A talk about Shakespeare may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, think again. To Celebrate International Women’s Day, Cannock and District Soroptimists were treated to a superb presentation by Jennifer Rigby entitled “Shakespeare’s Women.”
Jennifer began her talk by pointing out that we tend to put Shakespeare on a pedestal and forget that he was just an ordinary family man. We frequently hear famous quotes from plays normally spoken by men. But where are the women in Shakespeare? Who were the women in Shakespeare’s life?
Jennifer believes the strong women in Shakespeare’s family had a big influence. He was brought up on his mother Mary Arden’s farm. His plays reflect a love of the countryside, plants and nature, as well as a love of food and animals. He grew up with sisters who gave him a unique insight into emotions such as love, loss, jealousy. He was close to his own daughter Susannah which Jennifer felt shone through Juliet’s speeches. There are male characters who speak of female concerns with sensitivity. Sometimes they even blame men for their problems! Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway was a strong woman who ran the family business in Stratford. Despite his fame Shakespeare always returned to his wife and his sonnets speak of marriage, love, compromise.
Jennifer’s presentation was more a performance than a talk, punctuated with funny stories and anecdotes such as her time working as an actor at Mary Arden’s House which is a working Tudor farm. It wasn’t easy as a vegetarian to be offered pork meat from the pig you have been looking after! She performed extracts from plays, recited sonnets and all delivered with an obvious enthusiasm and panache.
Photos : 1) Jennifer Rigby 2) SI Cannock members celebrating International Women’s Day by making the ‘heart’ symbol