A Comaprison of Joseph Andrews by "Henry Fielding" and Adam Bede by "George Elliot"

A Comparison of

Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding

And

Adam Bede by George Elliot

The novels Joseph Andrews and Adam Bede are the two classic pieces of literature by Henry Fielding (18^th century) and George Elliot (19^th century). For Fielding, novel was a newly born genre in his age and yet he triumphantly made the best use of it, producing exemplary works. However, Elliot, having a number of writers to read, maintained to secure her unique place among her contemporaries and produced some of the finest pieces of literature under the genre of novel.

The two above mentioned works by these two writers mark certain similarities, yet have their own unique differences in other respects. This essay shall give a comparison of the novels Joseph Andrews and Adam, discussing various elements of the plots, social background and its influence on these writings, style, structure, form, themes, language, setting and a few other elements that shall describe how the two writers manipulated their characters and story line in order to convey the desired message to the reader.

Before initiating any debate on rest of the elements of these novels, we shall first analyze and compare the titles. The titles of both the novels suggest that the story shall revolve around the male characters, which are going to dominate the progression of the plot. It gives an idea of a male dominant society back in Fielding’s and Elliot’s time.

Henry fielding was a neo classical writer. Neo classical was the age when the works of Greek and Roman writers were imitated. Henry Fielding was one of the earliest novelists. He was among the pioneer novel writers of the age. His intellect and perception forced him to give a totally new wave to neo classical literature. He did copy the writing style of Greek and Romans; rather he made his narrative a “comic epic in prose”. He totally deviated from the track followed by his contemporaries rather created his own path by giving a new direction to his writing. He included all the characteristics of classical writings but presented them in such a way that the reader is prompted to laugh by exaggeration of the trivial incidents. This exaggeration was an essential feature of classical narratives but Fielding style of representation mocks it. His themes, though very grievous, are presented in amusing way. Besides giving amusement these themes impart a very important moral and social lesson to readers. They also depict moral and social events of that time. George Eliot on the other hand does not deviate from the norms of her age. Her literature is a classic example of Victorian age’s literature. She tries to highlight all the domestic and social problems which other writers of Victorian age also tried to represent tin their writings. She has made her writings a more powerful influence on human progress by allowing universal themes to take the hold of her narrative. The Victorian age deviated from “art for art’s” sake and focused more on moral purpose. The same can be seen in the major themes of Adam Bede. Eliot was a psychological analyst. Most of her writings present psychological analysis of her characters and the whole plot is united by this technique. Most of her themes become clear too by adopting this technique.

Joseph Andrews is a novel that is primarily a picaresque novel. . The picaresque novel (Spanish: "picaresca," from "pícaro," for "rogue" or "rascal") is a genre of prose fiction which depicts the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. However, we also find some of the traits of an epistolary novel in it. An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. While, on the other hand, Adam Bede is a bildungsroman, which is a novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education.

Following the above mentioned definition of a picaresque novel, we find Joseph Andrews a true example of a picaresque novel. We have Joseph Andrews as the roguish hero who belongs to a low social class as we see he is presented as Lady Booby’s footman as the novel opens. When Joseph leaves Booby house and sets on his journey to find his Fanny, the reader finds Joseph at the mercy of corrupt society of 18^th century England.  A detailed face of this corrupt society is revealed to the reader within the twelfth chapter of the first book, where Joseph is maltreated by different people including coachman, lady, old gentleman, and a lawyer (Fielding 40). It is also one of the characteristics of a picaresque novel that it talks of people from lower class and from different professions. In Joseph Andrews, this characteristic can be quite vividly seen as we see a coachman who, after seeing Joseph lying lifeless, says: “Go on, sirrah, we are confounded late, and have no time to look after dead men” (40). The comments of a noble lady follow those of the coachman as she discovers that Joseph is naked: “O J – sus! A naked man! Dear coachman, drive on and leave him” (40). An old gentleman, on finding that Joseph was robbed, adds: “Robbed! Let us make all the haste imaginable, or we shall be robbed too” (40). And the lawyer, no less in his meanness, suggested that they must help Joseph since they all “might be proved to have been last in his company; if he should die they might be called to some account for his murder” (40). Furthermore, we meet clergies including Parson Adams, Parson Barnabas and Parson Trulliber who depict no religious inspiration rather serve as a satire on the clergymen.  Nearly all the afore-mentioned characters are from varying professions as well as from the lower class. Yet another element of picaresque novel, i.e. realism, is an integral part of Joseph Andrews. Realism (or naturalism) in the arts is the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding artistic conventions, implausible, exotic and supernatural elements. In this novel, the vices of the society have been presented in a real setting rather than a superficial one. It can easily be discerned that Fielding intends to present 18^th century England, and this fact is evident from the choice of places, names, costumes, designations and religion. Furthermore, the characters themselves show a real picture of the age Fielding intends to satire on. Some critics are of the view that Joseph Andrews doesn’t become a picaresque novel till Joseph leaves Booby House which is a good chunk of eleven chapters of the first book.

