Othello’s outsider status and journey make him the perfect introduction to Shakespeare’s flawed heroes. Beatrice, however, dominates the heart of this most misunderstood of Shakespeare’s plays, which is … A considerable number of book-length studies and academic articles investigate the topic, and several moons of Uranus are named after women in Shakespeare. And then there’s the ending. The Top 6 Famous Shakespeare Characters Romeo ('Romeo and Juliet'). . The comedy is wacky and sometimes downright cruel, but it’s also endearing and genuinely funny—the best introduction to how Shakespeare pairs strong-willed characters … There are several female characters throughout Shakespeare’s plays that represent strong… Tamsin Greig played Malvolia (A female reimagining of the role) at The National. But as important as the themes of justice, power, and morality are, the challenge for an actor is to fight through the orations and tell the story moment by moment. Which one would be easiest for you to play? Separator. Richard, Duke of Gloucester (GLOU.) In 2013 the Royal Shakespeare Company turned to Jacobean dramatists for roles that would not leave the heroine as secondary characters drowned in a pool of blood or water by the final act. Lady Macbeth is a awesome character made in the “wrong age” and I hope the movie adapts her in a modern light. Othello is no fool, and the meat of the play is Iago working hard to convince him that his young bride is having an affair with a soldier named Cassio. Let’s find out – but watch out for spoilers! And if you’re looking for all my posts on Strong Female Characters, you can find them here. George, Duke of Clarence (CLAR.) However, her goals are very clearly defined: she wants to be Queen of Scotland as soon as possible, and will go to any lengths in order to make this happen. She is the architect of her own madness right up until the curtain falls. When she’s in control, she firmly rejects all the traditional trappings of femininity – such as kindness, compassion, obedience etc. “Measure for Measure” is the best introduction to how actors can make Shakespeare’s plays work—not despite but with their flaws. Shakespeare’s story of leadership has always found relevance, with many quotes and passages common in the world of politics. Let’s be frank. Shakespeare’s Iconic Female Characters Cordelia (King Lear, 1606) Cressida (Troilus and Cressida, 1609) Desdemona (Othello, 1604) Juliet (Romeo and Juliet, 1597) Katherina (The Taming of the Shrew, 1623) Ophelia (Hamlet, 1609) Portia (The Merchant of … NOTE: Just so we’re clear,  I’ll be basing my analysis off the original Shakespearean play, rather than any of the modern adaptations. Ostensibly the subject of the play, Antonio serves rather as a foil to Shylock, who is one of Shakespeare’s best-known and most discussed characters.… Cardinal Bourchier (CARD.) Is her character consistent? Also known as “Love’s Labour’s Won,” this comedy of romance and plotting isn’t as straightforward as it seems. She has a lot of indirect control over the larger events of the play, so I’ll give her the point. As a performer, you must use intuition, find motivation, and discover the journey in everything you do, even if it’s the character of the Duke who works in mysterious ways. The most interesting part of the play—Orsino falling in love with Viola, who he believes to be a boy called Cesario—is also the most challenging. May 30, 2007 . But does she measure up to the hype? Despite the rather dated ideas about marriage and a woman’s place, “The Taming of the Shrew” has been transformed into rom-coms, musicals, and ballets. He’s got everything from physical comedy and elaborate jokes right the way through to disastrous relationships and tragedy so recognizable that it speaks to us centuries after it was written. Henry, Earl of Richmond (RICHM.) As for Lady Macbeth, she is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s most complex female characters, has been played by a range of fantastic actresses (including Dame Judi Dench) and is the subject of countless GCSE English essays every year. And Helen Mirren played ‘Prospera’ – a reimagining of Prospero, Miranda’s father in ‘Tempest’ – a film of the play. Lady Macbeth’s rejection of the feminine is also a rejection of God. The challenge in roles like these is in working together and, no matter how tempting it is to play the character comedy, not losing sight of the story. I imagine a character like Lady Macbeth would have shocked and appalled Shakespeare’s contemporary audience when the play was first staged considering what expectations they have for men and women like you said. With every part in every play, the challenge for actors is to approach Shakespeare’s words as if for the first time. Even her speech is affected – in AC Bradley’s famous analysis of the play, he notes that in this scene Lady Macbeth speaks in short, disjointed prose. There are plenty of adaptations to watch, including the full-on Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard experience and two brilliant versions set in restaurants: the BBC’s starring James McAvoy as an ambitious chef and kooky U.S. version “Scotland, Pa.”. How does she relate to stereotypes about gender? Main characters such as Dark Lady of the sonnets have elicited a substantial amount of criticism, which received added impetus during the second-wave feminism of the 1960s. