Much Ado About Nothing Structuralism Essay

Much Ado About Nothing Structuralism Essay

Like Father, Like Daughter: Structuralism Amongst the Women in Shakespeare

During the Renaissance, it was common for women to behave in a certain manner in a patriarchal society. Women were subordinate to any man in their life, whether it was a husband or a father. However, Shakespeare creates female roles in his plays that often steer away from the common script. These women challenge, deceive, and steal from these men, including one's closest to them in their lives. In Merchant of Venice, young Portia and Jessica are two examples of these strayed female characters. They feel trapped in the hands of their father's and do their best to break free of that hold. In Much Ado About Nothing, Hero is a young woman who feels her relationship with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...This shows the extreme version of a rebellious teenager in order to escape her father. Once Shylock finds out his daughter has disappeared with his money and jewels, he is outwardly upset with the fact that his possessions are gone. He even states that he wished his daughter "were dead at [his] foot, and the jewels in her ear! Would she were hearsed at [his] foot, and the ducats in her coffin!" (Act III, Scene i, 76–79). Surely, one can't believe there are any similarities in this relationship, however, structuralism shows the underlying pattern between Shylock and Jessica. Diane Dreher author of Domination and Defiance: Fathers and Daughters in Shakespeare, points out that the two hold a common trait: Greed. Shylock's greed is expressed through his constant talk on commerce and his precious ducats, and Jessica has inherited that ideology. Before running away with Lorenzo, she drops down a basket filled with money and jewels belonging to her father. One would assume it was an act of reprisal, however, Dreher argues it is greed much like her father's. She describes her as "bad and disloyal, unfilial, a thief; frivolous, greedy, without any more conscience than a cat," (pg. 102). These two characters know that money holds a powerful position in their lives. Along with this greed, both are very determined characters in terms of fighting for what they want. With Shylock, he is constantly trying to receive justice through the deal he made with Antonio. Despite the strange request, he demands that he receives his 'pound of flesh' from Antonio and stops at nothing to see it through. This passion can be seen in Jessica as well when she is determined to marry Lorenzo despite her father's wishes. She gets to the point of disguising herself as a man in order to be with him. She goes great lengths to be with Lorenzo by eloping, but

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