Tartuffe Gender Roles

Each of the woman from the plays has different personalities, weakness, position and of the importance. The woman come from different background and context, job titles of being a maid to becoming a Queen. Also, by portraying these females show how life were for them during their time. What type of power did they have over there male counterparts and could they voice their opinion. Jocasta was the queen of Thebes and the wife of King Laius. Jocasta and Laius received a prophecy that lauis were to be kill by his own son. This what cause Jocasta and Laius to pierce and bind their only child ankles and abandon him on the mountainside to die. Jocasta were often criticized for her distrust in the prophecies, and did not believe in the prophecy receive about their son. Jocasta thought that her child, she abandon were dead and her husband kill by thieves. Eventhough, in the play Jocasta express disapproval of the prophecy, but she pray to Apollo, giving offerings, and asking for protection. Jocasta compare to other characters in the play is seen as a hypocrite, and it seems she's not easily
convince by the Gods. When Jocasta realize that the man she married was her son, and they committed incest. She could not bear the feeling of being passionate in love with her son and having his children. Therefore, she hung herself with bedsheets, which characterized of her committing incest actions. Interestingly, Jocasta plays both wife and parental figure to Oedipus. She loved Oedipus romantically, but like a parent, she wanted to protect him from learning the truth of their relationship. Like her son Oedipus, Jocasta commits most of her "sins" in ignorance. Desdemona is portrayed as the innocent and devoted wife to Othello. She is truly in love with Othello, so much in love they married discretely. She ignore the fact of Othello being a Moor and her father disapproval of him. She is very naive and trusting, which was her downfall that played the part of the problem in the play. She never doubt that Iago was anything but a trusting and loyal friend to her and Othello. Emilia is Desdemona's devoted assistant or handmaid. She is also the wife of Iago. She is portrayed as outspoken, loud and opinionated. She is indecent and not afraid to be flirtatious, clever and crafty. She eventually realizes that Iago is at fault for tricking Othello into believing that Desdemona was unfaithful. At the end, Emilia reveal her husband plot when seeing the lifeless body of Desdemona. Sorry to say her own life were taking by her husband, Iago. In Tartuffe, Dorine represents as an intelligent woman with a good understanding of people behavior. Early in the play her intelligence were notice by being the most discerning member of the household. Unlike Orgon, who is stupid and act without thinking was blind to Tartuffe chicanery, but Dorine is able to "see his true colors", bluntly declaring him a "fraud" (Tartuffe). Dorine is also consistently presented as outspoken and opinionated, often chastising Orgon actions, particular the marriage of Mariane and Tartuffe. Furthermore, in Moliere Tartuffe Dorin may have a low position of being a maid, her character always displays the intelligence, dignity, and perceptiveness. However, Dorin possesses mental acuity beyond her station, but she still a maid. Her situation illustrates the position of the working class women of the age: competent and intelligent, but mired in inequality and unskilled labor. Elmire, the dutiful wife of Orgon, is portrayed in a similar ways despite different position.
In Tartuffe, Elmire character is resourceful and intelligent woman much like Dorine. Elmire is clearly shown to be mentally superior to her husband and becomes frustrated with him, of his gullibility concerning with Tartuffe, saying bluntly that" Orgons blindness take her breath away" (Moliere). When Orgon refuses to acknowledge that Tartuffe could possibly commit treacherous intentions, Elmire takes the initiative and convince her "hard headed" husband to hide while she manipulates Tartuffe into admitting his wicked intentions (Moliere). The fact that Elmire is forced to manipulate her husband decision rather than make her own, however, is a clear illustration of the subordinate status of women in eighteen century. Elmire character is much like Dorin: strong and
sympathetic. Mariane is portrayed as daddy little girl, and as always do what her father ask of her. Mariane was in love with Valere and it was evident to everyone. She was confused when her father ask to break her engagement with Valere, and marry Tartuffe. Only then the support from Dorine where she learn the answer to avoid unhappiness marriage. Indeed, act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 tell the story. In the first scene, Mariane can barely speak a word to her father when he propose she should marry Tartuffe. In the second act, Mariane don't speak at all she have Dorin talking for her. Just to say, Mariane is not a weakling or someone worthy of being disrespectful. She just an inexperience girl whose father has gone too far in his decisions to wed Tartifuffe. Marian always look to her father for guidance to helped her make a good decision most of her life. Marian is a victim, and receiving help from Dorine gave her clarification to see the truth. For the play "Godot "not having any females characaters can be hard to imaging a world without them. In the play,"Waiting for Godot" it seems ass though there cant be other gender besides male that can survive what their capapbe of. The mossing presence of woman in "Godot" can portray the cancellation of the reproduction of life. I also, think Beckett had ment to show some kind of relational of homosocial or homoerotic of two men. One of the male character Vladmir act more of mother figure towards Estragon, who adore the love, and affection. could this Godot person they're waiting for could be a female or their mother. Either, Vladimir and Estragon are two kids who looking forward to a impossible encounter with the other as love.