Death becomes her : representations of female death and dying in three of Shakespeare's tragedies

Abstract

Representations of female death and dying in Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Antony and Cleopatra allow an exploration of Jacques Lacan's concepts of the male gaze and objet petit a within a historical and literary context. In addition, Judith Butler's theories on language and desire draw attention to the reciprocal relationship between gaze and language and their connection to desire in death. Examination of mothers' legacies, ballads, and historical documents demonstrate what was required for a woman's death to be constructed as "good," and reveal how Shakespeare challenges societal expectations with his depiction of female death. Juliet, Desdemona, and Cleopatra are all subject to the Lacanian male gaze and attempt to exert control over that gaze. Further, all three challenge what is required for a woman to die well. Despite this, they become external embodiments of desire, of someone's intrinsic lack or objet petit a, particularly at the moment of death.