Adam Bede also goes out, meets certain people; however, he is not left at the mercy of the world, rather he as a hero of a bildungsroman has to do his own development. When Adam’s father was alive, he did not understand his worth. But when his father died, Adam regrets for his harsh behavior towards his father. He thought “what the old man’s feelings had been in moments of humiliation, when he had held down his head before the rebukes of his son” (Elliot 219). He learns the importance of his father in his life, and most importantly Adam learns to control his anger as he faces many incidents due to it. One of his friends at the workplace cracks some joke with Seth, at which “in a moment Adam turned him round, seizes his shoulder and pushing along pinned him against the wall” (Elliot). Furthermore, Adam also learns the difference between outer beauty and inner, as he comes to know the real character of Hetty who was outwardly beautiful unlike Dhina; however, she was inwardly corrupt and presented a negative character of females. Such incidents, and many other, make Adam Bede a bildungsroman.

But Joseph Andrews has a more complex form as compared to Adam Bede. As discussed earlier, Fielding also makes use of epistolary form in his novel. The first two letters appear in the very first book of Joseph Andrews, written by Joseph himself to his sister Pamela Andrews. In the first letter he tells Pamela about Lady Booby’s intentions and what passed between them in Lady Booby’s room (Fielding 17). The next letter is also addressed to Pamela in which Joseph tells her that his “mistress is fallen in love with” him (Fielding 34). Later on we see letters written by Leonora and Horatio within a digression chapter 4 of the second book (Fielding 92, 93), and a few others in the later chapters.

A number of themes have been presented in both the novels. One of the major themes employed by Fielding in Joseph Andrews is satire on religion. Through different religious figures he points out the religious conditions of that time and all the incidents show the corrupt religious institution and author’s dissatisfaction with the present religious conditions of the time. As in the preface it is said that he novel is going to be comic epic in prose and it will teach manners to the people reading it. Religion gives us a code of ethics so focus on manners readily involves religion in the discussion. Comic epic suggests that though a theme which in this case religion will be discussed but it will be discussed in a satirical and humorous way. Parson Adams has been mentioned in preface which directly implies the fact that the major area of focus of writer will be religion. Parson Adams is presented as person who has a high moral personality. He follows all the moral values of Christianity and practically implies them in his life. The writer fulfills his half purpose by his introduction. Full purpose is accomplished when Adam’s innocent and foolish nature is revealed. Adam though is a preacher but he is unaware of worldly affairs and worldly vices due to which people easily make a fool of him. He “was at the same time as entirely ignorant of the ways of this world as the infant just entered into it could possibly be” (Fielding 5). But the writer does not only end up here rather to give a complete picture of religious corruption of his time he introduces other clergyman representative of church’s moral degradation. Mr. Barnabas who comes for Joseph’s salvation after being robbed is more interested in food rather than the needy person. “Mr. Barnabas was again sent for and with much difficulty prevailed onto make another visit” (Fielding 36). Barnabas puts all Christian values aside and gives importance to worldly desires.  Parson Trulliber is parson just on Sundays and for the rest of week days he is a pig dealer. His harsh attitude with Adam and refusal to do any sort of help reflects his shallow character which is very unworthy on part of parson. By using different examples Fielding satirically presents religious trends of his time.

Eliot on other hand has a totally different view of morality. Morality for her is not concerned with religion rather it is concerned with an individual. Victorian age was the age of Thomas Carlyle. Carlyle was extremely critical of the growing Victorian attachment with materialism. People were distractingly crazy for comfort and happiness. They hardly believed in the dignity of work. Victorian people were neglectful of the fact that the worker should derive pride and joy from the work they do. During Victorian times the workers were becoming increasingly mechanical. To correct his age Carlyle introduced, the most repeated and very much hallowed maximum work is worship. To work is equal to worshipping, God. Through your absolute belief in work you can make God happy. It is a work which links you with God. Eliot was influenced by this motto that is why she said that hard work is worship. For her following a preacher was not important to earn God’s grace rather trivial acts of kindness which we commit in our daily life also link us with God and make us capable of earning God’s grace. Adam says, “If a man does a bit o’ jobs and o’ working hours- builds a oven for  ‘s wife to save her from going to the bakehouse- he’s doing more good and he’s just as near to God as if he was running after some preacher” ( Eliot 36). Though she has satirized on religious institution by introducing Mr. Irwine but she balances the situation by introduction of characters which are eager to reform the society through their individual acts; Dinnah and Seth. Dinnah and Seth are Methodists and follow Christian preaching but unlike Adam, Barnabas and Trulliber they also use these teachings to reform their society. We find Dinnah saying, “God has called me to minister to others; not to have any joys and sorrows of my own, but to rejoice with them that do rejoice and to weep with those that weep” ( Eliot 36).

Charity is another theme most pronounced in joseph Andrews. Fielding through certain sermons of Adam makes it clear that for him charity holds a central place in Christian moral code of conduct. When Trulliber refuses to help Adam he says him that you are not a good Christian as charity is central theme of the religion. Through Parson Adams’s comment we come to know of importance of charity as he says, “Now, there no command more express, no duty more frequently enjoined, than charity. Whoever therefore is devoid of charity I make no scruple in pronouncing that he is no Christian” (Fielding 127). He also engages in discussion about charity with Pounce. In this discussion Fielding presents two different schools of thought. For Adam riches without charity are worthless and says that his “definition of charity is a generous disposition to relieve the distressed” (Fielding 216).

 Elliot takes charity in a totally different meaning compass. She presents hard work as charity. For her hard work is a charity to future generation. This is evident in Adam’s character who believes that hard work is a way of paying tribute to God. Hard work makes the life of the upcoming progeny easy and can be taken in charitable terms. The main purpose for changing notion of charity was her belief that man’s actions are cause of his comfort or distress. Pounce can be compared to Hetty. Hetty also thinks that working hard is useless and wants to get rich by marrying a rich man. “She thought if Adam had been rich and could have given her these things, she loved him well enough to marry him” (Elliot 106).

