A Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Woman in Spanish and English
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Woman in Spanish and English Renaissance Society, and its Literary Reflection in William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing, and Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quijote Diplomarbeit zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades einer Magistra der Philosophie an der Geisteswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz Vorgelegt von Tanya RIDOUT Am Institut für Anglistik Begutachter: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Maria Löschnigg Graz, November 2012 Acknowledgements I would like to dedicate my diploma thesis to my Oma, Dr. phil Gertrude Haidmayer, who sadly passed away two years ago. Thank you for inspiring me with you passion for English literature, and for being such an amazing woman. You will never be forgotten. A huge thank you also goes to my wonderful parents, Eva and Kelvin, who no matter what, are always there for me, offering me loving support and encouragement. Without you both, I would never have come this far. Thank you also to my long-suffering boyfriend Florian, and my best friend Sara, for both your patience and for always believing in me. Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1. Social and Historical Background ............................................................................. 4 1.1 Women in Renaissance England and the Spanish Golden Age ........................... 4 1.1.1 The Role of the Woman in English and Spanish Society ............................. 5 1.1.2 Virginity, Chastity and the Double Standard ................................................ 6 1.1.3 Wives, Mothers and Unmarried Women ...................................................... 9 1.1.4 Conduct Books ............................................................................................ 13 1.1.5 Beauty ......................................................................................................... 16 1.1.6 Queen Elizabeth I ........................................................................................ 17 1.2 European Humanism .......................................................................................... 21 1.2.1 Women and Education ................................................................................ 21 1.3 Religion and the Treatment of Women .............................................................. 25 1.3.1 The Church of England ............................................................................... 26 1.3.2 Spanish Catholicism.................................................................................... 27 1.3.3 Islam in Spain ............................................................................................. 29 2. The Writers .............................................................................................................. 32 2.1 William Shakespeare ......................................................................................... 32 2.1.1 Brief Biography .......................................................................................... 32 2.1.2 Women in the Life of Shakespeare ............................................................. 34 2.1.3 Feminist and Anti-feminist Views on Shakespeare .................................... 36 2.2 Miguel de Cervantes .......................................................................................... 37 2.2.1 Brief Biography .......................................................................................... 37 2.2.2 Women in the Life of Cervantes ................................................................. 38 2.2.3 Feminist and Anti-feminist Views on Cervantes ........................................ 39 3. Textual Analysis ...................................................................................................... 42 3.1 Theory Behind the Analysis............................................................................... 42 3.2 The Taming of the Shrew ................................................................................... 43 3.2.1 Introduction to the Play ............................................................................... 43 3.2.2 Plot Summary.............................................................................................. 46 3.2.3 Analysis of the Female Characters in The Taming of the Shrew ................ 47 3.2.3.1 Katherina .............................................................................................. 47 3.2.3.2 Bianca .................................................................................................. 58 3.3 Much Ado About Nothing................................................................................... 63 3.3.1 Introduction to the Play ............................................................................... 63 3.3.2 Plot Summary.............................................................................................. 64 3.3.3 Analysis of the Female Characters in Much Ado About Nothing ............... 65 3.3.3.1 Beatrice ................................................................................................ 65 3.3.3.2 Hero...................................................................................................... 74 3.3.3.3 Margaret ............................................................................................... 81 3.4 Don Quijote ........................................................................................................ 84 3.4.1 Introduction to the Novel ............................................................................ 84 3.4.2 The Narrative Structure of Don Quijote ..................................................... 85 3.4.3 Plot Summary of Part One and Part Two of Don Quijote .......................... 87 3.4.4 Analysis of the Female Characters in Don Quijote .................................... 89 3.4.4.1 Dulcinea ............................................................................................... 89 3.4.4.2 Marcela ................................................................................................ 93 3.4.4.3 Dorotea ............................................................................................... 101 3.4.4.4 Teresa Panza ...................................................................................... 107 3.4.4.5 Zoraida ............................................................................................... 112 3.4.4.6 Camila ................................................................................................ 118 3.4.4.7 La Duquesa ........................................................................................ 123 3.4.4.8 Further Female Characters of Interest ................................................ 129 4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 135 5. Works Cited ........................................................................................................... 141 Introduction During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, women throughout Europe were expected to be obedient, virtuous and silent. Without a doubt, they were second-class citizens in highly misogynistic societies, thoroughly dominated by men. Through the eyes of an authentic, real-life author, literature which dates back to the European Renaissance offers the modern-day reader an invaluable account of what life was really like for women, well before the feminist movement began. This thesis will compare and contrast sixteenth and seventeenth century women living in Spain, with those who lived in England, by analysing the main female literary characters which appear in the literary works of two different men who both bore witness to this period. These chosen writers are William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. William Shakespeare, the most famous playwright that ever lived, and Miguel de Cervantes, the creator of the modern novel and one of literature's most loveable and comical figures: Don Quijote. Two men from different countries, cultures and religions: one an English Protestant, the other a Spanish Catholic. However, both men share a common factor: they lived during the same period, in societies which were shaped by the European Renaissance and by the philosophical movement humanism, which played a key part in women's education. A further shared similarity is that both Shakespeare and Cervantes include a large number of female characters in their writings, many of which play a significant role in the text. Much research has been conducted on these women, as well as on Cervantes' and Shakespeare's personal feminist or misogynistic tendencies. However, up until now, there has been no study which directly compares and contrasts both writers' female figures with one another, in order to discover which of the two men was more radical or modern when it came to women's rights. Nor have comparisons been made between the English and the Spanish woman living during the Renaissance, based on the female characters which appear in Cervantes' and Shakespeare's literary masterpieces. This thesis will analyse the main female figures present in two of Shakespeare's plays, and contrast them with those which appear in Cervantes' classic novel, Don Quijote. Shakespeare's comedies The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing have been chosen, due to their shared theme of the 'battle of