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CURRENT EVENT | May 7, 2015

Women in Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known playwrights in history. His stories of love, tragedy, comedy and history written in the late 1500s have transcended the centuries thanks to their timeless themes and complex characters. Author Tina Packer has tracked the development of Shakespeare’s female characters through his writing career and suggests that from “Romeo and Juliet” on, Shakespeare wrote unusually complex women for his time and should be considered a proto-feminist. Listen to learn more about the development of these female characters over his career.

Story Length: 5:18

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SOURCE:

National Public Radio © 2015 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.

04/12/2015


Listening Comprehension Questions

  • How did Shakespeare present his female characters in his early works?
  • Why does the author being interviewed think these characters were so stereotypical?
  • What was the climate like for women when Shakespeare was writing?
  • Why was the character of Juliet a huge change of direction in the way Shakespeare wrote about women?
  • Describe Shakespeare’s approach to writing about human beings and women.

Classroom Discussion Themes

  • Do you agree that Shakespeare was a progressive feminist for his time? Why or why not?
  • What character traits do you think strong female characters have?