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Shakespeare the Chauvinist? Was Shakespeare a chauvinist, or was he just a product of his times? Throughout the years, this question has been discussed many times by many different scholars, and varying conclusions have been reached. In my opinion, Shakespeare was neither a chauvinist, nor a product of the times. The man we know as Shakespeare, (or for those who would argue that Shakespeare was not the actual author, we will say the man who wrote the plays) had an attitude about women, an appreciation for the female psyche, that was way ahead of its time. It is important to consider the sociological background of the family and of women in particular, during the general time of Shakespeare's life.
During Shakespeare's time, women were mere chattel, the possession of men, put on this earth for the sole purpose of serving a man. The following text, taken from The Goodman of Paris 1392 summarizes the wifes role in society, as presented by a Parisian man in 1392 - 1394. The Goodman of Paris had married a spectacularly young wife (she was fifteen at the time of the marriage, which represented a significant age difference between the Goodman and the young lady). He moved the young woman, his wife, from her home and took her to an outlying area where there was virtually no one around who could befriend her, and no women around for her to talk to and learn from. As a result, there was a crisis in the good mans household: his young wife liked to plant flowers, cut roses, and sing and dance (what fifteen year old doesnt) but she was basically clueless as to what went on in a normal household.
The Goodman begins his dissertation by attempting to reassure his young wife of his love for her, and he indicates that he has been happy with her behavior, and that he actually enjoys seeing her sing, dance, and care for the flowers. What follows, however, must have been an illumination; the Parisian goes into great detail about what constitutes the behavior of a good wife, and even provides household hints. The hints are prefaced with comments that he has heard that things are done this way, so as not to repulse his wife with his knowledge, or offend er her tender sensibilities with his knowledge of womanly things. The first section of the treatise is comprised of nine cautions on the care and feeding of husbands; only four are excerpted here. The first particular saith that you shall be obedient: to wit to him and to his commandments whatsoever they be, whether they be made in earnest or in jest, or whether they be orders to do strange things, or whether they be made concerning matters of small import or of great; for all things should be of great import to you, since he that shall be your husband hath bidden you to do them. The second part or particular is to understand that if you have some business to perform concerning which you have not spoken to him that shall be your husband, nor hath he bethought him concerning it, wherefore hath he nothing ordered nor forbidden, if the business be urgent and it behooves to perform it before he that shall be your husband knoweth it, and if you be moved to do after one fashion and you feel that he that shall be your husband would be pleased to do after another fashion, do you act according to the pleasure of your husband that shall be, rather than according to your own, for his pleasure should come before yours.
The third particular is to understand that if he that shall be your husband shall forbid you to do anything, whether he forbid you in jest or in earnest or whether it be concerning small matters or great, you must watch that you do not in any manner that which he has forbidden. The fourth particular is that you be not arrogant and that you answer not back your husband that shall be, nor his words, nor contradict what he saith, above all before other people. Taking the first of the four particulars, which bidder you to be humble and obedient to your husband, the Scripture bids it... That is to say, it is the command of God that wives be subject to their husbands as their lords, for the husband is the head of the wife. (Halshall 1996).
Women, in essence, were to be seen and definitely not heard. The Goodman of Paris is the translation of a tome written by an elderly Parisian man to his young (very young) wife, directing her in wifely things. Much of the text is annotated with comments that indicate the young woman is being told these things in case her husband dies and she must find and keep a new husband. As we see from the excerpt above, a medieval woman was to do as she was told. Regardless of how heinous the wife might feel the act to be, she must do it, merely because she was told to. Secondly, she must do all acts in ways that pleased her husband, for his pleasure should come before hers.
Third, if the husband told the wife not to do something, even in jest, she could not do it. Finally, the wife must never answer back. Goodman summarized the reasons in the last paragraph of the excerpt: the wife must be humble and obedient to the scriptures because the God commands it. (And God had the final word, after all. ) How should a wife serve her husband? He is to be unshod before a good fire, to have his feet washed and fresh shoes and hose, to be given good food and drink, to be well served and well looked after, well bedded in white sheets and nightcaps, well covered with good furs, and assuaged with other joys and despots, priorities, loves and secrets And the next day fresh shirts and garments. (Halshall 1996). Goodman further counsels the wife to remember the rustic proverb, which saith that there be three things which drive the goodman from home, to wit a leaking roof, a smoky chimney and a scolding woman. (Halshall 1996). The Goodman continues his treatise with instructions on all the housewifely deeds: how to capture fleas and keep the bedchamber relatively flea free, how to prevent flies from swarming in the home, how to treat a man after he has been exposed to the cold, and even direction that the mans hounds should have their feet greased after a hard day at the hunt.
Who will do these deeds? Why, the wife of course. Should she fail to understand the seriousness of these dictates, the Goodman provides her with a dissertation on why men leave their wives or mothers and turn to prostitutes or women of ill repute. The Goodman also tries to make his young wife understand that she will need to look for a second husband after he has died, and that the second husband she acquires may want her to do less dancing and flower arranging, and be more of a wife! If the sociology of the time made the woman a servant of the marriage, how were women protected by law in the courts? The first of two important legal documents which attempted to transform English common law into civil law was known as Glanvill.
Glanvill is believed to have been produced in the late 12 th century. Glanvill was written, or formalized, with the intent of being used in both civil and church courts. It appears to have been written for a practitioner who already had an idea of what the laws were. The document is broken down into sections, and section 6 is addressed here, for this is the section that deals with women and the courts.
The law of the time was terribly unforgiving when it came to women. In Glanvill 6. 2, the court makes it clear that a woman is the subsidiary of the man, nothing more than a piece of his furniture or his cattle. A husband could give dower rights at the church door if he wished, but there was absolutely no law stating that he was required to do so. If the husband granted dower rights as a sort of wedding gift, it was not an unconditional gift. If the husband wished to sell his wifes dower rights, he could, and she could not after his death ask for the land back. Conversely, the laws specifically stated that if she opposed her husband when he wished to sell HER land, she would lose all claims to the land.
Under this section of law, then, it becomes clear that at this time in history the woman couldnt win for losing. She lost her rights if the husband chose to sell them; she lost her rights if she complained about it. Glanvill 6. 1 clearly states that the dower rights of the woman were kept at 1 / 3 of the estate. Even if a man wished, he could not give his wife more than 1 / 3 of his own property! Finally, in Glanvill 6. 3 the law states that a woman cannot dispose of her dower property while the husband is alive. In essence, the husband could sell the wifes land, but the wife could not sell her own land.
If the wife objected to what her husband was doing, she could lose her land. And, under some circumstances, the sheriff could take the land. Women, it appears, had very little if any actual rights to property, even personal property (Palmer 1188). What could women do in medieval times?
Women were midwives; they were healers (though they were normally confined to treating members of their own households), they were authors and illustrators. A few women were merchants, or helped their husbands in his business. Women who were merchants or business persons normally became so after they became accustomed to helping their husbands and he died. In the lower classes, women took in laundry, served as nannies and wet nurses, scullery maids or servants, and of course, gave men comfort they lacked at home (in the eons-old field of prostitution).
A woman who utilized her healing skills outside of her home or her husbands fiefdom risked being prosecuted for being a witch. Even in the 1600 s, women were clamoring for equality, or at least for more reasonable treatment. The London's womens petition of 1649 stated: The Humble Petition of divers well-affected women of the Cities of London and Westminster, etc. Sheet, that since we are assured of our creation in the image of God, and of an interest in Christ equal unto men, as also of a proportional share in the freedoms of this Commonwealth, we cannot...
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