Fielding makes upper class a constant victim of criticism in his novels. Through certain characters he expresses the hypocritical nature of aristocrats. Lady booby though is a respectable upper class lady but she tries to seduce a much younger boy just seven days after her husband’s death. When her servant overhears the conversation between her and the boy whom she tempted she gets afraid that her character will be blemished. “She had the utmost tenderness of her reputation, as she knew on that depended many of the most valuable blessings of life” (Fielding 23). This shows the hypocrisy of higher class that they want to commit all immoral acts behind the scenes while preserving their purity in front of their class. Elliot also highlights this feature in her novel. Mr. Arthur is squire of the area and lays eyes of affection upon Hetty. He indulges in a secret relationship with her. He does not make his interest public because of fear of facing embarrassment among his class. He tries to seduce her. All this is kept a secret which depict his hypocritical and weak nature.

The plot of the Joseph Andrews takes place in the eighteenth century England. Being primarily a picaresque novel, we see a variety of settings depicted by the writer in Joseph Andrews. The settings include the Booby House, inns, gentleman’s house; Mr. Wilson’s living place, court, and a few other places. However, in Adam Bede, almost the whole novel takes place in Adam’s house, Hall Farm and Night School. Unlike Joseph Andrews, the story of Adam Bede happens within the limits of a small village. Moreover, Fielding’s novel has the modernization as its settings are all in urban area of England, while Elliot’s novel is all about the countryside.

When we talk of the characters of both the novels we find certain similarities and differences between the both. Since the hero of a picaresque novel is left at the mercy of a corrupt society, therefore, Fielding introduces a variety of characters in his novel. As discussed earlier, these characters are from different social classes and belong to varying professions. However, nearly all the characters depicted in Adam Bede are from the lower working class of Victorian age, and primarily earn their livelihood through farming, cattle rearing or a few other jobs that do not involve education. The characters in the Fielding’s novel are learned and educated, as we meet a lawyer, parsons who write sermons and books, a book dealer, a judge, and most importantly the hero of the novel himself is educated as we see him writing letters to his sister Pamela Andrews. On the other hand, the characters in Elliot’s novel lack education and learning, and are unaware of the simple physical facts of the earth, such as time and weather change. Moreover, the hero of the novel, Adam Bede, himself is not educated and works as a carpenter, since this jobs needs skill rather than learning.

Furthermore, both the writers employ a number of characters in their novels. In Joseph Andrews, we have Joseph, Lady Booby, Mrs. Slipslop, Betty, Parson Adams, Parson Barnabas, Parson Trulliber, Mr. Wilson, gentleman, surgeon, Fanny, Pamela Andrews, Beaus, robbers, some characters in digression, and yet a lot more to be listed. Adam Bede also has a number of characters including, Adam, Seth, Lisbeth, Hetty, Dinah, Arthur, Massey, Martin, Mr. Mrs. Poyser and their children, Molly and a few others. However, both the novels have a different justification for the employment of such large number of characters. As for Joseph Andrews, the hero of the novel is to go through different adventures, as a consequence of which he meets a lot of characters. Also, Fielding intends to reform the society from different evils, for which he needs the depiction of different people from different social classes and professions. But fro Adam Bede, Elliot’s hero is to learn and develop morally as he goes through different experiences of his life meeting different people. Therefore, to teach her hero, Elliot has to introduce him to a number of varying characters possessing varying personalities, each of which is going to add to Adam’s development as a hero of a bildungsroman.

To debate further on the characters, we find certain similarities in the depiction of the characters of both the novels. Both the writers seem to depict the clergies, as we find Parson Ryde and Parson Irvine in Elliot’s novel; and Parson Adams, Parson Trulliber and Parson Barnabas in Fielding’s novel.  Parson Ryde, Parson Barnabas and Parson Trulliber depict the corrupt clergies, while Parson Adams and Parson Barnabas depict the way the clergies ought to be as the representatives of religion. Moreover, we have characters such as Molly (Adam Bede) and Betty (Joseph Andrews) who are the maids and reveal the maltreatment of the society with the lower class. The heroes of both the novels share similar traits, as they both are from lower class, poor and strugglers.     

Discussing the language employed by both the writers, we find simplicity in their writings. We do not find many literary terms, heavy vocabulary or artificial use of elevated language in these novels. Perhaps, since Fielding’s intention was the reformation of the society, and that of Elliot was to unleash the suppression and problems of the lower class; therefore, they remained simple in their writing as to make the lay-man understand them. In both the novels, we find the use of archaic language, such as thy, dost, thee, yonder etc. However, Elliot’s language contains more of the street and slang words since she depicts the illiterate working class of the Victorian era. We also find her depicting varying dialects of English in her novel.

In his novel, Fielding primarily focuses on the manners of the people as he says, “I declare here, once for all, I describe not men, but manners” (Fielding 179). However, Elliot’s main focus is people’s emotions as we see her depicting how we feel in our youth and how it changes as we grow old. She most emotionally describes how Lisabeth (Adam’s mother) feels when Adam leaves her rudely in a haste to meet Hetty. Talking of the lower class, she emphasizes that “it is so needful we should remember their existence, else we may happen to leave them quite out of our religion and philosophy, and frame lofty theories which only fit the world of extremes.” (Elliot 195). For the working class she says that they are hard working and sincere people. And when such workers pass away, the master who employed them say, “Where shall I find their like?” (Elliot 232).

