Miranda and Gender Roles
Comments(2) Throughout the entire semester, I had been interested in evaluating the dynamics of female gender roles in Shakespeare. We’ve seen a lot of women throughout each play, all of them unique, and yet all of them sort of similar. They’re all strong female characters and paradoxically controlled by the patriarchal society they live in. Miranda plays an interesting role in The Tempest when considering gender dynamics and characterization. She is seem as the apex of femininity and virtue. Because she has lived with only her father and Caliban for so long, she has never seen another man. We learn that she has also never seen another woman. And yet, she is trained to be a representation of the “perfect woman”. Miranda has warm qualities and is considered “perfectly and peerless, created of every creature’s best”. This description used by Ferdinand paints an almost strange surrealist view of Miranda. Not only does she possess all the (perceived) best qualities in a woman, she is also easy to mold and manipulate. She is less of a person and more of a puppet for her father and Ferdinand’s command.
In my opinion Miranda paints an accurate depiction of the women’s gender roles in Shakespearean times (which are still prevalent today)–women are meant to be pure, innocent, untouched, and subordinate to men. The subject of Miranda’s virginity is brought up multiple times in the play. Miranda is not in control of her own sexuality, because her father demands that her “virgin knot” only be broken after the wedding. This takes away from any sense of sexual agency she may have, as men are the ones that dictate what will happen to her body. Her over sexualization objectifies her more, especially when she is used as a tool for revenge by Prospero.
This isn’t uncommon in Shakespeare’s plays. Even if main female characters have some sliver of agency in the story, they are ultimately puppets of men. Often they provide the resolution of the play, or stand in as the Christ like figure– (Portia saves the day! Isabella does the ol’ switcheroo! Desdemona’s fierce loyalty! etc…)—and yet they are still ploys in the story that settle mens’ revenge or conflict.
I agree with you on how Miranda is an accurate depiction of the women’s gender roles in Shakespeare’s play. However, I disagree with your point that she is used as a tool for revenge by Prospero. The reason being is because I actually liked how Prospero ended up being at the end of the play, and he actually approved for Miranda and Ferdinand’s relationship. However, I also think that he went a bit extreme when he threatened to hurt Ferdinand if he broke Miranda’s virgin knot. Although it was extreme, I also think that it can also be viewed as a father securing his daughter’s future. He wouldn’t just want him to use Miranda for sex and then dispose of her ( which would be objectifying her to an extreme). Instead, he goes to an extreme to make sure that they get married and that she does not lose her honor. Even if his technique was a bit crazy, it was for a good cause.
Sadly, I also agree that many women are used as a basic means of revenge in the plays that we have read. Even so, I feel that some of these women have really strong personalities, such as Desdemona, Cleopatra, Portia, and others, which stand out to me and not only make me think about the men in the play. I also really appreciated Isabella’s character in Measure for Measure because she was different and wanted to protect her virginity, even if the Duke didn’t let that happen. The mere fact that she was trying made her an extremely strong and unique character out of all of the plays that we have read this semester.
I am in the same boat as well. I understand the point of view that the women in many of Shakespeare’s plays are molded and controlled by the men in their society. We see it unfold very well in The Tempest.
On the other hand, I feel that Prospero is a caring, yet over-protective father. In my opinion, he is doing his best to try and protect the only person that he is truly “stuck” to in his life. Another point that you made is that the he said Mirdanda should not have sex before marriage — I understand where this comes from. I know they are out there, but i have never met a father who is not reluctant to give up his daughter to another man. It’s all kind of sad.