The Early Modern Period: Menstruation in Shakespearean Drama

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Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Cotrufello, Emily
Area of Honors:
English
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Claire Mary Louise Bourne, Thesis Supervisor
Matt Tierney, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
menstruation
shakespeare
twelfth night
the winter's tale
romeo and juliet
hamlet
menstrual cycle
early modern drama
Abstract:
In the history of humankind, nothing has been as widely experienced, while also being so universally stigmatized, as menstruation. Menstruation remains a taboo topic even in the most socially equitable countries, and is often ignored or even silenced by heteropatriarchal societal norms. The research and analysis in this honors thesis will focus on early modern English dramatic characters who menstruate, particularly those in William Shakespeare’s works: Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, Ophelia from Hamlet, Hermione from The Winter’s Tale, and Olivia from Twelfth Night. Despite their status as menstruators being critical to their respective arcs and their treatment from others in their worlds, these four characters are rarely, if ever, analyzed as menstruators in the early modern menstrual space or in anthologies of Shakespeare, despite having definitively menstrual moments. The thesis will be divided into four main sections: Introduction (which will include historical context surrounding menstruation in the early modern period), Menarche with Juliet and Ophelia, Menstrual Cycle with Olivia, and Menopause with Hermione.