Write a short note on the essay “Shakespeare’s Sister.”

Answer

Write a short note on the essay “Shakespeare’s Sister.” [2021] 

Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) is a great novelist, critic, and feminist thinker. She wrote “Shakespeare’s Sister” (1929) to explore the position of women in the Elizabethan period (1558-1603). The essay examines why women were unable to become great writers like men. By blending fact and imagination, Woolf illustrates how women were denied education, liberty, and creative freedom. The essay emerges as a powerful feminist voice for women’s rights and artistic freedom.

Historical Background of Women’s Sufferings: Woolf begins by describing the real conditions of women in sixteenth-century England. They were not allowed to choose their life partners or live freely. She quotes from Trevelyan’s History of England. It is as follows. 

“Marriage was not an affair of personal affection, but of family avarice.” 

Girls who refused arranged marriages were beaten and locked up. This historical reference helps Woolf prove that women were treated as property and denied individuality.

Women in Literature and in Real Life: Woolf notices a clear difference between women’s position in books and in life. In literature, they were painted as strong, noble, and inspiring figures. But in reality, they were powerless and uneducated. She writes, 

“A very queer, composite being thus emerges; imaginatively she is of the highest importance; practically she is completely insignificant.” 

This striking contrast reveals the hypocrisy of men. They glorified women in imagination but enslaved them in daily life. 

Lack of Historical Facts About Women: Woolf searches history for real women’s stories but finds almost nothing. Only queens and noble ladies appear in history, while ordinary women are forgotten. This absence shows how men controlled historical writing. Their silence about women’s lives proves that history itself is a male record, excluding half of humanity. Woolf’s observation reveals her early feminist criticism of biased historiography.

The Imaginary Story of Judith Shakespeare: To fill the gap in history, Woolf imagines Shakespeare’s sister, Judith, who has the same talent as