Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Female Roles in Shakespeare's Hamlet
In an actual performance of Hamlet during the Elizabethan period, female roles like Ophelia and Gertrude would have been played by a male. Imagine that. By today's standards, it seems impossible that a male would be able to assume the role of a female and yet be able to capture the female's emotional nature. As we reflect on the roles of Gertrude and Ophelia in the play, Hamlet, what emotions and other characteristics (such as a nurturing mother, a jilted lover, etc) are evident? Provide examples by citing certain lines from the play that support your point. In addition, do you believe that a male could perform the role of one of these females very effectively today? Explain.
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Mr. Fernan wore a pink tie on Tuesday and I complimented him. "You know pink used to be considered a more manly color, Ann?" Just by saying this, he pointed out to me how the ideal versions of a 'man' and 'woman' have changed over the recent years. The difference between Elizabethan Era men and present day men is even greater. In the Elizabethan Era, men still wore stockings and puffed sleeves. They were a society that was dominated by men, so it only makes sense that men would be the only actors. However, trying to envision the angelic Ophelia as a young boy in makeup and costume clashes with our present ideas of how a play should be acted out.
ReplyDeleteIt is a curious idea to ponder; every character on stage being played by a male. Could two men create the same type of intimacy that is needed between a male and female character? Can a man capture the maternal nature of a mother figure? It could have been easier for actors to do these things during the time of Shakespeare because that was what was expected of them. It was not an oddity for a man to play a woman. Even though it is an occurrence that could leave us stunned and confused, the people of the Elizabethan Era were accustomed to it and may have had lower standards for the less important female roles. However, not all female roles Shakespeare created were as minor as Gerturde and Ophelia who each got some but not a startling amount of stage time. Shakespeare's character of Lady Macbeth was basically the mastermind of 'Macbeth' and plays one of the most important roles in the play. Surely, a man could capture her power-hungry side, but would one be capable of displaying the womanly control that Lady Macbeth holds over her husband? It is hard to say because it is not something easily pictured by us.
In our modern theater, the closest we are getting to men playing women is Hedwig and the Angry Inch, something that some people consider vulgar and unfit for stage. What would the reaction be if a famous play driven by female characters, such as Wicked, was performed by all males? In my mind, something would be lost beyond the musical range which was not a factor in Elizabethan plays. Using the example of Wicked, one of the most important aspects of the musical is the relationship between Elphaba and Fiyero in contrast to the relationship of Galinda and Fiyero. Another incredibly distinct factor of the play is the evolution of Galinda from the girly and thoughtless girl to the good witch. There is no way that a man could do what I have seen female actors do with the roles of Elphaba and Galinda. Beyond that, the characters would be less relatable to females in the audience if they were acted by males.
Men could not play the role of women as easily in the present day because of the distinct stereotypes we have created between the two genders as well as the expectations we now have for the theater. Since most places are no longer primarily run by males, it would make no sense for a man to try to do a women's job and may also prove to be upsetting to some women and/or feminists. This would not have been a problem in the Elizabethan Era when men were expected to do most things better than women, including acting. But now women are generally seen as equal. Having an all may cast could be interesting to observe, but it is not something we are accustomed to or feel a need to experience.
Ann, let me start off by saying I loved your example in your opening paragraph. That is something Wee J would say and really helped put the whole concept of the blog assignment with how the things have changed with whether they are masculine or feminine. The fact that you brought up Wicked and used that to help describe relationships in Hamlet really made your blog a lot more relatable considering Hamlet was written so long ago and can be more difficult to relate to compared to something written in the past fifty years. I agree with how men can play the power hungry side of women, but I don’t think they would be able to depict the right attitude and atmosphere for the more feminine characters have throughout all of Shakespeare’s plays. I don’t necessarily completely agree that a man couldn’t play a woman’s role like you do, but I thought you made a very good point when you talked about how men don’t “rule the world” like they used to. Great Job, Annie!
