Women in power are often characterized in one of a few ways to diminish their power (All of which are experienced by powerful female characters in King Lear). Here are a few of many examples from the play along with modern examples…

1. Women in power are portrayed as scary, wild, and animal-like.

Lear, when upset with Regan and Goneril for denying him all his guards, called them “unnatural hags” (II.iiii.275). This depiction of them portrays them as not fully women for acting in a forceful manner. It describes powerful and demanding stances as a masculine role that is only “natural” for men. When women show power, they are crazy and “unnatural.”

Similar to the treatment of Regan and Goneril, Michele Obama was on the cover of a magazine with the headline, “What’s So Scary About Michelle Obama.”

2. Women in power are portrayed as mentally ill.

Goneril, after criticizing Albany and his ability to handle control, is accused of being, “most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded” (IIII.ii.53-54). The play sees no plausible reason for women to be acting with power so the default reaction is to accuse them of insanity.

Nancy Pelosi was made out to be mentally unstable in memes explaining her plans to impeach Trump.

3. Women in power are minimized to their femininity.

Cordelia, before returning to see her father, is described in great detail. In act 4, scene 3 words such as “delicate” are used to make her seem innocent and weak. She is described as a queen and portrayed as angelic. Power is most commonly associated with the opposite of these characteristics and masculinity. Therefore extensively pointing out the femininity in a woman is used by men to negate their power.

Currently, this is used all the time when describing women in power. Before all else, they will be described as a mother, a daughter, or a wife.

Thousands of articles, blog posts, and journals have been written on the subject of how Shakespeare wrote his female characters, and for good reason. Arguably, his presentation of female characters correlates to his feelings about women, but inarguably, they correlate to what a woman’s place in society looked like during Shakespearan times. Looking at the roles Shakespeare gave women can act as evidence of the way women had far less freedom and agency during the Elizabethan era.

Less spoken about is the way Shakespeare’s male characters also reflect the gender roles of the time. Shakespeare’s men have at least double the lines, character depth, and stage time as his women but especially in King Lear- the male characters give an interesting point of view of what made a man in Shakespeare’s time and unveil the ways toxic masculinity has not developed much since the early 1600s when Shakespeare wrote King Lear.

For example, in Gonereil’s argument with her husband she effectively attacks his “manliness” by ridiculing his actions and traits she deems womanly. She tells Albany, “France spreads his banners… whilst thou, a moral fool, sits still and cries ‘Alack why does he do so?'” This quote is indicative of Shakespearean gender roles on two fronts. On one hand, her belittlement of Alabany for not rushing to the battlefront reflects how then and now “bravery” (often disguised stupidity) is deemed imperitive for a man to be “manly”. However, at the same time, Gonereil is reacting to Albany’s evaluation of her power-hungery “disposition” as an affront to nature. This contrast displays the fraught tensions between the genders which remains to this day.