Representation of Shakespeare’s Women in Pre-Raphaelite Art

• Main Authors: Tang, Ivy, 許艾薇
• Other Authors: Chen, Hsueh-I
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/quk385

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 歐洲文化與觀光研究所 === 106 === Shakespeare’s plays have inspired their readers ever since they were written. The study of Shakespeare became particularly popular during the Victorian era. Representations of the plays came to be much present in paintings, poems, and theatrical performances. From a different angle, women’s rights, unlike the prosperity of the era, were limited. They were framed under many patriarchal stereotypes. In this connection, Shakespeare’s women interested the critics, poets and painters. The topic of the women in Shakespearean plays is one of the most inspiring subjects for the Victorian artists, especially for the members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. As the Pre-Raphaelites focused on their intention of painting subjects with jewel-like colors and detailed rendering of nature, Shakespeare’s plays became ideal subjects for artists to paint out the complexity of the scenery and symbolically illustrate their philosophies and ideologies. This paper focuses on an analysis of how the women in Shakespeare’s plays are reimagined and rediscovered through the eyes of Victorian artists. Out of the many heroines in his works, Ophelia, Mariana and, Miranda are characters that present symbolic meanings and influences to the Victorian eyes. These three heroines represent the women’s status during the Victorian era as follows: Ophelia is connected with female malady (madness), Miranda with her image as the dutiful daughter, and Mariana with her isolation. Paintings and poems inspired by these women during the Victorian era will be discussed and used as prompts to strengthen the points. In each case, I will add interpretations building on current critical consensus in order to show how visions have changed from Victorian times to ours in relation to Shakespeare’s female characters selected in this thesis for discussion.