DeleteAnn,
DeleteYour blog made it clear as to why many males in the Elizabethan era portrayed women in plays. It was expected of them, whereas today casting directors are looking for males to play men and females to play women. I love the fact that you brought Wicked into your blog. How could a man love another man so affectionately? Yes, I know. There are some today that do love each other, and I am very open to their ways. You can not decide who you love. But anyways, Elphaba and Fiyero's connection would be lost. Elphaba is a female in love with a male. That was the way the musical was written, and how it was expected to be acted out. Galinda is a great example as well. Men go through a different change than women do. It would be harder for them to portray Galinda. Many girls go through changes like Galinda. The comment Mr. Fernan made was on point, and I love that you incorporated it into your blog!
Ann,
DeleteWonderful examples! Mentioning WeeJ and how pink used to be a manly color made me think that if we were to travel back in time to the Elizabethan era, we would be considered strange for dressing in colors of the opposite gender. It is interesting to think that it was so normal for men to play female roles in plays. I liked that you mentioned Macbeth and how Lady Macbeth, who was played by a man, was one of the leading roles for the play, whereas in Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude were not as important. It was also nice to see you utilize a more modern play as an example. I have never seen Wicked, but after reading what you provided, I don't think it would half as good if the women were played by males. Overall, this was a great blog!
When reading Hamlet, I pictured Ophelia as a lovely, little, fragile girl, certainly not a scrawny young man! Back in Shakespearean times, you would never find a female on the stage. Younger men tended to take over the ladies part. Today, even just the thought of a man playing a women's part would be degrading! However, have the roles changed as much as people think?
ReplyDeleteUpon reading the topic for this weeks blog, all the first thought to pop in my head was a conversation I had with my cousin long ago. We were astounded when we discovered that the voice of Timmy Turner’s character on Fairly Odd Parents was a girl! It wasn’t soon after that we discovered that Timmy Turner wasn't the only man character played by a woman. Clearly, in todays world it is acceptable for a man to play the part of a woman, and a woman to play the part of a man…As long as they are hiding behind a pixilation.
How often is it visually known that a woman plays the part of a man and the man plays the part of a woman? I can only think of one time, in Hairspray. Although let it be known that the reasoning for this was it was intended to be a joke. Why is this? Through cartoons we learn that opposite genders are able to successfully verbally play the part, so what is left?
A possibility could be sex appeal. More often than not, women actresses are revealing and men actors are attractive. Clearly, the build of a man and the figure of a woman are two totally different things. There is also the undeniable fact of peer pressure. I do not see any way possible that a man could accurately play the part of a women with the crowd jeering and throwing insults up at the actor. Likewise with a woman playing the part of a man. Sadly, our generation can be a judgmental one.
For me the real question isn’t if a man could effectively play the part of a woman, but could a man be accepted as playing the part of a woman? While no one wants to admit it, the world runs on others opinions. With the opinion in our heads consisting of “girly” and “manly,” are the actors even given a chance?
Felicia, I can’t help but agree with how you saw Ophelia. She just seemed to be that fragile woman. I thought it was very clever that you mentioned sex appeal. I never would have thought of that, but it’s a very good point. Thinking about watching a play, I would not find it as interesting and exciting if the women characters were built like men as well as not acting as if they should be. The fact that you mentioned Hairspray was a great aspect to your blog because you combined a play from the Elizabethan era to a play from the 21st century. It really helped me to put things into perspective. Although I don’t completely agree with your last paragraph, you made a very good point when you brought up how the world revolves on society’s opinions. The actors really don’t have a chance if the audience is against them from the start. Good work!
DeleteFelicia,
DeleteI absolutely love that you questioned whether it was right or wrong in the opinions of the people, rather than if it was right or wrong for a man to portray a woman. It really put in perspective the thoughts of how unequal our world still is. During the Elizabethan period, men ruled the world, but no one thought twice about a man play the role of a woman. I am sure they were probably harassed some what. However, like Ann said, it was expected of them to act as a female. I remember when everyone found out that many females were voices for characters like Timmy Turner. Not only do they sound goofy, but the appearance of the character can change our idea of the voice. If that voice was coming from a female, would we expect it to be a woman behind the character? It was a great point. Again with the appearances of characters, could a male actually look feminine then? They had clothing to suck a woman in, but did that work on men as well? How did they shave? They could not go on stage looking trashy! They had to appear to be a woman. These are all questions that pop into my mind after reading your blog. Great job!
