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The Sister of Shakespeare


In “Shakespeare’s Sister,” Virginia Woolf talks about a hypothetical life of William Shakespeare’s sister.  Shakespeare did, in fact have a sister, but she died very young.  According to Woolf, a woman who lived during Shakespeare’s times would not have been able to write plays or anything else for that matter.  There are several reason for this. Many girls and women were betrothed and married off at very young ages, many times against their wills.  Males had authority to beat their daughters and wives.  In fact, it was customary and not looked down upon.  Women were usually not sent to school, nor taught to read or write.  Women were not considered more than property of their father and later their spouse.  Women were also not typically accepted in work outside the home.

Today, women deal with some of the same stereotypes now.  Though not as bad as in the past, women are still seen as primary caregivers of children and the domestic sphere.  Also, women are at a higher risk of being a victim of domestic violence by their romantic partners (Woolf).

Works Cited
Woolf, Virginia. "Shakespeare's Sister." Women In Culture An Intersectional Anthology for Gender and Women's Studies, Second ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2017, pp. 169-74.


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