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation is great fun, and the opening scenes have stirred many a school student, but it’s Joss Whedon’s brilliantly simple version, shot over 12 days in his own home, that you should start with. Lady Macbeth ("Macbeth") 3. Do her personality or skills change as the plot demands? Why do we laugh at the elaborate prank that ultimately sends him to the madhouse? She can’t kill the king herself because he reminds her of her father, nor can she reconcile her own ambition with the enormity of what her husband has done. The young prince is on a mission to avenge his father’s murder, but in the course the play must deal with self-doubt, maturity, mortality, and his mother, now married to his father’s killer. ( Log Out /  Just like her husband, her ambition over-reaches itself; she can never truly achieve the goals she has set. At first, “Measure for Measure” might not seem like the obvious choice for newcomers. She gets her power through Macbeth, but her concerns are more for his power than for him. When Viola says, “I am not what I am,” she might as well be speaking for the play itself. It’s this descent into madness which makes her one of Shakespeare’s most interesting characters, so I’m giving her the point. If you’re looking for a film adaptation then you can do no better than the 1953 version with Marlon Brando as Mark Antony. Shakespeare’s masterpiece, “Hamlet” is an investigation of what it means to be human. Can you describe her in one short sentence without mentioning her love life, her physical appearance, or the words ‘strong female character’? Many women would prefer to play Hamlet over Ophelia or play Prospero over Cressida. Emilia ("Othello") 2. But for Martin … Some adaptations suggest that she actually uses her sexual hold over her husband in order to persuade him to go along with her plans, but ultimately she pushes her husband to murder his way to the top for her benefit rather than his own. Juliet – voiced by Emily Blunt – in Gnomeo & Juliet. Like Richard III, Iago soliloquizes his hate for “the Moor” and his plans to sow doubt in Othello’s mind about the fidelity of his love, Desdemona. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, one character has always baffled the audience on who he really is—Macbeth. She is a female of enormous determination and courage and is, without doubt, one of the strongest of all Shakespeare’s characters. At Caesar’s funeral, Shakespeare displays the power of words, with Brutus trying to convince the crowd that killing Caesar was the best option before the superior rhetorician Mark Antony tells them otherwise. “Macbeth” is a tragedy because most people end up dead. But, as with any great artist, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Lady Macbeth starts the play as a ruthless, ambitious, manipulative woman who’s determined to see her husband succeed. A comedy of disguises and mistaken identities, “Twelfth Night” is also a heartbreaking tale of unrequited love. The first is that Lady Macbeth – and, by extension, much of Jacobean culture – associated strength, ruthlessness and ambition with men. Check out Backstage’s theater audition listings! In this respect she has a fantastic amount of influence over her husband, whose actions drive the plot. Desdemona: Strong and Relentless Gurmehar Sodhi Mansoor, U ENG 3U0 March 29th, 2011 Words: 870 According to the general hierarchy when Shakespeare wrote his play, men were deemed to be more able than women. When looking to Shakespeare for strong characters to play or idolize, the first few that always come to mind are Hamlet or Richard II, since these are very meaty characters who have countless iconic lines. Monologues (Male) Monologues (Female) Overdone Monologues Scene Study (M+F) Scene Study (M+M) Scene Study (F+F) Separator 2. Viola is one of Shakespeare's most delightful comic characters. The comedy is wacky and sometimes downright cruel, but it’s also endearing and genuinely funny—the best introduction to how Shakespeare pairs strong-willed characters against each other. Women were supposed to be kind, gentle, loving creatures because they were capable of bearing children. There’s no better introduction than Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film, but if you’re after something a little closer to the stage play then Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 version is young love in Technicolor. Lady Macbeth constantly values the masculine above the feminine, as exemplified in her famous speech in Act One, Scene Five, where she begs all the powers of darkness to strip her of her femininity in order to make her strong enough to go through with the murder she’s planned. Negative character traits are usually precisely what make villains so memorable, and are often the very things that propel them through their story. She makes herself queen without really having to lift a finger, and does her best to keep her position stable by smoothing over Macbeth’s visions with his lords. It works. This topsy-turvy tale of fairies, lovers, and amateur dramatics also features a healthy dollop of Shakespearean humor for actors to get their heads around, from double entendre between mismatched lovers to pure slapstick with Bottom and the Mechanicals, as well as that