William Shakespeare is an author best known for his tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Julius Caesar: rooms in which the heroes lose. However, Shakespeare also wrote comedies, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, and As You Like It: plays in which the heroes win. Both types of plays contain strong characters. A character is considered "strong" if they have a distinct personality, motivation, and conflict. Shakespeare was not known for writing what was common in that era, instead creating cross-dressing characters, female lead characters, and overall gender fluidity in his plays. However, he retains one particularity: some of his strongest characters are male, even if they are not, notably in A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It. The contrast between Bottom's proud masculinity and Rosalind's disguised masculinity not only expresses the idea that a strong male character does not necessarily have to be a masculine character, but it also helps the reader better understand both characters.Say No to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayMasculinity can be defined, for Shakespeare's purposes, as power. Masculinity is also pride, independence, strength (physical and emotional) and the ability to make a decision for oneself. They also have the ability to manage internal and external conflicts. Bottom and Rosalind demonstrate these characteristics in their own way. Bottom's main masculine characteristic is his pride. He focuses all his attention on his acting abilities, and the most likely cause of this is that he doesn't seem to have many other talents. However, he is quite confident in his acting abilities: "Let me play the lion too." I will roar, that it will do any man's heart good to hear me. I will roar, that I will make the duke say: “Let him roar again; let it roar again” (I.II.66-69). Bottom believes himself capable of playing several roles at once and is very good at playing all of these roles. Some of his conflicts include, of course, his donkey face, but once he starts getting the attention of the Fairy Queen for that, he becomes comfortable and arrogant around Titania's fairies. He makes decisions on his own when he can, and when he can't, he changes the situation to the best of his ability to make it seem like he's in control. Rosalind, on the other hand, is just a man in disguise. . She is a female, but she has a male counterpart: Ganymede. She is independent, and this is unique to her as a woman, as when Duke Frederick exiled her. However, once she starts dressing and acting like Ganymede, these problems seem to disappear for the most part, only added to by the fact that she claims it's easy for her to look like a man: If this Was it not better, because I am more than tall, that I fit myself in every way like a man? A valiant curtal ax on my thigh, A wild boar's spear in my hand and in my heart, There remains what hides a woman's fear. (I.III.111-116) Rosalind claims that she looks like a man, which will make it easier for her to pass as a man. However, it's not just this physical disguise that helps him become a believable man. Rather, it is his courage, his independence and his frankness that truly make the disguise. In those days, a woman could dress like a man or a man could dress like a woman as much as he wanted, but unless the personalitiescorrespond to what was considered “feminine/masculine”, one would not believe it. This is ironic because in Shakespeare's time, all roles were played by men, so the character of Rosalind was played by a man acting like a woman who acted like a man, with a masculine personality at all times. Her own gender identity is one of Rosalind's many inner conflicts, including whether or not she is in love with Orlando. Then, to prove her strength, she faced her gender conflict so that she could overcome her external conflict of exile and be free. Disguise was a major theme in both of these plays. Disguises can hide a person's feelings, identity, and ambitions. When Bottom was in disguise, it was not by his choice. Instead, he was transfigured by Puck to trick Queen Titania:Bottom: Why are they running away? It's a scam on their part to scare me. Muzzle: O Fond, you are changed! What do I see about you? Below: What do you see? You see your own asshole, don't you? (III.I.107-112)By being transfigured, Bottom is no longer an actor or an independent man: he has become someone who is nothing more than an interest in Titania's affections. As a result, he seems to have lost some of his masculinity. Titania makes decisions for him about where he will go and when he will speak, while decision-making and power over a situation is one of Bottom's favorite characteristics. By donning this forced disguise, Bottom's personality is hidden. Rosalind, for her part, has chosen her disguise. She did this to take control of her life, to be free to make her own decisions when it seems like this opportunity will be taken away from her. Through this disguise, Rosalind discusses Orlando's love for her, without him realizing that he is playing the role of Orlando-Rosalind with Rosalind herself: Rosalind: I will cure you, if you called Rosalind and came to my house every day and courted me. .Orlando: Now, by the faith of my love, I will. Tell me where he is. Rosalind: Go with me and I will show you; and along the way you will tell me where the forest is where you live. Do you want to go?Orlando: With all my heart, good youth.Rosalind: No, you must call me Rosalind. Come, sister, do you want to go? (III.II.408-417) Here, Rosalind takes advantage of being Rosalind disguised as Ganymede and puts herself in a position of power over Orlando. As a woman, Rosalind had no say: her father was usurped and exiled, she was told what to do, and then she was exiled. However, as a man, Rosalind is independent, free, and capable of helping others make decisions rather than others making decisions for her. In other words, through this disguise, Rosalind becomes the complete opposite of herself, much like Bottom, although in a different way. Gender fluidity is another major component of these plays, and this idea goes hand in hand with gender roles. Gender fluidity is when characters transition from male to female throughout the work, while gender roles help define what is considered masculine or feminine. Bottom, for example, seems at first to be a very proud character, and pride is a male role: "If I do, let the audience look them in the eye: I will move storms, I will offer condolences in a certain measure. For the rest – and yet my main humor is for a tyrant. I could rarely play Ercles, or a role to tear a cat apart, to make everything fall apart” (I.II.21-26). Here, Bottom demonstrates his confidence in his abilities and the control he believes he has over the roles he can play. But later he loses control. As stated previously,.