Henry fielding wrote Joseph Andrews in neo classical age. This was also known as the age of Enlightenment which emphasized logic and reason. This was the period of comfortableness in England. People mostly discussed about the social and political issues in the coffee houses. This feature can be seen in Joseph Andrews. Fielding has most of the times described inns in his plays. Joseph after being robbed is brought to an inn. There a surgeon and a parson have discussion about their field of expertise. This shows that people considered inns a comfortable place for discussion on any matter. Adam has discussion about heaven and hell with inn keeper. This shows that how inns were also a platform of religious preaching. Two strangers tell a story to Adam in the same inn. This shows that how these inns were very important places of social connection where strangers met and built up their ties. Contrary to Joseph Andrews, Adam Bede was written by George Eliot in Victorian age. Victorian age was the age of dramatic change that brought England to its highest power of development as the world power. In Queen Victoria’s period the population of England increased from 2 million to 6.5 million. This drastic increase in population shows England’s emergence as an economically established state. Industrial revolution was the most pronounced feature of this age. Landlords built factories on their lands and the people who earlier worked in their lands as farmers lost their jobs. To get another job they moved to cities to work in factories thus increasing the population of cities dramatically. This sudden rush of people to cities brought many adversities along with it too. Many of the jobs created in the port during the 19th century were badly paid. Others were seasonal or casual, which meant that people were only paid when work was available. As a result, the people and their families lived in poverty. Under these conditions, Elliot penned down her novel Adam Bede, where we see a constant depiction of the suppressed lower and working class in England.

Poverty is the factor highlighted by Eliot in Adam Bede. She presented a society of hard working people in her novel. Some of the people are farmers in the world of novel while others are carpenters. All people inhabiting the area do petty jobs. They do not get paid much as a result of it. This aspect of Victorian age is highlighted in novel. The protagonist of novel is poor around which the whole story revolves. Dinah, who appears as second major character, also belongs to a poor family. Aspect of industrialization is highlighted in the novel when Dinnah says that in Snow field she works in a factory to earn her livelihood. She says to Mr. Irvine, “It is changed so far as the mill has brought people there, who get livelihood for themselves by working in it, and make it better for the trades folks. I work in it myself and have reason to be grateful” (Eliot 94). On the other hand, in Fielding’s time, social conditions were also no less devastating. Most of the social institutions were corrupt. People working in different institutions worked as puppets at the hands of aristocrats. For example Justice Frolick tries to change the law and tries throwing Joseph out of city at orders of Lady Booby. Lawyers twist the law just to serve the upper class. They can make an innocent guilty and vice versa.

Acquiring education in Victorian times was a tough task. Only children from rich families went for formal education. But these ones were not many. Boys were in famous schools like Eton where education was very strict. Eton is a big school near London in front of Windsor. Girls didn't have the same education as boys. They were kept at home and taught singing, piano playing and sewing. Although some did go to Sunday schools which were run by churches. Children from rich families were luckier than poor children. Nannies looked after them, and they had toys and books. This difficulty in gaining education and illiteracy among poor is highlighted in the novel. Most of the dialogues between the characters are in Latin dialect. Lisabeth Bede has all her speech in Latin. Adam and Seth also have fragments of Latin in their speech like all other people living around. As this is the community of hard working people doing petty jobs. It reflects their social status. They are from lower class. As lower class did not have access to education in Victorian times, the same is highlighted in the novel through the dialogues of characters in old archaic language. Lack of education means lack of civility and modern values. Those people did not have access to education so they were unaware of the words used in modern dialect which was mostly prevailing among aristocrats who could acquire education. Compared to Elliot’s time, education became very important during Fielding’s time and it prevailed as this was the age of logic and reason. Instead of accepting the things as such people tried to find out the logic behind certain happenings. This logical thinking opened the door of vast thought process. People became more rational. This rationality is reflected in the character of Joseph. He does not at once perceive lady Booby’s intentions as evil rather he takes time to think that for what reason a lady of higher sort will indulge in such an act with him. He believes her only after she explicitly states her purpose. But as Henry Fielding deviates from the common style of prose writing followed by his contemporaries he also makes some characters irrational.  Adam for example is irrational. He does not think logically rather believes on whatever the people say to him. For example a man makes him fool by pretending that he is very much inspired by Adam’s religious knowledge and behavior and promises to give him horse sin the morning. But in morning Adam comes to know that he has been befooled.