Felicia,
DeleteI liked how your blog focused on the modern expectations we have for the distinct differences between men and women. We definitely want a man to seem more manly and a woman to be feminine. When we see people who act in ways different to our expectations we are not necessarily surprised because we are becoming more used to feminine men and masculine women but that is not how people are generally portrayed. One most popular types of movies right now are the teen romances where the boy and girl fall for each other.
It was interesting that you pointed out how men portrayed as women and the other way around are hidden or made fun of. Even I was surprised because after reading your blog I looked up some popular animated characters that were voiced by people of the opposite gender. Does that change how well they did in the role? And could a women have played the mother in Hairspray as well as Travolta? It weird to think that in Shakespeare's time it would have been normal for a man to play a woman, something we see as funny or strange.
You did a good job of explaining the expectations we have for media now. They are obviously different from those in the Renaissance Era and it makes me wonder when things started to change. Is one way better than another? Do you think it will ever change back? Is the difference related to feminists and equality for all? These are some of the good questions that your blog made me think about and that's the point, to make us think!
It’s not every day that you see a man with enough nerve to dress up in what society considers ‘manly’ colors. Even when it was to come to things like breast cancer, the color is pink, and many men do not wear it. However, Mr. Breindel wears a pink pin, and even has a favorite pink shirt that he loves to wear. “Real men wear pink” is a very common phrase on pink men’s shirts. Back in the Elizabethan period however, men played the roles of women because women were not considered good enough to play the parts. The real question is, could men play the roles today like they played back then?
ReplyDeleteWhen I picture Ophelia, I see her as a small, fragile, young woman that does whatever she is told. She says “I do not know, my lord, what I should think?” She really doesn’t think for herself because women back in that time period, were told what to do and were not asked what their opinion of something was. As the play goes on, Ophelia becomes more confident in her own skin and eventually tells Hamlet how disappointed in him she was because of the broken promise he made to her about marriage. This makes me believe that Ophelia, and even Gertrude in the final act, get sick of being told what to do so they disobey their “lords” or higher powers.
I imagine Gertrude as a caring mother that just gets caught in the middle of a very confusing and complicated situation. She wants the best for Hamlet and has a strong desire to help him, except she doesn’t know how to make his life easier. Towards the end of the play when the fencing match is occurring, I think she caught on to what Claudius did to her first husband and was ashamed of what her new husband did to her son, that she didn’t listen to the King when he told her not to drink the cup with poison. She was so ashamed for the wrong she did to her son and the rest of Denmark that she didn’t care about the sin of suicide. I believe that Gertrude would have been a very hard role to play for a male because of the tender, loving emotions a mother, and most women, possess.
It’s hard to say if all men wouldn’t be able to play the role of women in today’s plays, however, I believe that women have a certain way about them that makes it impossible for men to play them 100% accurately. It’s weird to think that a man played Ophelia during the time of Hamlet. Although, I think men are not given enough credit for all they do and the care and love they can depict. They have the ability to be as nurturing as a woman, but are more commonly more masculine than women are. Because of this, I do not think that a man could play a woman’s role in today’s society mainly because the world knows how the role can be acted out through a woman.
Jessica,
DeleteI felt that your ideas on Ophelia were spot on, and I agree with you on hundred percent. Women during that time were submissive to men, and if disobedient were usually left out on the streets or beaten till they were obedient. I know its sad and completely unthinkable but that was the norm and we can't change it. I disagree with you view of Gertrude however. She seemed to be more focused on her appearance rather than her relationship with Hamlet. Once dueling match begins I believe either she was already intoxicated, or as you said already knew what happened to her husband. But yet your blog has given me many perspectives to consider, Jessica.
