Explore the representation of societys expectations of a wifes role in marriage in Historical and Contemporary Literature

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Glade Sinclair

Explore the representation of society’s expectations of a wife’s role in marriage in Historical and Contemporary Literature

The honorary duty of a human being is to love. - Maya Angelou

The role of women in marriage has inevitably changed over time. In the 15th Century, themes of ‘courtly love’ were apparent in most literature of the Middle Ages. It is the notion that a man desires above all else the true love of a woman; such a strong desire that he must submit totally to her. It is also a familiar premise that the love is so powerful that a man will go through physical changes and become unrecognisable. This is shown in texts such as the Chaucer’s “Wife of Bath’s Prologue” from the “Canterbury Tales” (1405-1410) and Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra” (1623). This theme emerged in poetry of the 11th Century and remains in medieval and renaissance literature and culture. This concept places the women in a position of control however it also requires them to follow the typical duty of women to physically please her man and be a ‘good wife’ in order to receive the wealth and other benefits of marriage. Feminism in the 20th Century brought about a radical change in society’s view of a woman’s role in marriage. It changed women’s attitudes towards sexuality and gender roles. Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” (1982) explores women’s sexuality, power, and independence in love and marriage through characters such as ‘Shug Avery’ in a way which wasn’t as evident in earlier literature. But does the role of a woman lay in the definition of society or ones self?

Society’s attitude towards women in marriage today sees them as to equals men, as the principle of inequality became generally unacceptable. But historically, views of this nature have not been questioned. In the Bible Peter declared “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner”. The opinion that a wife is a ‘weaker partner’ in comparison to the husband is a motif which is also echoed in literature. In “The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra”, Shakespeare uses the contrast between Rome and Egypt to represent inequality through contrasting masculinity with femininity. In the first Act, Cleopatra requests of Antony “If it be love indeed, tell me how much”. Through using the imperative ‘tell me’, Shakespeare is illustrating that she is so weak, she is in desperate need of Antony to reassure her how about much he loves her, in which he has found no problem expressing. Her ability to command him refers to the concept of ‘Courtly love’ that I have previously referred to. As Shakespeare intended this to be a staged play, the intention of his dramatic language to declare love between Antony and Cleopatra would have been received well by an audience at that time though as they already would have scorned the pitiable demise of a noble man. Originally, Antony represents the ‘proper’ Roman, strong, self-disciplined, and intelligent. Yet Cleopatra embodies the Egyptian temptress, sensual, self-indulgent, dependant and weak. She single-handedly causes the ruin of the once honourable Roman, Antony, because it is merely in her nature and she can not help herself, just as it was in Eve’s nature to tempt Adam towards his downfall.

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It is a familiar notion that it is a woman’s ‘duty’ to physically please her man. Cleopatra shows this duty through her sensual nature though it is very much a part of her personality. The power of lust is a theme reiterated through the play and is a central aspect to her power over Antony. Indications to sex are far more common in the play than the sex itself but it is inferred that the power of her sex is so strong that it causes Antony to do ‘unrecognisable’ things, so it is undoubtedly a key aspect of their ...

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