Feminist Writers in relation to Shakespeare over the Elizabethan era

Part of Group:

This is a part of my final presentation project where I will discuss the prevalence of female writers during the majority of Shakespeare's writing career.  

Timeline

Chronological table

Displaying 1 - 15 of 15
Date Event Created by Associated Places
1545

Anne Askew publishes her Examinations: A Societal Critique

Anne Askew, a personal friend of Katherine Parr, was ultimately a victim of her society. Brought into an arranged, loveless marriage by the patriarchal customs of the time, she spent the majority of her life seeking a divorce. Her life was also intertwined with religious discrimination as her husband, a Catholic, routinely used and abused her, throwing her out when they had children. This ironically enough gave her the freedom to write her examinations, a pair of two books that addressed the patriarchal biases and moral failings of the church through chronicling her unique experience as an educated protestant woman in a male catholic society.

Jacob karan
1546

The Trial and Execution of Anne Askew

Despite escaping the law on numerous occasions, Anne was eventually tried and executed on the grounds of heresy for publishing her examinations. During her trial, she was tortured for 12 days straight in an attempt to indict the widowed Queen and friend of Anne, Katerine Parr.

She refused to indict her friend and the result was that she was burned alive at the stake, having to be carted over, since she could no longer walk. She was mercifully given gunpowder to end her execution quickly by sympathizers. 

Jacob karan
1547

Parr's Lamentation of a sinner is published: First book officially published by a woman

Katerine Par, the sixth wife of King Henry VII, wrote lamentation of a sinner in 1547. Her text covered the themes of repentance and confession but also went into the state of religious politics at the time. 

The most interesting part of her book, however, was that she published it under her own name, granting royal authority to her work. It also in this repect, due to the use of first-person and first handed accounts, acts as an autobiography of sorts for the queen. 

Jacob karan
1567

Isabella Whitney: The start of a Feminist publisher's career

Isabella Whitney was able to get her series of poems such as, "The Copy of a letter, lately written in meeter, by a yonge Gentilwoman: to her constant,  and to all other Mayds in general to beware of mennes flattery" Louer through her uncle's connections to the world of printing. would attack the role of women in society and tried to push the role beyond women as docile servants of the house or as lovers.  She would continue publishing poems until her believed death in 1600. 

Jacob karan
1589

Jane Anger: A Mysterious Societal Critic

Jane anger is a hotly debated topic as a feminist writer, not because of their attitudes towards feminism in the modern day but due to their general obscurity, it is not known if Jane Anger is an alias or the author's actual name.

Despite this opacity of identity, Jane Anger's 1589 essay, Protection for Women, is a multipart essay that combines both scholarly research and comical wit, addressing the faults and failings of patriarchal attitudes, especially in the case of courtship, and champions female sexual autonomy. 

Jacob karan
1594

Shakespeare releases Taming of The Shrew

At this date, Shakespeare wrote The Taming of The Shrew, an expose on the male culture of rhetoric and pickup artistry. This play also explored the merits of female power and education as well as the equivalency of the genders.

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1598

Shakespeare releases Much Ado About Nothing

On 1598, Shakespeare released Much Ado About Nothing, a play that addressed toxic gender relationships and compared it to the benefit of having equal representation in a relationship. The play also served to address misconceptions towards The Taming of the Shrew, using the concept of rhetoric to play an equal and symbiotic relationship.  

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1599

Lady Margaret Hoby: An Insight

Lady Margaret Hoby's diary was written during 1599, this diary was a great insight into not only the religious live of women but also their experiences managing events in the home. 

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1606

Shakespeare releases Macbeth

Macbeth, released in 1606, covers the concepts of toxic gender roles in a patriarchal society and how, when taken to their limits, can cause rippling effects that negatively affect the world around oneself. 

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1609

Mary Ward: An Educational pioneer

In 1609 Mary Ward and her monastic order, The Institute of the Virgin Mary, also known as the Sisters of Loreto., founded the first public school exclusively for young girls, granting a baseline of education for women. Ward also wrote an Autobiography chronicling her life and experiences as she founded the Sisters of Loreto. 

Jacob karan
1610

Shakespeare releases The Tempest

On 1610, Shakespeare released The Tempest, a play that not only questioned gender roles but also assessed the role colonization played in the British system of commerce and trade.  

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1613

Elizabeth Cary: The first woman playwright

Elizaebth Cary, being a Viscountess, had many achievements amongst the field of Feminist scholars. Chief of which was the 1613 play Tragedy of Miram the first published play by a woman that covered themes of political intrigue and violence towards women.

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1616

Dorothy Leigh: Deathbed Litterateur

Dorothy Leigh was struck with an unfortunate illness while she was raising her children. Not wanting to leave them without her tutelage and a moral education, she wrote The Mother's Blessing, so she could educate her children.  

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1616

Shakespeare dies, last will and testament is released to family.

On this date, Shakesphere died, his legacy still continues to this day. 

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1627

Elizabeth Cary: A Staggered Historical Career.

 Elizabeth Cary created many different works throughout her life one of the most important being the first woman to write a political history essay on King Edward II in 1627, known as the History of the Life, Reign, and Death of Edward II, a historical essay that put a great deal of focus on the late king's wife.  This essay never got the attention that it deserved due to it being published in 1680, 41 years after her death.

Jacob karan