feminist theory 1
FEMINIST READER-RESPONSE OF “KING LEAR” Shakespeare's King Lear is a deeply sad tale of a king who gives up his power and slowly goes crazy. His two oldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, each receive half the kingdom from him, but it soon becomes apparent that half is not enough for either of them. Everybody in this play is out to get everybody else, and everybody has a hidden agenda. However, as the drama ensues, the audience realizes that the women,
Goneril and Regan, are really controlling most of the events in the story. Contrary to the cultural standards of his time, Shakespeare portrays women as the "stronger" sex in King
Lear.
Feminist Criticism is a type of literary theory that wishes to point out how different genders, races, classes, religions, etc. are portrayed in a piece of literature.
Feminists critics mainly care about how women are written about, and how women write.
They want to know why women's works are rarely included in the canon, which is the group of works that are read, written about, and reprinted most often. They also wish to point out how a work either undermines or perpetuates certain stereotypes about women or other groups. They question how women are portrayed, why they are portrayed as such, and what effect it has on the reader and society as a whole. If negatives stereotypes arise, they desire to change these stereotypes which is entirely possible since all stereotypes are constructed, the theory wishes to point out to us. In other words, because stereotypes are just made up ideas that society has about a particular group, it is possible to destroy these stereotypes. Ultimately, they wish to question gender, challenging easy definitions of man and woman, male and female. Gender is not just about biological factors, but about how society assigns certain characteristics to men or women. In fact, since gender too is constructed, it can therefore be deconstructed. This is what feminist
Goneril and Regan, are really controlling most of the events in the story. Contrary to the cultural standards of his time, Shakespeare portrays women as the "stronger" sex in King
Lear.
Feminist Criticism is a type of literary theory that wishes to point out how different genders, races, classes, religions, etc. are portrayed in a piece of literature.
Feminists critics mainly care about how women are written about, and how women write.
They want to know why women's works are rarely included in the canon, which is the group of works that are read, written about, and reprinted most often. They also wish to point out how a work either undermines or perpetuates certain stereotypes about women or other groups. They question how women are portrayed, why they are portrayed as such, and what effect it has on the reader and society as a whole. If negatives stereotypes arise, they desire to change these stereotypes which is entirely possible since all stereotypes are constructed, the theory wishes to point out to us. In other words, because stereotypes are just made up ideas that society has about a particular group, it is possible to destroy these stereotypes. Ultimately, they wish to question gender, challenging easy definitions of man and woman, male and female. Gender is not just about biological factors, but about how society assigns certain characteristics to men or women. In fact, since gender too is constructed, it can therefore be deconstructed. This is what feminist