Literal Imagery
Symbols
A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the/ benefit of sleep, and do the effects of watching.
From a feminist point of view... According to the article Feminist Criticism, from the University of Toronto Library, this school of literary criticism focuses on advocating for equal rights for women in a political, economic, social, psychological, personal, and aesthetic sense. Analyzing this scene from a feminist point of view, there are many instances of gender stereotypes being demonstrated through the portrayal of the characters the Doctor and the Gentlewoman. Before interpreting this scene, it is important to recognize the status of women during Shakespeare's time. According to the article Shakespeare and gender: the 'woman's part', written by Clare McManus, in the Elizabethan era, male actors would perform female roles in plays. The article also explains how in the early 17th century, women were only allowed to work in smaller jobs within the building but were unable to act on commercial stages. In the scene I have selected, the first instance of gender stereotypes is the role of the Doctor. It is not a coincidence that the physician helping the damsel-in-distress character, Lady Macbeth, is a male. This example proves the fact that, outlined in the same article, during Shakespeare's time, women were unable to work in respectable, high-paying job positions. The second instance of gender stereotypes is the role of the Gentlewoman. According to the definition of a gentlewoman, from Merriam-Webster, the gentlewoman is an attendant upon a lady of rank. Although this webpage mentions that a gentlewoman has a high social status, in the context of the play, the Gentlewoman attends to Lady Macbeth in similar ways that a nurse would attend to a patient. This proves that the Gentlewoman carries the attributes of being submissive and emotional which, expressed in the Feminist criticism article, are female stereotypes. From all sources used for this analysis, it is evident that, during Shakespeare's time and society, men were greater than women. Through the literary works of Shakespeare and the portrayal of his characters, it demonstrates the historical component of society and gender roles during his time. Some of the earliest Recognized english actresses in historyAll images are from: The First actresses - National Portrait gallery
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Based on Freud's model of the psyche, Goldilocks can be examined accordingly:
Id: According the to article Id, Ego, and Superego, written by Saul McLeod, id refers to the unconscious part of our minds that respond to immediate instincts. For Goldilocks', her desire to explore the Bears' house may be rooted from her overwhelming curiosity about Baby Bear. Throughout the story, her pleasure principle comes into play since she consistently demands what she immediately wants, impulsive in her decisions, and lacks decent morals, disregarding the consequences of her actions. Ego: Outlined in the same article Id, Ego, and Superego, ego refers to the mediator between the unrealistic id and the external real world. Goldilocks makes the cognisant decision of entering a stranger's house and feeling free to do what she desires within it. Since she is fully away and conscious of her actions, her reality principle is present in the story and within her character. However, she does not realize that her conduct is not socially acceptable. Her deliberate conduct is what demonstrates her ego at play. Superego: Saul McLeod also explains the superego to incorporate values and morals of society. In the mind of Goldilocks', since she does not express any guilt or remorse for her actions afterwards, her behaviour is acceptable to her standards. She fails to realize that not only are her actions ethically wrong, but they are also illegal. |
Archetypes and theme
Situational - The Fall
The archetype of The Fall is seen when Goldilocks is caught sleeping in Baby Bear's bed. This event in the story shows a descent from a higher to lower state of Goldilocks' being because while she freely roams the Bears' house, she does not think beyond her impulsive actions along the way. When she is finally caught, she realizes the Bears have seen what she has done around their house and escapes immediately. |
Character - The Outcast
Despite Goldilocks' narcissistic demeanor, she can also be seen as the archetype of The Outcast. In the beginning of the tale, she is alone picking flowers from a hill. Throughout her exploration of the Bears' house, she continues talking to herself. Once she is caught in the bed, she does not even speak to Little Bear, which she is acquainted with, and she decides to run away instead of confronting the family. From this evidence, it could be possible that Goldilocks does not have any friends or any siblings to converse with, otherwise her social skills would be much more developed.
Despite Goldilocks' narcissistic demeanor, she can also be seen as the archetype of The Outcast. In the beginning of the tale, she is alone picking flowers from a hill. Throughout her exploration of the Bears' house, she continues talking to herself. Once she is caught in the bed, she does not even speak to Little Bear, which she is acquainted with, and she decides to run away instead of confronting the family. From this evidence, it could be possible that Goldilocks does not have any friends or any siblings to converse with, otherwise her social skills would be much more developed.
Symbolic - The Crossroads
In this tale, there are two instances where the archetype of The Crossroads is present: when Goldilocks is knocking at the front door of the Bears' house and when Goldilocks is found sleeping in Baby Bear's bed. In the first instance, Goldilocks has many options as to what she could do when no one opens the front door, such as: go back home, come back at a different time, wait until the Bear family comes back, or explore the house. In the end, she barges through the front door and begins her free tour of the house. In the second instance, Goldilocks also has options as to how to respond to the angry Bear's family, such as: own up to her actions, lie about what happened, or stay quiet and run away. In the end, she decides to run away from the situation.
In this tale, there are two instances where the archetype of The Crossroads is present: when Goldilocks is knocking at the front door of the Bears' house and when Goldilocks is found sleeping in Baby Bear's bed. In the first instance, Goldilocks has many options as to what she could do when no one opens the front door, such as: go back home, come back at a different time, wait until the Bear family comes back, or explore the house. In the end, she barges through the front door and begins her free tour of the house. In the second instance, Goldilocks also has options as to how to respond to the angry Bear's family, such as: own up to her actions, lie about what happened, or stay quiet and run away. In the end, she decides to run away from the situation.
Theme - Every Action has a Resulting Consequence
This is a major theme in Goldilocks and the Three Bears through Goldilocks' behaviour. While she adventures around an unfamiliar household, she eats what she wants, sits where she wants, and sleeps where she wants, all the while critiquing the items in the house to her standards. Ultimately, she is unaware that this misbehaviour is socially and morally unacceptable, and there will consequences because of it. By the end, her consequence is being found guilty by the Bears' family after coming back home. In real life, every action, whether it is positive or negative, will have some sort of impact to the future accordingly. For example, if someone steals a product from a store, there will be resulting legal punishments. If someone donates money to a charity, that person will be rewarded in ways greater than money can afford, such as eternal happiness. This theme can be applied to many aspects of life but proves to be an underlying theme in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
This is a major theme in Goldilocks and the Three Bears through Goldilocks' behaviour. While she adventures around an unfamiliar household, she eats what she wants, sits where she wants, and sleeps where she wants, all the while critiquing the items in the house to her standards. Ultimately, she is unaware that this misbehaviour is socially and morally unacceptable, and there will consequences because of it. By the end, her consequence is being found guilty by the Bears' family after coming back home. In real life, every action, whether it is positive or negative, will have some sort of impact to the future accordingly. For example, if someone steals a product from a store, there will be resulting legal punishments. If someone donates money to a charity, that person will be rewarded in ways greater than money can afford, such as eternal happiness. This theme can be applied to many aspects of life but proves to be an underlying theme in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Works Cited
Introduction to Modern Literary Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 July 2017.
McLeod, Saul. "Saul McLeod." Id Ego Superego | Simply Psychology. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 13 July 2017.
McLeod, Saul. "Saul McLeod." Id Ego Superego | Simply Psychology. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 13 July 2017.