Women have for a long time been segregated and viewed as inferior to men, and this has affected their participation in literary works. This fact is evident in bookshelves where there are more male authors compared to their female counterparts. However, this disparity is not because ladies are less intelligent but the existing culture has made it difficult for them to succeed in the writing field. Consequently, in her article, What if Shakespeare Had Had a Sister, Virginia Woolf imagines the possibility of a female Shakespeare and the things that would have become of her. Virginia’s contrasting analysis between the women in fiction and those of fact portrays the reality among female writers.
Virginia creates a fictitious female version of Shakespeare in an attempt to show that being a lady writer is not the problem. She mentions a bishop’s sentiment that no woman is capable of being a genius to Shakespeare’s level. However, the irony is that Shakespeare’s sister, Judith who has equal talent, cannot enjoy all the privileges like going to grammar school as her brother (Woolfe). She is discouraged by her parents from pursuing her dreams and forced into marriage at a young age. The writer believes that a female Shakespeare would not succeed because she is not given a chance and is frustrated.
On the other hand, Virginia’s narration of a woman of fact agrees with the idea that no lady could match Shakespeare’s genius-level in the Elizabethan era. Even though there were creative female minds during that time, being born in an uneducated, laboring, and servile environment would make it difficult for such a genius to emerge. The environment was so harsh to the ladies that none of them had the time or confidence to develop and showcase their ideas. Despite the differences between the fictitious and factual explanation of the female writer’s experiences in comparison to Shakespeare, the two have the same underlying issue. Women are perceived as lesser humans compared to men and this creates a major hindrance to their excellence.
Works Cited
Woolfe, Virginia. “If Shakespeare Had A Sister From A Room Of One’s Own (1929)“. D.Umn.Edu. Web.