Daughters of the Renaissance: Cross-dressing Damsels in Shakespeare’s Works

Abstract

This paper delves into the subtle meanings and underlying motives of female disguise during the male-dominated Renaissance
period in the works of William Shakespeare. This analysis will examine some astonishing cross-dressing female characters in Shakespeare’s
plays, revealing the motivations behind using this dramatic technique and its potential impact on the societal norms of the time. Additionally,
the paper notes that under the reign of Elizabeth I, women’s political and educational rights slightly diverged from the earlier highly patriarchal society, influencing Shakespeare’s value orientation in portraying female characters. This analysis will focus on three of Shakespeare’s
representative works: “The Merchant of Venice, “ “Twelfth Night, “ and “As You Like It. “ By examining the female protagonists who disguise themselves as men in these works, the paper argues why Shakespeare’s cross-dressed heroines are acclaimed by modern scholars as the
daughters of the Renaissance.