Paradoxical Privatization; An Exploration of the Impact of Privacy on the Personhood of Shakespeare's Tragic Heroines
Harris, Isabella
Harris, Isabella
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2025-05-19
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Abstract
This thesis examines the inconsistencies in Renaissance women's access to privacy. Renaissance women are continually relegated to the private sphere, but within the private sphere, are denied actual privacy. From this paradox, a theoretical lens of paradoxical privatization emerges and can be utilized to understand the choices, or lack thereof, of Renaissance women. In this thesis, paradoxical privatization is applied in analysis of Juliet, Desdemona, and Ophelia, three fictional women of Shakespeare. Each character is explored in regards to a different realm: Juliet with space, Desdemona with possessions, and Ophelia with words. Ultimately, through paradoxical privatization, these women are not only denied agency, but are seen as possessions by male counterparts. Thus, this thesis utilizes a theoretical lens, paradoxical privatization, to understand the tangible realities of Renaissance women, both fictional and real.