Question

Both historical awhich question is most likely to be asked by a reader studying a text with a feminist perspective? which character has more power: hamlet or claudius? which character has more power: gertrude or claudius? why was a story about royal heirs important in shakespeare’s time? why was a story about an unhappy prince important in shakespeare’s time?a) and feminist criticisms look for repeated words and ideas.

b) are concerned with language and form.
c) seek to understand the role of gender in a text.
d) connect literature to the society it was written in.

Answer 1

In feminist literary criticism, texts such as Shakespeare's Hamlet are examined for gender role portrayal, particularly focusing on characters like Ophelia and Gertrude and their potential agency within a patriarchal society.

Step-by-step explanation:

When analyzing literature from a feminist perspective, the focus is on understanding how gender roles are portrayed and how they affect the dynamics within the text. Looking at Shakespeare's Hamlet through a feminist lens, for instance, we can scrutinize how characters like Ophelia and Gertrude navigate their limited agency within a patriarchal society. It is crucial to examine whether the female characters are portrayed as passive or if they exhibit forms of resistance and empowerment.

For example, questions might arise about Ophelia's agency: is her madness genuine or a form of protest and autonomy against the restricted roles imposed on her? Furthermore, the character of Gertrude can be analyzed to determine if she is complicit with Claudius, simply a bystander, or someone who tries to protect her son within the constraints she faces as a woman in her time. These questions peel back the layers on how Shakespeare's text can reflect or challenge the traditional gender roles of his period.