Fielding and Elliot appear similar in their style of writing; however, some of their style traits differ, and secure them their unique place in the history of novel writing.  Fielding is less explanatory when it comes to the description of characters or places. However, we find Elliot dedicating pages to the description of merely one place in a single course of incidence. Both the writers, heartily debate over the themes they tried to depict in their novels, and do not hesitate to dedicate a whole chapter for giving explanations, justifications and reasons for their content and ideas, since they intend to make the reader understand what they want to promote or reform. However, when it comes to the story, Fielding includes a lot of happenings and incidents from time to time; sometimes multiple incidents within the same chapter. On the other hand, Elliot includes a very few incidents within the entire book of the novel, hence moving the plot very slowly. In Fielding’s style, we see self-reflexivesness, yet an intentional distance created by the writer between the characters of the novel and the readers. Fielding wants the readers to understand the vices he has sugar coated with humor, instead of sympathizing or empathizing with the characters, forgetting the purpose of the novel. He has pointed out some serious vices of a corrupt society in a very light and humorous manner. He has made people laugh on their own follies and made them realize their vices in a friendlier manner. He doesn’t intend to offend or humiliate, rather to correct and reform. In the first chapter of book 3, he states the difference between a satirist and a libeler: “for the former privately corrects the fault for the benefit of the person, like a parent; the later publickly exposes the person himself, as an example to others, like an executioner” (Fielding 180). Fielding considers himself a satirist rather than a libeler. Therefore, he remains light and humorous while pointing out the vices in the human beings. Comparing Elliot with him, we find her more serious in her tone. We do not find humor in her writing, rather she talks of people’s problem in the Victorian age in a serious manner saying “The women, indeed, usually entered the church at once, and the farmers’ wives talked in an undertone to each other, over the tall pews, about their illnesses and the total failure of doctor’s stuff, recommending dandelion tea, and other home-made specifics, as far preferable – about the servants, and their growing exorbitance as to wages, where the quality of their services declined from year to year, and there was no girl nowadays to be trusted any farther that you could see her – about the bad price Mr. Dingall, the Treddleston grocer, was giving for butter, and the reasonable doubts that might be held as to his solvency.” (Elliot 210) Moreover, neither of the writers’ style is didactic, rather they more suggestive and leave the reader to reflect and compare themselves with what depiction of human beings they have given within their novels.

Both the writers have varying inspirations or driving forces for writing these novels. Fielding adopts the tool of mockery while writing this novel. Joseph Andrews is a mockery of Richardson’s Pamela, where in the later we find the emphasis on the female chastity and male chastity in the former one. In one of the concluding chapters of the last book we clearly see this mockery when we find Pamela’s comments about Fanny in these words: “She was my equal, but I am no longer Pamela Andrews; I am now this gentleman’s lady, and, as such, I am above her” (Fielding 296). However, Elliot’s drive was the Industrial Revolution and she got her inspiration in depiction of the lower class from Dutch paintings, as she says in the first chapter of the second book of Adam Bede, “I delight in many Dutch paintings, which lofty –minded people despise. I find a source of delicious sympathy in these faithful pictures of a monotonous, homely existence, which has been the fate of so many more among my fellow-mortals than a life of pomp or of absolute indigence, of tragic suffering or of world-stirring actions” (Elliot 193). Further, justifying her inspiration she says, “I turn, without shrinking, from cloud-borne angels, from prophets, sibyls, and heroic warriors, to an old woman bending over her flower-pot, or eating her solitary dinner” (Elliot 193).

A lot more literature can be produced on the discussion of comparison between Joseph Andrews and Adam Bede. Elliot’s motive is not merely to produce a thick volume of literary genre; rather she intends to teach us and improve us through depiction of various characters in Adam Bede. Likewise, Fielding also intends to reform the society from the vices of hypocrisy and vanity. If one seeks to have such pleasure in these novels that he/she gets from popular fiction, they shall find them monotonous and too descriptive. However, if people with some nerves for classic works dive into these works, they shall find Elliot and Fielding doing justice to this genre and shall enjoy every minute description of it.

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Feminism in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth

Feminism in Shakespeare’s Plays

Hamlet and Macbeth

When it comes to the discussion of plays, Shakespeare’s name can never be omitted or forgotten. To clarify the worth of his works, one may say that Shakespeare was the other name of plays, as he set the standards of plays performed in later ages till he contemporary age.

William Shakespeare was a famous playwright from Renaissance or Elizabethan age. His plays, however, show some characteristics of medieval times mingled with the Renaissance. Besides these elements, feminism (or depiction of female characters) has been an important element of his plays as he gives significant place to the female characters, and let them be as influential in the progression of the plot as the male characters. This essay shall discuss the depiction of female characters in two of Shakespeare’s plays; Hamlet and Macbeth, and shall reveal the characteristics of women or feminine traits as crafted by Shakespeare.

There are a number of different characteristics of the female lot that Shakespeare has shown us in the said plays. For an overall view, some characteristics may be listed as: deceit vs sincerity, cunningness vs innocence, hypocrisy, wisdom vs foolishness, decisiveness, dare vs shyness, faithfulness, dependence vs independence, love and obedience. Other than these, Shakespeare also presents the psyche of the women and how different women react and handle various situations according to their social status and as influenced by other people, particularly men.

In both the plays, Shakespeare has depicted the female characters opposite in one sense, yet similar in the other. Both plays open with two decisive and daring women. In Hamlet, Queen Gertrude (Hamlet’s mother) is as decisive and strong as Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth. In the former play, Gertrude decides to marry her brother-in-law after her husband’s demise, as Claudius says:

“Therefore our some time sister, now our queen,

Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene II)

Although it was considered an incestuous act in that time by the society and religion, yet Gertrude marries Claudius soon after her husband’s death. Likewise in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth becomes determined to kill King Duncan in order to win her husband the honour of kingship, as she plots after receiving the letter from Macbeth in which he tells her about the prophecies of the witches, and utters some confident and determined lines:

“Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full

Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.

