Shakespearean women are often more complex in their roles than men, and even though male actors are the most common protagonists, they are frequently the ones who direct the action. The female characters in Shakespearean plays are sometimes perceived as being crafty, but the tricks that go along with this are used to further causes that are both honorable today and at the time the play was written. Isabella’s approach to Angelo regarding her brother’s sentencing in the “Measure for Measure,” sets the fast pace for the entire play. Mariana is the one that takes control of her destiny when she agrees for Isabella to take her place in Angelo’s gardens.
Jessica is the one who steals Shylock and Lorenzo’s money in “The Merchant of Venice”. Portia, her wife Bassanio’s partner, decides instantly to help him when he leaves for his beloved Antonio. These plays portray women in many different ways, as if they were being flooded with a multitude of colored spotlights during one performance. These women are portrayed in several different ways at once, as if they were being viewed from many different perspectives. They can create complex characters that are difficult to understand, but they do offer a more realistic portrayal than men’s roles.
Mariana is a problematic character. She is not the main character of “Measure for Measure”, she’s only introduced in Act IV, scene 1, and appears briefly in just two scenes. The plot seems to revolve around her at first. Mariana was introduced, Angelo became the villain, Claudio escaped death, Isabella remained a virgin, Mariana won the man that she had been yearning for. Mariana may appear simple and help “capture” a villain, but she is actually quite complex.
She has also been wronged, as have many other female characters in Shakespeare, and seeks revenge by hurting Angelo. It is this that leads to the ending which has only Claudio & Juliet as the happy couple. Mariana’s solution to the problem creates an ambiguity about the moral questions that the play is meant to address. The ambiguous nature of Mariana’s actions makes it difficult to make out the play. She is the “solution”, for many characters, but her actions create a sense of ambiguity.
Mariana is also a heroine on a more profound level. She addresses the inequality of women within Shakespearean society. Mariana may be viewed as a problematic character by modern readers, but she was likely a favorite among women who attended Shakespearean plays. Mariana is left by Angelo after losing her brother at sea. In one devastating blow, Mariana loses her two male supporters. As most women would, it seems that she will suffer in silence. Mariana will not give up on her right to be loved and regained, no matter how miserable her lover is. It is a wonderful display of independence. Mariana’s tenacity and independence are admirable.
Mariana isn’t the only female character with many layers in “Measure For Measure”. Isabella’s motivations are more complex than Angelo’s. She is not only interested in power and control, but also in sexuality. Isabella is an innocent, sexually repressed idealist with a twisted desire (though unconsciously) for martyrdom. Isabella, who is a sexually repressed, innocent idealist with a slightly twisted (though subconscious) desire for martyrdom, jumps to action the moment she hears of Angelo’s plan. She rushes straight from the convent to Angelo in order to argue Claudio’s side.
Her true nature is revealed here. She is not as innocent and pure as she had been made out to be. Angelo asks her if she will “Give [her] Body to Such Sweet Uncleanliness/ As She That [Your Brother] Has Stain?” (II.4.54-55). Her response shows that, though she is innocent enough to not understand the implications of Angelo’s words:
Was I in a death sentence?
I want to wear the image of a keen whip as a ruby.
I strip myself as if to die in a bed
It’s been that long since I was sick, before I gave up.
I am ashamed of my body. (II.4.100-104)
Isabella may have expressed a desire to suffer an agonizing, painful death rather than lose her chastity but her words do not convey her pain. She suggests that martyrdom is a joyous experience, and her blood will be treasured as rubies. By using words such as “keen”,’strip’, and a “bed” that she desires, Isabella reinforces her masochistic interpretation of whipping. Isabella believes that if she were to die as a martyr, she could find the sexual fulfillment she is denied if she entered the nunnery. She is able to answer Angelo’s question in a clear and unambiguous way when she realizes the implications. She would rather sacrifice her brother’s virginity than lose her own.
Isabella may have seemed cold-hearted, but Shakespearean readers would understand her better. Abstaining from giving herself to Angelo could mean that her brother would die a clean and savage death. Isabella assumes that her bro will do the same, but this is an unrealistic assumption. Claudio can see Isabella’s cleverness by the way she begins their conversation. She speaks lowly of Angelo, so as to show him how base Angelo’s demand is. (III.1.66)”
Isabella’s sinister character is further explored when she returns to the Duke as a Friar, concealing the fact that her plans are to meet Angelo in the garden of the Duke at night. She appears to be having fun with the masquerade, expressing her delight at Angelo’s enthusiasm for showing her “the path twice over”. She is also pleased that she invented a waiter to explain her brief visit.