Jessica,
DeleteI liked how you described Ophelia and Gertrude in detail to show what truly "feminine" traits they have. Ophelia really is so delicate and innocent that I wonder if even a small boy could capture her gentle submissiveness. And Gertrude's motherly worry for Hamlet is also a good point. But on the topic of Gertrude, we all agreed that we weren't sure whether she knew about Claudius' plot or not. I wonder if the same feeling is present when Hamlet is acted out on stage. I am also thinking about single fathers now. Divorce is more common now than every before. Obviously some men have to play the role of mother and father. At the same time, roles are more commonly switched in families these days; the mother has a full time job and the father stays at home. Does this make these types of fathers any less manly? Personally, I do not think so because it shows the dedication a man has for his family. At the same time, it may make a man more capable of displaying "motherly" emotions. Another point I would like to make is that women can take the lead in relationships these days. That is something that they would not have done in Shakespeare's time.
The real difference between now and then is not the expectations for man and woman, they have not changed. But as our population expands more varied expectations have appeared. It is not a small world anymore and that has contributed to things such as feminism, equal rights, and gay marriages. They are all part of this day and age, parts that were less apparent during the Elizabethan Era. I agree that it is odd to imagine a male actor playing a female and the other way around, but I have also come to realize, through reading and pondering these blogs, that now, more than ever, men would be capable of playing the roles of women. There will always be the ideas of masculine and feminine but other ideas have formed and people have taken them on.
Close your eyes and take a moment to imagine a male playing the role of a female. It is hard to do in these modern times due to the theater seeking out female actresses. As one that enjoys performing on the stage, I have seen that women are now able to play male roles. In the original cast of Peter Pan, Peter Pan was performed by a woman. They casted a woman for this role because Peter Pan is a teenage boy; teenage boys tend to sound feminine and take on feminine features. This was a shock to many people. Wendy and Peter seem to have a relationship that is seen like a Disney princess and prince, although they are just children who never want to grow up. However, Shakespeare ONLY casted men for male and female roles. It is a wonder how any man could achieve the emotional state of a woman. I can picture women in the audience chuckling to themselves, or sitting around sipping tea, gossiping about how unrealistic a man portrayed Ophelia or Gertrude.
ReplyDeleteOphelia is a character that is thrown around by men in her life. Hamlet tells her he loved her, but never really did. He wants her to join a nunnery as to not tempt anymore men. Later in the play it is revealed, when Ophelia loses her mind and sings unintelligible songs, that Hamlet had stolen Ophelia's virginity. Before Polonius was killed by Hamlet, another personal belonging he had taken away from her, Polonius decided that it would be a great idea to use her in his scheme to find out Hamlet's real love for Ophelia. While Polonius and Claudius hid from the action Ophelia was crushed by Hamlet's true feelings. She appears to be expendable to these three men, but to her brother he advises her to keep her love for Hamlet inside of her. He wishes the best for his sister. He can not seem to bear her killing herself, yet at the same time he holds back tears due to water being the object that took her life away. Unlike Ophelia, Gertrude's second husband took her life away. It was accidental, but intended for her son, which to many mothers is the same thing. Claudius also murdered Gertrude's first husband, who Hamlet believes actually loved her. Gertrude is almost a desperate character. She asks for Hamlet to not leave her again because she could not bear it. Not only is Gertrude desperate, but she is not afraid to voice her opinion. Her and Hamlet enter this heated argument about their dead husband/father. He is angry with her for remarrying so quickly. She does not allow him to step on her, but she becomes frightened with Hamlet quickly after he kills Polonius. She does run and tell Claudius of what Hamlet did. They both agree on sending Hamlet to England. This, to me, is supposed to be a punishment for Hamlet. The characteristic these two women hold is complicated for another woman to act out. How can a man become intimate with his feelings like women do? There are some men who are quite flamboyant. Honestly, they could most likely pull off the role better than many other woman could.
