Date of Award

8-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School/Department

Department of English

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Ineke Murakami

Keywords

Adaptation, Film, Postfeminism, Romantic Comedy, Shakespeare

Subject Categories

English Language and Literature

Abstract

In the era of the filmic romantic comedy, film adaptations of William Shakespeare’s comedies provide a unique avenue to explore the precedence Shakespeare has set for social challenge. Not only do these films attempt to integrate Shakespeare’s gendered themes into the current culture, but the filmmakers craft narratives based on elements they see as worthy of preserving. Utilizing postfeminist theory, I explore how these films discuss and challenge predominant notions of gender and sexuality and the role of romance in the lives of women. In looking at film adaptations of Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew, I find that while issues of gender and sexuality are retained from Shakespeare’s plays, they are nevertheless constrained by the market imperatives and dominant ideologies that dissuade challenge to these structures. These restrictions demonstrate both the female complacency that the filmic romantic comedy facilitates and the need for comedy that challenges hegemonic perceptions of gender and sexuality as Shakespeare’s plays did in their time.

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