Sexuality in Shakespeare’s Sonnets: How Misogyny has Affected the Portrayal of Female Sexuality and Autonomy

Presenter(s)

Cloee Cambra

Abstract or Description

Despite being heralded as revolutionary, Shakespeare's sonnets exhibit a deeply misogynistic view of women. The 154 poems, but especially sonnets 129, 144, 145, and 147, demonize female sexuality and desire, condemning women who actively choose to engage in sex. The double standard within these works of literature is not only hypocritical, but it is also detrimental to the status of women as autonomous individuals, rendering them subject to the perception of those deemed superior by society. Shakespeare’s promiscuous “dark lady”—the Sonnets’ female character named by scholars for her suboptimal portrayal—is the prime example of a woman fallen victim to this double standard; while the Sonnets’ male lead, the “fair lad”, wishes to control and reap the benefits of the dark lady’s sexual desire, he condemns her for her lust. This condemnation is destructive to the character of the dark lady, but it goes further in serving to perpetuate the cultural and societal narrative that the sexual desires widely embraced as natural in men should be considered sinful in women.

This narrative remains prevalent even in today’s comparatively progressive society. Despite modern knowledge of anatomical and biological influences, women are still characterized as “promiscuous” for engaging in sex, while men are praised for the very same actions. As examined throughout Milena Popova’s Sexual Consent, the perceptions and judgements surrounding sexual consent—and moreover, female desire to have sex—have shifted as society has evolved. Though this societal evolution has been largely progressive for women, there still exists a stigma surrounding female lust. This lasting stigma, as will be further explored within the following presentation, can be traced back to the notions reinforced by the likes of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

Mentor

Michele Meek