Stop up the access and passage to remorse,

That no compunctious visitings of nature

Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between

The effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,

And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,

Wherever in your sightless substances” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

However, both the characters may also be viewed on a contrasting level. As we read Hamlet, we observe that Gertrude was unaware of the fact that the former king was assassinated by her second husband. She was neither the part of King Hamlet’s murder plot, nor she married Claudius to betray her husband. Therefore, Gertrude is a decisive, yet a lady of morals and grace. On the other hand, if we read the first act of Macbeth, we shall see Shakespeare revealing the deliberate evil plans and intentions of Lady Macbeth, who plans to murder the king wickedly even when her husband is hesitant to perform this act. Henceforth, both the characters differ and present two different types of females as depicted by Shakespeare.

Apart from their acts, whether done in innocence or with evil intentions, that offended other people, both Gertrude and Lady Macbeth depict love, sincerity and faithfulness towards their family. Not only them, but Ophelia also shows a pure love for Hamlet. Gertrude, as a mother is always worried about her son Hamlet and loves him deeply. We find her concerns for Hamlet in the very initial scenes of the novel till the time she dies:

“Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted colour off,

And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene II)

Moreover, Gertrude remained sincere with her former husband throughout the days of their matrimonial relation, and never deceived him during his life. She only married Claudius after late King Hamlet’s assassination. Likewise, Ophelia also loves Hamlet and tries to justify him as a sincere lover before her father and brother:

“He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders

Of his affection to me.”

Ophelia also loves her brother Leartes and her father Polonius. She respects them and is obedient towards them. When Polonius warns Ophelia not to meet Hamlet and not to receive any gifts from him, the meek lass replies in the following manner:

“I shall obey, my lord.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV)

Even after her father’s murder, Ophelia remains in a constant conflict between her love for her father and love of Hamlet, and is left empty handed at the end committing suicide. Similarly, Lady Macbeth is also a constant support to her husband, as she loves him with sincerity and wants him to be superior above the rest.

“Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor,

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter,

Thy letters have transported me beyond

This ignorant present, and I feel now

The future in the instant.” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

She loves Macbeth, and is caring and concerned for him. When Macbeth murders King Duncan, he comes out with bloody hands holding the murder weapon. At this, Lady Macbeth becomes concerned and boldly rushes back to Duncan’s room to put back the dagger and smear the guards with Duncan’s blood. On returning to Macbeth she instructs him in the following manner for his safety:

“Hark! More knocking.

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us

And show us to be watchers. Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.” (Macbeth, Act II, Scene II)

We see Shakespeare depicting a contrast of dependent and independent women in his plays. As for Hamlet, Gertrude represents image of an independent women, who is capable of taking her decision regardless of anti-feminist norms of her society. In Hamlet, Shakespeare gives portrayal of a society where second marriage was a kind of taboo, or was considered an evil practice both on the part of male and female. However, through Gertrude, Shakespeare depicts a woman who dares to step against the social norms and endeavors to take a step for herself and for her happiness and life. However, her independence doesn’t make her forget her responsibilities as a mother, as a wife and as a queen. Lady Macbeth is also another example of independent women. Independently, she plots Duncan’s murder and convinces her husband to do this act.

On the other hand, Ophelia is a depiction of dependent women. She is incapable of taking her own decisions and is always depending upon the instructions given by her brother and her father. She readily consents to what they say, and meekly obeys them as if she is devoid of all the senses and cognition. Even in the case of Hamlet proposing to her, she trusts Hamlet merely for his verbal promises, and never endeavors to look for the purity and honesty of his words.

The traits of hypocrisy and cunningness can be found within Lady Macbeth’s character. She is a perfectionist in tweaking the situation and people for her personal motives. She behaves very nicely to all the guests in the party so that they are happy with their treatment and nobody can suspect them. She heartily welcomes them as nobody can have a slight doubt that her husband has murdered Banquo.

“Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends,

For my heart speaks they are welcome” (Macbeth)

Shakespeare presents women as the beings with limited approach and understanding in complex matters. Two such examples exist in form of Ophelia and Lady Macduff. Ophelia is foolish, silly and frail of mind. Throughout the play, she is never seen using her own reasoning or wits in order to take necessary steps for the situation. She foolishly listens to everyone, and never uses her cognition in order to reach the facts. Likewise, Lady Macduff is a self-obsessed, narrow-minded woman. She doesn’t think that her husband has gone for a greater good. Macduff knew that Macbeth took over the throne through illegal means and to protect Scotland, he sacrificed his family life. But his narrow minded wife is devoid of understanding the wisdom of her husband’s decision, and instead thinks he didn’t like her and was tired of her.

“Wisdom? To leave his wife, to leave his babes,
His mansion, and his titles, in a place
From whence himself does fly? He loves us not” (Macbeth)

Apart from depicting the characteristics owned by women, Shakespeare also shows how other gender of the society thinks about the feminine lot. In the play Hamlet, Ophelia’s father, Polonius, is biased when it comes to liberty of men while conservative when it comes to the liberty of females. We find him giving warnings to Ophelia for immediately ending her meetings with Hamlet, and telling her that she knows nothing about love as she is too young:

“I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth

Have you so slander any moment leisure

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV)

However, on the other hand, Polonius is in the favour of Leartes’s liberty. He does give Leartes florid advices when he was leaving for France. But later when he asks Reynaldo to check on Leartes in France, his views about youth entirely change:

“But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips

As are companions noted and most known

To youth and liberty” (Hamlet, Act II, Scene I)

