Struggle In Submission

Shakespeare was the greatest playwright and poet in Renaissance, who enjoys the high reputation in the world literature. He wrote 37 plays, 2 long poems and 154 sonnets in his life. His works are like a mirror which genuinely revives the spirit of the time.In his plays Shakespeare produces a series of vivid characters, among whom 128 are women. He favors the family and the family relationship, especially the father-daughter relationship, as the focus. He wittingly deals with these complicated but delicate relationships between the father and the daughter in his 23 of his 37 plays, which impresses the audiences. In the plays Shakespeare vividly depicts some brilliant daughters who are oppressed or ignored but struggle their way in the patriarchal society. Their rebellious spirit shows women's courage and self-awareness in pursuing love and freedom. Though some of them become victims of the patriarchal society in their conscious and unconscious rebellions, their struggle is an indispensable part in defying the male-centered world. At the same time the author ponders the irreconcilable relationship between the father and the daughter profoundly, thus revealing Shakespeare's views on women as well as demonstrating Shakespeare's wish to fight his way to establish the harmonious relationship between the father and the daughter in the patriarchal system.In recent years the research and criticism on Shakespeare's works are increasingly booming. However, most research and criticism focus on the study of his tragic ideas, revenge, human ability, female characters, and historical view while few people have made a systemic study of his view on women reflected in the plays through an analysis of the relationship between the father and the daughter. Though a small number of people have made some comments, they consider that Shakespeare basically aims to maintain"patriarchal law"in his plays. Based on this point, the author attempts to study the Shakespeare's views on women reflected in his plays through the analysis of father-daughter relationship from the feminist perspective, thus revealing the female character's actual living conditions and self-awareness and denouncing the patriarchal society. Since 23 of 37 plays deal with the father-daughter relationship, the thesis mainly focuses on the study of this relationship reflected in his representative plays as 4 tragedies: Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Romeo and Juliet; 3 comedies The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and A Midsummer Night's Dream; and 2 romances: Cymbeline and The Tempest.Except the introduction and the conclusion, the thesis is made up of three chapters. Chapter One concentrates on the passive relationship between the father and the daughter. Daughters are sacrificial lambs in the patriarchal society and they are their fathers'property though they have more freedom to accept education while the purpose of education is to make them serve the males better. Chapter Two focuses on the active relationship between the father and the daughter. In this chapter daughters are beautiful, wise, cultured, bold, loving, courteous, optimistic and faithful. They are rebels, enlighteners and supporters of their fathers. Chapter Three investigates the irreconcilable relationship between the father and the daughter. The father is the representative of the old feudal order, the male and the ruler while the daughter is that of the new, the female and the ruled.Shakespeare shows sympathy to women, confirms women's character traits and dignity as well as sings highly of their rebellious spirit. In Shakespeare daughters are no longer living symbols that have no say. They fight their way in their particular way, which is a blow to the patriarchal system of the time to an extent.