Women in Shakespeare's works

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Women in Shakespeare is a topic within the especially general discussion of Shakespeare's dramatic and poetic works. 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. A considerable number of book-length studies and academic articles investigate the topic, and several moons of Uranus are named after women in Shakespeare.

In Shakespeare's tragedies and his plays in general, there are several types of female characters. They influence other characters, but are also often underestimated. Women in Shakespearean plays have always had important roles, sometimes the leading role. Whether they are there to change the story or stabilize it, they are there for a reason. Some women are stronger than others, and their effect on the play is different for each one. They often surpass the male heroes.^[1]

In Shakespeare's day it was illegal for women to appear on the stage in public performances, and he expected all his female theatrical roles to be performed by boys or men. Some Elizabethan male actors specialized in female roles.