Isabella has a similar role to Mariana. When she fails, Isabella just tries another strategy. Isabella’s actions complicate the play. She can’t give an answer to the Duke’s proposal that won’t change the reader’s view of her. This would seriously undermine her moral standing. Instead of risking that, the reader is left wondering what Shakespeare was thinking, and Isabella’s honor is preserved. Isabella is a character that’s very real. She doesn’t know what she wants but can hide some tricks. Isabella comes across as confused, a little egotistical and, like Mariana’s heart, she has the right intentions.
The women’s roles in “The Merchant of Venice”, are similarly complex. The female characters are complex. They go after their goals and will stop at nothing to achieve them. Jessica, Shylock’s child, is an example. In Act II Scene 3, Jessica tells her father that “Our house was hell, and you a merry / Devil, didst rob its taste of monotony.” Jessica starts to cause trouble as soon as she is out-of-earshot of her father. She gives Lancelot her letter, which he then delivers to Lorenzo. This is the beginning of one of many plots that are interwoven in this play.
It is a woman who gives orders here, but it is a man. Lorenzo tells Gratiano, Salerio and Gratiano that Jessica “hath instructed / How she shall be taken from her father’s home” (II.4.29-30). Jessica is actually the torchbearer who literally lights Lorenzo’s path. Jessica not only escapes unwanted male protection; she also breaks the societal norm that males lead in relationships.
Portia leaps past this enormous hurdle as well, without even blinking. Her character begins to reveal itself the moment she is introduced in Act 1 Scene 2. Although she may appear spoiled at first, complaining about all the suitors who want her hand, a closer look reveals her true nature. Portia’s suitors will not be judged on their wealth or possessions, but rather on their moral and personal qualities. Although she may have feelings for the men in question, she cannot control their selection. Her father’s wishes determine her husband choice. Portia loses her apparent centrality when she engages in a series or transactions with the Princes Arragon and Morocco. In truth, Portia was merely a piece of property that passed from her father into the hands of whoever she chose. Portia does not begin to manipulate her situation until Bassanio has been chosen to be her husband.
Portia giving her ring as a gift to Bassanio was more meaningful than most people would think. It is a symbol of Portia’s love and her submission. Portia is accepting of her new status in society. It’s characterized by Portia being subordinated, losing her legal rights and having a “goods” status. The symbolism also signifies that she is a part of a hierarchical structure dominated by males. Portia seems to accept her place as a woman in this system at first. We only begin to realize her true character when we hear her disclaimer at the end.
This piece of jewelry
When you give up, part with, or lose something,
You will be ruined by it.
I will exclaim about you. (III.2.171-174)
Portia is beginning to take control of her life with the gift of the ring she received from her father, who has since died.
Bassanio, on his way to Venice to help his friend, has no plan, unlike his spouse, who has one. Portia embodies a traditional woman by promising Bassanio to live with Nerissa as “widows” during his absence, and telling Lorenzo that the pair will go straight to the convent. This was the typical ideal woman at that period. Women were supposed to be quiet, chaste, and obedient. Portia begins by evoking the ideals of a proper woman, then goes against them. She dresses up as a guy and heads to Venice. She also engages with public speaking that’s only meant for men. And, perhaps most importantly, she takes part in a real trial. Portia’s profession relies on knowledge, logic and reasoning. These are all areas that women were not taught. She is a woman who surpasses all expectations, and she wins the court.
The Merchant of Venice’s story does not end here. Portia’s conniving character is revealed when Portia asks Bassanio, who knows she secretly took the ring from her, to return it. Bassanio’s loss of his ring is paradoxically a loss of the male privileges that Portia had promised him in exchange for the ring. Portia can now “exclaim” about Bassanio. Gratiano also loses Nerissa ring. The rings don’t represent traditional love: They symbolize female power.
Shakespearean women characters who are complex and multi-faceted have an extraordinary importance. Isabella, Mariana and Jessica all have qualities that make them stand out from other women. These dynamic, optimistic characters take charge of their lives, which society believes belongs to their fathers or brothers. These characters’ actions often begin the story, continue it, and bring it to a conclusion. They have a real sense of reality that male characters lack. Shakespeare uses the psyche of the woman to advance the story in his plays. These women are able to break through the barriers of social laws, and ultimately triumph.
