William Shakespeare is and has always been one of the most read authors of all times. His stories, books, plays and even poems have been discussed and analysed several times and still play an important role in our society as new interpretations and adaptions surface on a daily basis. Pupils still have to read his plays in school and more and more movie and theatre productions seem to find their way into the world of Broadway and Hollywood. However, with today's impact of multimedia technology on society and applied arts a great amount of people forget to look deeper into the real meaning and the controversial issues that Shakespeare dealt with and tried to portray in his written work. Therefore, there has been the development of gender studies and queer theory that tries to have a closer look at Shakespeare and his use of sexual intentions: "So much sex is readily apparent in Shakespeare [...] [and] every play is shot with sexual puns." (Wells 1)
One of Shakespeare's best known and most dealt with publications, in regard to gender studies, is his poem Venus and Adonis from 1593, which marks his first published work ever and incorporates two of the best known figures of Greek mythology that were first dealt with in Ovid's Metamorphoses (cf. Shakespeare 125). However, when it comes to their character traits and their course of action, one can notice that both of them adopt attributes from the opposite sex leading to a confusion in terms of gender roles. Both Venus and Adonis slip into the opposite sex when it comes to their physical appearance as well as to their actions and both of them make it quite clear that the poem does not deal with a story of real love, but with unrequited lust instead. In order to show this, this term paper in hand tries to analyse the main protagonists of the poem Venus and Adonis by focusing on their physical appearance as well as on their behaviour towards one another. Furthermore, the slight differences between the original myth itself by Ovid and Shakespeare's altered version will be taken into account in order to show the meaning and to highlight the functions of Shakespeare's version. Finally, this term paper will focus on two highly important symbols which would be the boar and ultimately Adonis' metamorphosis since both have an important meaning in regard to the portrayal of Venus, the Goddess of Love and her object of desire, Adonis.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Venus
2.1 Venus' Physical Appearance
2.2 Venus' Aspirations
3. Adonis
3.1 Adonis' Physical Appearance
3.2 Adonis' Refusal
4. The Boar and Adonis' Metamorphosis
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This term paper examines the shifting gender roles and the subversion of traditional archetypes in William Shakespeare's poem Venus and Adonis, arguing that the work depicts a scenario of unrequited lust rather than romantic love through the protagonists' adoption of opposite-sex attributes.
- Analysis of gender role reversals between Venus and Adonis.
- Examination of the protagonists' physical appearance and behavioral traits.
- Comparison of Shakespeare’s version with the original Ovidian myth.
- Interpretation of the symbolic significance of the boar and Adonis' metamorphosis.
Excerpt from the Book
Venus' Physical Appearance
''She's love, she loves, and yet she is not lov'd.'' (qtd. in Shakespeare 125). This quotation describes best the given situation in Shakespeare's version of the often recited mythological story. Being the Goddess of Love it is self-evident that Venus' beauty and loveliness is also portrayed within Shakespeare's poem, however, she receives some male attributes that make her seem more masculine than Adonis and make her appearance seem like the one of a man. Nonetheless, it is inevitable to mention that Venus' magnificence also gets transferred to the reader:
Were I hard-favoured, foul, or wrinkled-old,
Ill-nurtured, crooked, churlish, harsh in voice,
O' er worn, despisèd, rheumatic, and cold,
Thick-sighted, barren, lean, and lacking juice,
Then mightst thou pause, for then I were not for thee.
But having no defects, why dost abhor me? (Shakespeare 133-138)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the relevance of Shakespearean studies within gender theory and outlines the paper's aim to analyze the sexual role-reversal in Venus and Adonis.
2. Venus: Examines the Goddess of Love's physical and behavioral portrayal as a dominant, masculine hunter driven by unrequited lust.
3. Adonis: Analyzes the depiction of Adonis as a passive, effeminate figure who rejects Venus to maintain his detachment and isolation.
4. The Boar and Adonis' Metamorphosis: Investigates how the symbolic boar and the final metamorphosis highlight the destructive nature of Venus' pursuit and Adonis' ultimate loss of identity.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes how the shift in gender roles creates a unique mythological interpretation where neither protagonist attains satisfaction.
Keywords
William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis, gender studies, queer theory, Ovid, Metamorphoses, sexual role-reversal, unrequited lust, Adonis, Goddess of Love, Narcissus, literary criticism, metamorphosis, symbolism, masculinity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the subversion of gender roles in William Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis, specifically analyzing how the two protagonists adopt traits typically associated with the opposite sex.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The primary themes include gender identity, the distinction between love and lust, power dynamics in relationships, and the transformation of mythological archetypes.
What is the central research question?
The research seeks to demonstrate how Shakespeare depicts a narrative of unrequited lust rather than love by emphasizing the protagonists' deviation from traditional gender roles.
Which methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a literary analysis approach, comparing Shakespeare's text with Ovid's original myth and applying perspectives from gender studies and queer theory.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body analyzes the physical appearance and behavior of Venus as a hunter, the effeminate portrayal and subsequent refusal by Adonis, and the symbolic importance of the boar and the final metamorphosis.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis, gender studies, sexual role-reversal, metamorphosis, and mythological analysis.
How does Shakespeare's Venus differ from traditional representations?
Shakespeare portrays Venus not merely as a goddess of love, but as a dominant, masculine force that uses violence and logic to pursue her desires, effectively becoming the "hunter" in the poem.
Why is Adonis compared to the figure of Narcissus?
Adonis is compared to Narcissus because his refusal of Venus and his focus on self-preservation suggest an inability to love anyone other than himself, mirroring the mythological fate of the youth who fell in love with his own reflection.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Daniel Laux (Autor:in), 2011, Myth and Mythology in English Literature. Shakespeare's Gender Representation and Role-Reversal in "Venus and Adonis", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/231755