In one of my favorite movies, Rent includes a drag queen named Angel Dumott Schunard who is not afraid to be himself. He is first seen on the street drumming on a bucket due to him being homeless along with most of the characters apart of the cast. Tom Collins finds Angel before Collins is attacked by a gang. Angel nurses him back to health before he returns to Mark Cohen and Roger Davis's place. Angel then appears in the scene of returning Collins in woman's clothing and a black bob wig. He sings a song revealing a higher pitched voice, especially for a man. He acts as a mother to Mimi Marquez who is a nineteen year old heavily involved in drugs. I believe that men who can play a role like Angel could very well portray a woman like Ophelia or Gertrude. Men like Angel have always existed. They did not just populate the earth one day. There were and will always be men and women who can portray the opposite gender better than someone who is the same gender.
Kaitlin,
DeleteYour blog proved many good points, but my favorite part was your last paragraph. I too enjoy the movie rent and Angel was amazing he truly made the movie worth watching. I also agree with you that anyone like Angel can easily play either gender. There has always been actors who could play both parts it is just the hard work to get them to come forward with their gifts. That is the true problem with society today is people common sense or fear of discrimination. But Kaitlin your blog was amazing and very true on the account of men playing women's roles in theater.
Kaitlin, with you being experienced in the theater yourself, I was so excited to read your blog! Although I myself have never seen Rent, I have heard nothing but good things. Your last paragraph was my favorite. I agree with you that a woman can successfully play a man, while a man could successfully play a woman! Your concluding senate could not have been any more perfect, as there have been and always will be actors and actresses ready to do what others say they cannot.
DeleteYour explanation of Gertrude and Ophelia was very in-depth and informative. You did a great job at exposing and explaining them. Also, mentioning Peter Pan was a smart idea! I remember hearing something about that maybe a few years ago, but I had completely forgotten until now. Your blog was so informative, and you clearly put a lot of thought and hard work into it. Good job!
As we all know back in the time set of Shakespeare the female roles were originally played by men. Which in my opinion is a little bit creepy, but that was that time period and their traditions. As we end our studies of Hamlet and reflect on the characters of Ophelia and Gertrude. In the case of Gertrude I catch no real emotions of her initially acting like a mother. As for Ophelia she seems to be a "good girl gone bad", more than a jilted lover but that is apparent.
ReplyDeleteGertrude is, more so than any other character in the play, the antithesis of her son, Hamlet. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher, searching for life's most elusive answers. He cares nothing for this "mortal coil" and the vices to which man has become slave. Gertrude is shallow, and thinks only about her body and external pleasures. Like a child she longs to be delighted. We do not see much of her in daily activity, but if we could we would see a woman enraptured by trinkets and fine clothes, soft pillows and warm baths. She seems to just wish to live in the luxury that comes with Queen. We see this in act 3, scene 4' line 89-92; "O Hamlet, speak no more:Thou turn'st my very eyes into my soul,And there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct." This just shows that she never really considered how Hamlet would feel about the marriage or how it woulda affect their relationship. Much like Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship, and good girl persona into bad girl.
Ophelia starts out acting like a good girl answering "I shall obey my Lord." when we are first introduced to her. Later, when Polonius uses her as bait to spy on Hamlet for King Claudius, she does exactly what she's told. As long as she's unmarried, she lives by her father's rules.The problem with being completely obedient and passive is that you can't fight back when you really need to. Which might've been the reason/cause of her going mad in act four, which lead to her accidental death. Another cause could've been when Hamlet knows that Ophelia is helping her dad spy on him, and he accuses her and all women of being a "breeder of sinners" and orders Ophelia to a "nunnery". (Act 1 Scene 3) But that's a topic completely up for debate on another blog. But could these two ladies be played by male actors, sadly I doubt they could be today.
In the days of Shakespeare I believe they could easily get males to play the roles of Ophelia and Gertrude. That's only because that was the custom of that era, but today there's a slim to no chance of them getting the roles. Because of today's stereotypical society most men only go out for male roles. Few men dare to go outside the social norms and tryout for female roles for fear of discrimination and rarely get the roles even if they do try out. Today's female roles are geared for women because in common sense who's better to play a woman's role than a woman. It is the common sense of today's society that is what prevents average men for trying out for female roles.
