Feminist Lens Essay On Hamlet

A Broad Feminist Lens of Hamlet
Since medieval times, feminist theories have criticized English literature. Oxford professors present that the earliest forms of feminist theory can be identified in the Middle Ages, such as Geoffrey Chaucer’s Wife of Bath. Over the course of centuries, feminism has later redefined the readers’ perspectives of major literary works. Nonetheless, the 1960’s second wave feminism introduces modern feminist literary criticism through the inclusion of gender equality reform laws and literature in the United States, such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Civil Rights Act of 1964, and national best-seller Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet, the text can be viewed with a feminist perspective through the
For instance, feminist theory looks onto patriarchal and misogynist facets in texts in order to expose the oppressed status of women. Nonetheless, its goal is to change society’s perspectives by increasing gender equality through awareness of gender inequality in literature that reflects on the social status of society. Throughout history, feminist literary criticism has underscored different emphasis of literary feminism. For example, prior to 1970, in first and second-waves feminism, feminist school of thoughts highlighted women authors as well as how women were negatively represented and depicted in literature. As the third-wave feminism was introduced, feminist literary criticism began to bridge out to other literary theories, such as Freudian and Psychoanalysis, and sought to promote positive female role models in literature. Overall, feminist critics search for faux pas in texts that portray the male perspective as the literary model while that of the females as a discrepancy. In addition, they question social interactions between characters that position females as