There are many wonderful roles for women to be found in Shakespeare’s plays. How would one find the part that most suits one, especially as a feminist. This poem lists some characters and their most notable characteristics to finally come to a decision.
A FEMINIST PLAYS SHAKESPEARE
By Michele Lourie
To play a Shakespearean heroine
I believe would be so much fun,
They’re all so dynamic and special,
But which should I choose? Which one?
I mean, Lady Macbeth’s downright scary,
Her vaunting ambition knows no bounds.
When she cries out, “Out, out damn’d spot”
The blood in my head simply pounds.
Juliet’s an interesting study
As a lady who knows what she wants.
But her end becomes twisted and murky
And she suffers such terrible taunts.
Viola and Rosalind show true strength,
Cross-dressing to achieve each girl’s goal,
But thinking of wearing my brother’s clothes
I hesitate to take such a role.
Helena’s dreamy, and quite flighty,
A Midsummer Night finds her sad.
Friend Hermia’s tougher and smarter,
Still their boyfriends near drive them both mad.
The one part I definitely won’t play
Is Ophelia, Hamlet’s lost love.
She dillies and dallies and whinges.
I feel she just needs a good shove.
I’ve decided it’s Portia I like best
She shows that she’s clever and wise,
And, unlike a lot of the others,
Portia puts it all over the guys!
