"Shakespeare in love shows that in Elizabethan England women had little control over their own destinies.".
Do you agree?.
In Elizabethan England, the women portrayed in the film Shakespeare in love were shown to have virtually no control over what happens to them, especially with major decisions made to effect the rest of their lives. The difference in gender roles is astounding and the complete influence of men over women is dramatic, they are the ones who make all the decisions on behalf of their women while the women have basically no say in where their lives will lead.
The lives of the women in Shakespeare in love seemed to be more or less completely controlled by the influence of the males around them. In many instances we see that life altering decisions about the future of a women are made freely by the men with no consultation of the women to whom the effects of this decision will be the making of the rest of their lives. .
In the case of Viola, one of the higher-class woman portrayed in the film, we note that she is but a pawn in her fathers, he sells her to the aristocratic.
Lord Wessex to obtain a noble title for his family without consultation or even a mention to Viola about her prospective husband. We see her naivete when lord Wessex speaks to her at the dance "I have spoken to your father" referring to the fact he had just clinched the deal that viola is now set to wed Her infatuation with Will and the current state of her emotions, which are overriding any sense of logic as they are consumed fully, unfortunately leads Viola to ignore any signs given which may have alerted her to what events were to come.
Viola is seen as a women of high society and yet the males around her orchestrate her life, but what can we say about those of lower class? The nurse of Viola is a mere servant, there to cater to her needs so as to earn enough money to feed herself and stay alive.