wall gag—“Midsummer” has it all. Lady Macbeth is very much in control of her own destiny, although it isn’t always by her own hands. There’s something for every actor, from complex soliloquies to fart jokes. Or Isabella, who learns to become more flexible as the plot thickens. However, by the end of the play she’s racked with guilt and has been gradually pushed to the edges of her husband’s power. After that, your job is to make them your own. And both his strength, and weakness can be seen throughout the play. She may not relate to other female characters, and she may be extremely problematic in terms of gender stereotypes, but she’s still passed my test. Hidden behind that wall is his true cowardness. Hamlet’s soliloquies, especially “To be or not to be,” are some of the best-known pieces of writing in the English language and can feel worn out by repetition. Two of Shakespeare’s most beloved characters, Benedick and Beatrice sparkle with wit and are a gift to actors, if only for their intelligent banter. Actor Simon Ward and actress Sinead Cusack in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at the Shaw... Lady Macbeth ('Macbeth'). Rather than forcing people to do what she wants, she persuades them, cajoles them, and manipulates them. She also slowly loses influence with her husband, becomes racked with guilt and loses all interest in her previous goal of becoming – and remaining – royalty. “The Lion King” takes inspiration from “Hamlet” but is not a straightforward adaptation. Antonio, a Venetian merchant, the title character of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The Taming of the Shrew . In effect, she has become a much more traditionally feminine character – she’s reduced to a very passive player, her emotions eventually become her downfall, and her influence on the plot has been rapidly reduced in favour of her husband’s. She’s not just punished for her role in planning the king’s murder; she’s also punished for stepping outside the boundaries of traditional Jacobean gender norms. For instance, the tragedy of Othello is unlike many other Shakespearean plays, in that the leading female characters are wiser and more rational than the main male characters. Great analysis I fully agree with what you. These characters are generally courtly, high-born characters such as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, Lavinia from Titus Andronicus or Ophelia from Hamlet. ( Log Out /  As a shipwrecked orphan who has no-one to protect her, she has to be crafty and resourseful. Instead of the soft focus picture of innocence she’s become onscreen, Juliet is confident, intelligent, and a lot more complex than many give her credit for. His characters also run the gamut of human experience. How does she relate to other female characters. Its enduring popularity is in part because of the brilliant double act of Petruchio and Katherina, the tamer and the shrew. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In Shakespeare, women do not constitute main characters and yet, they play main parts, meaning that beside every strong male character, there is a woman. Well, this is the perfect example of Shakespeare leaving it up to you. In all her other appearances she speaks in very controlled verse, and unlike the other major characters in Shakespearean tragedies, she doesn’t get to speak in verse for her final appearance – a method of speaking that was traditionally used to demonstrate dignity and nobility. Does she make decisions that aren’t influenced by her love life? https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/characters/10-influential-characters This murderous soldier is both headstrong and easily manipulated, brave and cowardly, noble and villainous. Included is our exclusive spelled pronunciation guide, essential for actors and teachers, and an in-depth biography of many of Shakespeare's most popular and fascinating creations. This isn’t something that has happened suddenly. The second is that by giving this speech while invoking hellish spirits, Shakespeare is effectively associating this rejection of the feminine with the demonic. A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lady is determined to become Queen of Scotland by any means necessary – but is not prepared for the toll it will take on her psyche. The conspirators are forced to flee, eventually killing themselves. What better way to kick off Villain Month? When she’s psyching herself up for murder in Act One, Scene Five she does so using images of infanticide, mother’s milk turning to poison, and literally asked to be ‘unsexed’. Does she influence the plot without getting captured or killed? Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop of York (ARCH.) The story of star-crossed young lovers who can only be together in death has inspired countless adaptations and retellings, some of which are masterpieces in their own right. Eventually this becomes too much for her, and she kills herself near the end of the play. “Julius Caesar” is an exercise in finding, gaining, and losing status in the scene. Portia ("The Merchant of Venice") 5. Shakespeare’s plays are also the best training ground for actors, and performing in one will put your skills to the test as well as plant new ones. Rosalind ( "As You Like It") 4. 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