Devyn,
DeleteThis was a nice blog, and a good perspective as you are the guy in our class. I thought you made some really nice points, especially about Gertrude being the antithesis of Hamlet. I never would have thought of that, but it makes me wonder why he was nothing like her. He grew up with both of his parents, and most likely looked up to his mother more, but his mother was always there to comfort him in time of need, that is until he really needed her after the death of his father. I would have to disagree with you about Ophelia being a "good girl gone bad" kind of person. She was raised knowing that she had to obey her father and her elders. She could never really think for herself. When she went mad, I don't think it was because she wanted to rebel, but because she was beyond done with letting herself follow orders, but she knew she couldn't do that. In the end, all of her emotions just bottled up, and she sort of gave up on reality. Overall, you wrote a great blog!
In today's society, males are typically teased for acting "like a girl." They can't show any true emotion without being criticized by their friends. Girls, on the other hand, are almost expected to express what they are feeling. It is sort of ironic that in the Elizabethan era the female roles in plays were given to young males. It was so common that these parts were played by men that it would be silly to have a woman be on stage. The young men who had the opportunity to play the part of a woman were had to express all of the necessary emotions that the audience would not know that the female was actually a male. Would these young men be able to play a girl character today, when they are often ridiculed for being too soft?
ReplyDeleteIn "Hamlet," there were two main female roles: Queen Gertrude and Ophelia. I pictured Ophelia being a weak, fragile, girly figure. In the beginning of play, We have the chance to see that Ophelia does what she is told with no question. For example, in Act I, Scene III, she says "I do not know, my lord, what I should think." It's as though Ophelia cannot speak for herself. As for Gertrude, I depicted her as being rough around the edges with a caring personality. She is a motherly figure to not only Hamlet, but also to Ophelia. In Act V, Gertrude is worried about the distracted and strange way Ophelia is acting. She is also extremely saddened by her unexpected death, mourning the loss of her chance to be her daughter-in-law.
The male actors who had to play the part of these vivacious women certainly had their hands full. They needed to express emotions like love and kindness, and they had to be gentle and obedient. If men had to play female roles today, it wouldn't go over so well. They would be judged by men and women for trying to be something they are not. People don't give men enough credit for the emotion and body language they can produce while on the stage, whereas many times women are given male roles alongside female roles. It is weird to think that it is okay for a woman to portray a man, but vice versa is unacceptable. A certain commercial comes to mind: the "Like a Girl" campaign for Always. In it, girls and guys alike are asked to perform actions, such as running and playing ball, like a girl would. At first, they all do it in a way that depicts the stereotypical girl, but when given a second chance, only the girls would run as hard and fast as they could to act "like a girl." In our world, girls are told to be girly and weak, which completely shoots down their true abilities to succeed. This stereotype affects the way people look at girls, which is the main reason why a guy could not successfully portray a girl character. On the other hand, guys are also confided to the stereotype of being tough and manly. To be honest, I think a lot of guys are sensitive enough to be play a female character, but they are constantly told to "man up" that they wouldn't want to go against that. If the stereotypes of today's society could be destroyed, I think anyone could play any gender because they would be able to know how a girl or boy actually acts.
The way you began your blog really grabbed my attention. You went about your blog from the perspective of a man in society as apposed to a man in the theater. By doing this, you really got across how men are viewed and what their expectations are. Every day, males of all ages are told to “stop acting like a girl” and to “man up”, with insulting nicknames such as “sissy.” Today, men aren’t really aloud to express feelings, and they wouldn’t dare cry in front of anyone for fear of ridicule. You really did a good job expressing the position of “man” and “woman” today regarding emotions. I agree with you that most men have the ability to be sensitive and soft enough to play the position of a female character, but society says that they should not, as it is not “manly.” Over all, you had a very nice blog post that was a pleasant read as well. Keep up the great work, Natalie!
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