“Defining a Woman”: The Impact Galatea Served for Early Modern Period Women
Disciplines
Fine Arts | Women's Studies
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Throughout history, women have been suppressed into the gender norms of a male dominated society. With all the theatre actors only being men, as well as the attendees being predominantly men, the Early Modern period was no exception. Even Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), a female in power, was faced with overwhelming criticism about her lack of “femininity.” Seeing that she did not have children, the people deemed her less of a woman. Needless to say, John Lyly took inspiration from the society of his time and incorporated these elements into his play Galatea (1588). Lyly’s play centers around two girls, Gallathea and Phyllida, who are sent to the woods by their fathers to save them from being sacrificed to Neptune. In order to hide their true identity, they dress up as boys, and both girls fall for each other throughout their journey together. This paper will be analyzing the main female characters in Galatea, exploring the gender politics between the play and English society in the Early Modern period. It examines specific historical moments of female empowering figures from the time period such as Queen Elizabeth I’s and her cult-like following, in which they called her “Virgin Queen” by her choice of chastity for her country. It also dives into the art/literature from the period such as Peter Ruben’s Diana and Her Nymphs on the Hunt to emphasize the role of goddess Diana’s importance. By considering the play within its cultural environment, the paper highlights the impact Galatea had and currently can have by spreading awareness of social hierarchies and to foster female empowerment overall.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
COTA - Theatre and Performance Studies
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Tom Fish
“Defining a Woman”: The Impact Galatea Served for Early Modern Period Women
Throughout history, women have been suppressed into the gender norms of a male dominated society. With all the theatre actors only being men, as well as the attendees being predominantly men, the Early Modern period was no exception. Even Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), a female in power, was faced with overwhelming criticism about her lack of “femininity.” Seeing that she did not have children, the people deemed her less of a woman. Needless to say, John Lyly took inspiration from the society of his time and incorporated these elements into his play Galatea (1588). Lyly’s play centers around two girls, Gallathea and Phyllida, who are sent to the woods by their fathers to save them from being sacrificed to Neptune. In order to hide their true identity, they dress up as boys, and both girls fall for each other throughout their journey together. This paper will be analyzing the main female characters in Galatea, exploring the gender politics between the play and English society in the Early Modern period. It examines specific historical moments of female empowering figures from the time period such as Queen Elizabeth I’s and her cult-like following, in which they called her “Virgin Queen” by her choice of chastity for her country. It also dives into the art/literature from the period such as Peter Ruben’s Diana and Her Nymphs on the Hunt to emphasize the role of goddess Diana’s importance. By considering the play within its cultural environment, the paper highlights the impact Galatea had and currently can have by spreading awareness of social hierarchies and to foster female empowerment overall.