In King Lear there is a stark contrast between the treatment of women and men. The society at the time of the play was a patriarchal one and this is evident in many points throughout Shakespeare's 'King Lear.' Women were often treated as subhumans.
We only have to read a few lines into first act of William Shakespeare's 'King Lear' to realise that there is a distinct difference between how women and men are treated in the play. It is immediately clear to us that men hold all the status and power during the time of this play as it is automatically assumed that the King's land will be given to a duke, a man, rather than his own children - simply because they are female. "...in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the Dukes he values most; or equalities are so weighted that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's money." Gloucester and Kent are not questioning whether the land will be given to a man; they are merely speculating about which duke will receive the land.
Women are treated incredibly similarly to objects throughout 'King Lear'. They are given away to husbands for a dowry, very alike to how merchants exchange goods to customers for money. "What, in the least, Will you require in present dower with her...?" Burgundy and France discuss Cordelia like a product, "Will you have her? She's a dowry in herself." Women have to marry the person that their father deems suitable for them, whereas men have the power to marry whomever they please. France talks to Cordelia as if he is claiming her as a prize " thee and thy virtues here I seize upon." This shows that he views his marriage as something to boast about, simply another thing to add to a collection.
There are a lot of double standards in 'King Lear' when it comes to the actions expected of a person. Men were able to be a lot more openly sexual, for example no one seems to judge Gloucester for having an illegitimate son (Edmund) and they show him the same amount of respect they would show any other man - at least at the start of the play. However women are looked down upon if they are known for having the same desires as men. Lear compares women to animals and devils, "down from the waist they are Centaurs...there's hell, there's darkness." This is just a part of one of Lear's many rants about women, which all stem from an incredibly misogynistic view point. His tirades highlight the general viewpoint at the time of the play.
Essentially women did not have any control. They did not even have their own freedom, they were considered possessions - owned by their fathers or husbands. Any woman that tried to gain a little power was belittled - compared to animals, devils and other degrading things. Men had a lot more freedom and control than women did, and on the whole they were treated with far more respect than their female counterparts.
We also see how unfairly women are treated in the novel Pride and Prejudice. Much like in King Lear, women are seen as subhumans to men and aren’t allowed to do anything without their father or husband’s approval. We see this at the beginning of the novel when Mrs Bennet has to ask Mr Bennet to go over and introduce himself to Mr Bingley so that she and their daughters may get to know him. Women weren’t even allowed to go over and introduce themselves without having another man involved. A woman’s job was to find a suitable husband, with a lot of money, and to marry so that she can take care of her family in the future. All the women in this novel seem to care about is men and there is not a single conversation that does not revolve around them. They do not look for love but merely a person who will give them a big house and a comfortable life. We especially see that this is what Charlotte thinks of marriage when she agrees to marry Mr Collins. It is very clear that she is not in love with Mr Collins and only married him to secure her future. He has a good job and will inherit a large sum of money along with the house that is located right beside the one she lives in now. She goes ahead with the marriage even though it means she might one day have to kick her best friend out of her own house. We know for a fact that Charlotte doesn’t like Mr Collins as she constantly encourages him to spend time in the garden or to go and see Lady Catherine so that they won’t have to spend time together. Their marriage is strictly a business arrangement, much like in King Lear, and her only hope is to have a child who will occupy most of her attention, bringing love back into her life.
ReplyDeleteMany links can be found in the treatment of women in King Lear and Pride and Prejudice. In King Lear the Kings land must be given to a man, even one whom he is not related over his own children just because of gender. Ownership of property is a clear theme in pride and prejudice. Jane Austen slyly expresses her views on this. In the first chapter, a man is described as "rightful property" this begins a long sequence of references to marriage as a matter of material possession. Women needed to marry a man because otherwise they had no way to support themselves. If their father died they would have nowhere to live. The way a man should be in "want" of a wife shows the stark contrast in the role of women and men. Women NEEDED a husband. Woman also needed to be introduced to a male by another male. When Bingley and Darcy arrive at Longbourne, Mr. Bennet needs to introduce the girls to the men. It is how society works. Mrs Bennet draws attention to the extremity of the importance of a man with money. She is constantly trying to marry off her daughters to a wealthy man. Similarly in King Lear money plays a huge part in the marriage. The woman has no power over who she marries. Cordelia must marry to inherit. Her father must pay a dowry to the man who takes her hand. Marriage is for security.Charlotte is coming towards the end of the age at which she can marry. The ultimate fear then was being an old maid. Charlotte is practical. She sees the situation in front of her and takes control of it as much she can. To marry Collins is an appalling thought to Lizzy but to Charlotte it may be her last chance. Collins has a good income and will be able to support her. She is not in love with him at all. It is a marriage of business not love much like in King Lear Cordelia doesn't even know the men who are her potential husbands. When Sir William and Lizzy are conversing, Lizzy's frustrations surface. Sir William says that he is limited because he is the younger son. Lizzy asks him "When have you been prevented by want of money from going wherever you chose, or procuring anything you had a fancy for?" As the youngest of an earl he a lot better off than her as a lady. The way women are forced to depend on men in these texts is so outrageous because of the strong and fiesty female characters.
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