Deformity and Feminization

This past Friday, we in Literature and Philosophy discussed how deformity and monstrosity play a part in Richard III. We approached this discussion through the lens of several other works we’ve read over the past week, including pieces such as WEB Dubois’ “The Souls of Black Folks” and Linda Charnes’ “On Reading the Monstrous Body in Richard III,” as well as the general ideology of Aristotle.

                We first considered the fact that, during the time of Shakespeare and Richard III, deformity was thought to be very feminine. In fact, women were the epitome of deformity, as the ideal person was not just white, not just free, but also, and primarily, a man. Furthermore, women’s deformed bodies reflected their inherently deformed souls. According to Aristotle, women were, by their very nature, unable to reach the higher Truth and reason that was so valued.

Because women represented the epitome of deformity, we considered the idea that any other deformed person was thereby associated with femininity, feminized by their deformity. We took this idea from something that we commonly see in our society: when someone appears to be weak or acting ‘cowardly,’ we tend to taunt him for acting “girly” or “like a girl.”

And we found that this idea carries over to Richard III as well. We see Richard’s deformity and weakness prominently in the play through his mangled hand. Due to his hand, Richard cannot do many things that men are traditionally meant to do in his society. It is likely that he cannot fight adequately and, as Richard admits, he cannot prove a lover either. Because of this weakness, Richard is, in a sense, feminized. He is simply not as masculine as his brothers and the other members of the court. And from the perspective of his opening monologue, when he says that because he cannot prove a lover he will prove a villain, this deficit and feminization of Richard may very well have been the driving force behind his descent into villainy.

To read more on deformity, see "Deformity as Clarification" and "Deformity and Social Pressures"

By: Jessica C., Hockaday School