Representation of Gender Roles beyond Oedipal Complementarities in Daughter Characters in Shakespeare’s Selected Works

Abstract

All over the world, especially in developing countries, the condition of women were or are not in par with men. The predicament of women has undergone a considerable change, which can be seen every part of the globe. Creating labels as well as nomenclatures to identify women has become a common phenomenon, which is found all over the world. At this juncture, when a new nomenclature is created, again that would add another set of features to the identity of women. This has serious issues if it has been done with hidden purpose, which may or may not be seen at the outset. The real fact is that this sought of stigmatizing of women is created in such cultures, which is aiming for liberation and self-identity from the dominant forces. William Shakespeare lived during the Elizabethan era and wrote all his works based on the society of that time. The Elizabethan era was a time when women were portrayed to be weaker than men. During that time it was said that -“women are to be seen, and not heard.” In this paper an attempt has been taken to explore Shakespeare‘s presentation of women in his works demonstrating his feelings about women and their roles in society.