance. This article also explores how gender roles were predetermined in the Elizabethan society and how a woman was expected to behave accordingly.