Gender Roles
By Shayne McGrath
Boys in Theatre
- men/boys portrayed all parts including women's roles
- young boys (before they would hit puberty) would play women due to their high voices
- boys would need small waists to play women to fit all the costumes
- boys had to be trained for certain roles (such as Cleopatra & Rosalind) by an older actors
- when their skills were up they would play women disguised as men
- even romance plays would be slightly humorous due to men playing women
Women in Shakespearean Times
- girls were only educated if they came from a nobel family
- it was illegal for women to participate in plays
- wealthy families would often "sell" their daughter to a man for the purpose of family
- married women were expected to be obedient to their husbands