Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Act 2 response

Act 2, scene 2:
     Clarence's son questions if his father is dead, and his grandmother, the Duchess of York, says he is, but not by the king's hand.  I think it is interesting that she knows her son Richard is a liar. After this, news breaks that King Edward IV has died, and the women and children argue over who has the most grief.  This part made me wonder if Shakespeare was trying to say that women are as weak as children, especially when faced with an emotional issue.  Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and Clarence's son and daughter all seem to act immature, arguing over something so subjective as grief over loved ones.  When the men learn of the Kings death, they instantly go to work, preparing to fetch the Prince so he can be crowned the new King.  Shakespeare shows the men's maturity near the end of the scene when they decide it would be better to not fight so soon after the King's death.   There definitely seems to be an undertone that says women are as weak as children, while men are mature and are capable of caring for themselves.

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