Likewise, Hamlet also generalizes women on the basis of his mother’s hasty decision of marriage with his uncle, and as per society’s norms it was an incestuous decision too, as the Ghost says to Hamlet:

“Let not the royal bed of Denmark be

A couch for luxury and damned incest” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene V)

We find Hamlet repeatedly mourning over Gertrude’s marriage with Claudius, and he starts to hate his mother for this fact. He calls his mother an adulterous and “most pernicious woman” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene V), and later he says similar words for Ophelia too:

“Get thee to a nunnery. Why, wouldst thou be a

breeder of sinners?” (Hamlet Act III, Scene I)

This signifies that, in Renaissance society, a woman’s liberty to her happiness was something unacceptable, and she was called an adulterous if she would go against society’s anti-feminist norms. Hamlet is also of the view that all women are disloyal with their husbands, and women’s love is something very transient (Hamlet, Act III, Scene II).

In Macbeth, Shakespeare projects Lady Macbeth as driving power towards an evil act. In the opening lines of the play, it was the three witches that initiated the complexities by making Macbeth aware of his future. The witches confidently greet him in the following manner:

“First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!

Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor!

Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, the future king”

This intrigues Macbeth, as a result of which he tells this secret to his wife. But the plot made by Lady Macbeth after reading Macbeth’s letter makes reader think that the female lot should not be trusted with secrets:

“Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither,

That I may pour my spirits in thine ear

And chastise with the valor of my tongue

All that impedes thee from the golden round,

Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem

To have thee crowned withal.” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

The play Macbeth is a strong and explicit depiction of women as a driving force, and suggests that women are cause of men’s doom in certain situations. It is noteworthy that the religion practiced in Renaissance age was Christianity. Christians believed in the original sin and were of the view that all afflictions on the mankind today, including death, are due to the first sin done by Eve. She ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, as a result of which both Adam and Eve were expelled from the immortal life of paradise to this mortal world. Similar to this Christian belief, Lady Macbeth plans the evil murder of King Duncan for which her husband also suffers. She becomes the cause of Macbeth’s doom, although he tries to stop her from fulfilling her plans. It was Lady Macbeth in whose mind came the idea of king’s murder. Had Lady Macbeth not suggest this murder, Macbeth would have enjoyed a respectable life as Thane of Cawdor.

However, Lady Macbeth is also a symbol of fearlessness and extraordinary braver. The following dialogue reveals her daring and brave personality, even more than her huband:

“Macbeth: I’ll go no more:     

I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on ’t again I dare not.

Lady Macbeth: Infirm of purpose!     

Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead

Are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood

That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,

I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal,

For it must seem their guilt.” (Macbeth, Act II, Scene II)

Through her character, we are made aware that females are not always devoid of wits. Rather there are females who, unlike Ophelia, use their wits and wisdom in grave situations. Lady Macbeth is certainly a woman of great wisdom, as to so perfectly plan a grave crime like a king’s murder within her own palace, yet leaving none in a suspicion against her family. In the above dialogue, we find Macbeth panicking about the situation; however, Lady Macbeth remains composed and fully conscious, as she takes the dagger from her husband telling him that a sleeping man is as good as a dead one.

Although Lady Macbeth shows a woman’s wisdom and bravery, yet through Macbeth’s dialogue we come to know that bravery and courage were considered to be the traits of men, and if a woman was found to possess them, she was termed as a manly women rather than a brave or extraordinary woman:

“Macbeth: Bring forth men-children only,  

For thy undaunted mettle should compose

Nothing but males. Will it not be received,

When we have marked with blood those sleepy two

Of his own chamber and used their very daggers,

That they have done ’t?”

In the above dialogue, Macbeth is not ready to accept such bravery and courage in his wife. For this reason, he says to Lady Macbeth that if she gives birth to a child it would necessarily be a baby-boy, for he believes that such bravery and courage belongs to men and can only give birth to a boy as for him girls do not have such qualities. Henceforth, Macbeth reveals the mindset of the men of his age, who believed that wisdom, planning, wit and bravery were the men’s property, and women were devoid of these characteristics.

Shakespeare gives a vital role, though a negative one, to Lady Macbeth in the play. However, he almost ignores the worth of female characters within Hamlet, as we see Ophelia and Gertrude least effecting the plot of the story. Gertrude hardly has any independent dialogues within the play, reflecting the fact that female interference or opinions were not given worth.

In the dialogues between Hamlet and Ophelia, Shakespeare depicts the status of women. He presents them as emotional and vulnerable beings, which are used by men for their needs and pleasure. Although, Hamlet is considered as a moral scruple, yet we find him exchanging cheap dialogues with Ophelia:

“Hamlet: Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

Ophelia: No, my lord.

Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?

Ophelia: I think nothing, my lord.           

Hamlet: That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.” (Hamlet, Act III, Scene II)

The above dialogues clearly show that the men during that age were of the view that women were a mere object of usage. They were objects that were of no better use but only to satisfy the sexual needs of men. Hamlet’s behaviour with Ophelia also shows vulnerability of women:

“Ophelia: He took me by the wrist the wrist and held me hard.

Then goes he to the length of all his arm,

And with his other hand thus o’er his brow

He falls to such perusal of my face

As a would draw it. Long saty’d he so.

