Rhetoric and Elizabethan Education

Gender is shaped through repeated actions, not innate.

Actors convince audiences they are another person.

The illusion created by actors that they are their characters.

Characters persuade each other, creating drama and conflict.

Iago manipulates Othello into believing Desdemona is unfaithful.

Hamlet stages a play to gauge Claudius's guilt.

Characters consider the nature of acting and performance.

Jaques compares life to performance, commenting on existence.

The concept that identities, like gender, are created through repeated actions and behaviors, not fixed at birth.

A philosopher who argues that gender is a performance and not an innate quality.

The notion that gender is expressed through actions and societal expectations, rather than being an inherent trait.

Language, norms, and institutions that shape our understanding of identities, including gender and the body.

Performance implies an actor behind the action, while performativity creates the illusion of a stable identity through repeated actions.

The societal norms that dictate how we view and categorize gender roles and identities.

The act of exaggeratedly expressing gender traits, showcasing that gender is performative rather than a fixed identity.

Characters like Viola and Rosalind show that gender is performed; they are treated as men based on their actions, not biology.

Viola hides her true identity to navigate romance and societal expectations.

Viola's disguise creates moral dilemmas and unintended romantic entanglements.

The norms that dictate how individuals should behave based on gender roles.

The concept that gender is not fixed and can be performed or expressed in various ways.

Complex figures who respond differently to societal pressures regarding gender.

Shakespeare's works often reveal societal norms regarding gender roles.

Lady Macbeth defies traditional female roles by urging Macbeth to commit murder for power.

Beatrice, in Much Ado About Nothing, challenges gender norms through her cleverness and outspokenness.

Women in Shakespeare's plays often navigate limitations imposed by society.

Some female characters actively resist and challenge societal expectations, like Lady Macbeth and Beatrice.

Some female characters conform to traditional roles, highlighting the contrast with rebellious characters.

Shakespeare’s female characters reflect issues of personal desire versus societal expectations.

Shakespeare’s portrayal of women continues to influence modern discussions on gender and power.

Juliet asks why names define identity, illustrating her love for Romeo regardless of his family name.

Saussure's theory that the connection between words and their meanings is not inherent but culturally assigned.

The love of Romeo and Juliet is tied to language, showing names can influence perceptions and relationships.

Romeo and Juliet's desire to escape their named identities ultimately fails due to societal constraints.

The raven symbolizes death and is personified in the text, contributing to the theme of doom.

Hermia challenges her father's authority by refusing to marry Demetrius, choosing Lysander instead.

Cross-dressing characters like Rosalind and Viola challenge and play with traditional gender roles.

A rhetorical device involving the repetition of a phrase for emphasis.

A contrast between two opposing ideas, especially highlighting Lady Macbeth's rejection of femininity.

In disguise as Ganymede, Rosalind teaches Orlando about love while testing his feelings.

Human beings are described as linguistic animals, emphasizing the role of language in identity and freedom.

Lady Macbeth's desire for 'thickening blood' symbolizes a wish to numb her conscience.

Lady Macbeth’s subtle actions, like hand-washing, show control in contrast to male aggression.

Beatrice mocks romantic conventions, preferring her dog over men's declarations of love.

Beatrice’s disdain for love serves as a defense mechanism, masking her ability to love.

The dog represents companionship while the crow symbolizes a negative view of love in Beatrice's speech.