Coriolanus Understanding Of Gender Roles In The 16th Century

To clearly understand the play, Coriolanus it would be useful to have a better understanding of gender roles in the 16th century. The meaning of gender roles is what was required for an individual to act, speak, and how much they could be in contact within the society. Reading plays written during Shakespeare’s time it is fully known that the expectations of both male and female were viewed differently than they are in modern time today. To understand the play of Coriolanus, it is helpful to have a good understanding of the gender roles in the setting that it was taken place and how the individual should act.
Women’s roles of the 16th century, were commonly required to always have the respect and obedience to any male figure in their life
(“The Early Seventeenth Century” 1). Virgilia hated to see Coriolanus go off to war in risk of him not coming back. As to be respectful of her husband, she did not voice her opinion about it. However, she did express her concern of the no return of Coriolanus being off at war to his mother, Volumnia. “But had he died in the business, madam, how then?” (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 19-20). By voicing that statement, it is clear that Virgilia is expressing her worries by telling a bad outcome with Coriolanus at battle. Women in the 16th century did not always have a role in this time period and were to maintain silence in public (“The Early Seventeenth Century” 1). In the play, Virgilia came off as a typical woman of Shakespeare, where it was commonly expressed a wife should be loyal to her husband’s actions and not having a say on them. Virgilia was brought out to be a quiet, with little to say in Coriolanus. This resulted the audience that might not fully know a women’s role at the time to be a big deal due to Virgilia’s silence.
Volumnia’s behavior in Coriolanus is perhaps know to be unusual after understanding how a woman should act in the 16th century.
As women are to act respectful to the males, Volumnia presents herself to be controlling towards her son, Coriolanus. She is very outspoken and not one to keep to herself about her opinion. War was big in Rome the 16th century, so Volumnia could have always had the mindset of raising a son to be put into battle. Pushing her son to be a strong solider and bragging of his success with war could express that she was more influenced than most women with Rome’s violent, war culture. Volumia came off as out of “the norm” with how women should act, as she continually kept pushing her son to go into battle as maybe to feel as if she is part of the violence, and living her life through him. Her attitude towards her son is with little sympathy or worries in resulting what could happen to him when he is in battle. As in response to Virgilia pointing out that Coriolanus could die in battle, Volumia says, “Then his good report should have been my son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely: had I a dozen sons, each in my love alike and none less dear than thine and my good Martius, I had rather eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action.” (Act 1, Scene 3, Line
21-27). After a full in-depth description of the roles a woman should encounter in the 16th century, Coriolanus is brought out to be more understanding with certain actions taken place by each character. The roles also gave a good understand that the way Volumia acts in Coriolanus is out of the norm. Most plays, written by Shakespeare are seemed to be equivalent involving the roles required, having this clear image expressed should allow the other plays to be understood quickly in connection to specific actions. Even though gender roles in the 16th century explain why Virgilia is soft spoken with little to say. It also shows how out of the norms Volumnia actions are throughout the play.