At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He rais’d so piteous and profound

As it did seem to shatter all his bulk

And end his being. That done, he lets me go” (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

We know that Hamlet was merely pretending to be mad and was actually in all his wits and senses. However, he makes harsh use of Ophelia to convince others of his madness. Elizabethan women were reported to be domestically tortured. Not only Hamlet, but we also see Polonius making use of his daughter in order to secure a high rank in majesties eyes. He is least bothered about Ophelia’s feelings, and very insensitively makes a plan to show the majesties that Hamlet’s madness was due to his love for Ophelia.

“Polonius: At such a time I’ll loose my daughter to him.

Be you and i behind an arras then.

Mark the encounter. If he love her not,

And be not from his reason fall’n thereon

Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farm and carters. (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

Furthermore, we find a partiality in the matter of education as we see Polonius sends Leartes to France for his education; however, Ophelia remains in Denmark with him in the palace. We also find evidences of Hamlet being a learned man, as we see that he alters the contents of letter sent to the English king by Claudius. But we do not find any reference to Ophelia’s education throughout the play.

It can also be observed that women were not allowed to participate in outdoor activities. In both the plays, we find that the soldiers of the Danish and Scottish army were all men. In Hamlet, we come across the soldiers and Horatio as the army men; while in Macbeth, we have Banquo and Macbeth as prominent army men. But there is no sign of any lady participating in war or political affairs. Claudius’s concerns of the probable attack of Norwegian army on Denmark, his interaction with the Norwegian king, his ambassador sent to Denmark, the Danish troops sent to the pole; all comprise of men and all the political matters were under the masculine control. The witches’ prophecy of Macbeth becoming Thane of Cawdor and later King of Denmark, Banquo’s sons taking Macbeth’s place and Macduff’s decision to leave his family in order to avenge Macbeth revolves around men as the decision makers and the leading forces.

Moreover, through the play performed by Hamlet with the play, we observe that all the actors playing were male. Women were not allowed to take part in performing arts such as theatre, although renaissance era is known for its theatrical excellence.

Elizabethan woman were raised to believe that they were inferior to men. The Church believed this and quoted the Bible in order to ensure the continued adherence to this principle. The protestant leader John Knox wrote:

"Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man."

With reference to the above quote, we find several examples of women submission with the play Hamlet:

“King: Sweet Gertrude, leave us too,

For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither

That he, as ‘twice by accident, may here

Affront Ophelia.

Gertrude: I shall obey you.” (Hamlet, Act III, Scene I)

“Polonius: I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth

Have you so slander any moment leisure

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.

Ophelia: I shall obey, my lord.” (Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV)

“Polonius: What, have you given him any hard words of late

Ophelia: No, my good lord, but as you did command,

I did repel his letters and denied

His access to me.” (Hamlet, Act II, Scene II)

All the above references show the obedience expected on the part of the women towards their husbands, fathers, brothers or some other male. Elizabethan woman were totally dominated by the male members of their family. They were expected to instantly obey not only their father but also their brothers and any other male members of the family. The punishment for disobey was the whipping stool - the Elizabethan girls were beaten into submission and disobedience was seen as a crime against their religion.

It is probably due to the above reason of unquestioned obedience that women desired to possess male qualities and characteristics rather than female ones. The effects of female suppression and can be seen changing Lady Macbeth’s mind towards her gender and she desire to lose her feminine qualities and gain masculine ones, as she cries:

"Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top full

Of direst cruelty" (Macbeth, Act I, Scene V)

The disruption of gender roles is also represented in the weird witch sisters that appear as the play opens. The trio is perceived as violating nature, and despite their designation as sisters, the gender of these characters is also ambiguous. Upon encountering them, Banquo says:

 "You should be women,

And yet your beards forbid me to interpret

That you are so" (Macbeth, Act I, Scene II)

Their facial hair symbolizes their influence in the affairs of the male-dominated warrior society of Scotland. Critics see the witches and the question of their gender as a device Shakespeare uses to criticize the male-dominated culture. Moreover, we see Lady Macbeth as the character responsible for projection of the plot further, as she takes some bold steps. Yet, the name of the play is “Macbeth” rather than “Lady Macbeth”.

Women are a dangerous presence in Macbeth. According to Stephanie Chamberlain, fear of the power of women was a strong force in early modern England. Women could wield control over patrilineage in ways men could not. Women could be unfaithful in marriage, thus changing the lineage, and a husband could be duped into raising another man's child. Women could pass on traits, both wanted and unwanted, through nursing, rearing of children, and neglect of children. It was feared that women would commit infanticide. Chamberlain tells us, "Perhaps no other early modern crime better exemplifies cultural fears about maternal agency than does infanticide, a crime against both person and lineage". Lady Macbeth presents such threats.

If an overall survey of both the plays is done, we shall conclude that women have been associated with more vices rather than virtues within these two plays. Gertrude is associated with a woman who did an incestuous crime by marrying for a second time after her husband’s demise. Ophelia has been portrayed as a foolish, dependant woman, who cannot think for herself and is rather controlled by her male supervisors. Lady Macbeth is presented as an extreme form of evil, a cunning lady, a hypocrite and a selfish woman. Lady Macduff depicts lack of understanding and narrow-mindedness. However, we find a constant hint upon male-dominance, and also a reminder to the feminine lot about their unjust suppression, humiliation and a lesson for them to believe in themselves and their abilities for their respect and status in the society. And also a reminder to the masculine lot that if anyone is persistently suppressed, be it women, they shall certainly one day break the fetters and speak up for themselves and can even turn evil.

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