Surrogacy and sisterhood: How female alliances challenge patriarchal society in Shakespeare

In Shakespeare's plays, women sometimes form alliances to protect each other from the oppressive patriarchal expectations of their time. These relationships often manifest as surrogate mother-daughter relationships, or a more sisterly connection. In Hamlet, Queen Gertrude adopts Ophelia as a surrogate daughter, exuding confidence in Ophelia's mind and attributes, rather than infantilizing or objectifying her as male figures do. The Nurse provides a mothering figure for Juliet as she struggles to gain control over her own sexuality and marital future in Romeo and Juliet. Beatrice and Hero in Much Ado about Nothing provide a mutual love and care for each other, protecting reputations and hearts from male abuses. In All's Well that Ends Well, Helena participates in multiple female alliances, forming a bond of love and support with her surrogate mother, the Countess, and a friendship with Diana and the Widow. These relationships and friendships provide a support system for women otherwise isolated and repressed by the male authority figures in their lives, giving them the chance to make their own decisions, and challenge the patriarchal societies in which they live.