ANDROGYNY IN SHAKESPEARE and its influence on modern entertainment.
In The Tempest, Ariel is more or less an androgynous character. It is an avoided topic, actually; Ariel is mostly referred to as “the spirit.” Perhaps Shakespeare made Ariel so in order to heighten our sense of the supernatural - thinking beyond the boundaries of male and female. In this way, The Tempest helped pioneer the concept of androgyny in characters, which has lived on in theater, film, fashion, art, etc.
The first image is of an androgynous Ariel in a performance of The Tempest.
The second is of Cate Blanchett playing Bob Dylan in the film “I’m Not There” (2007). She is absolutely fantastic in this role!!!!!
The third is of actress Tilda Swinton, a popular image of androgyny in the media.
_Mikhaila
