Semiotic and symbolic order in Shakespeare ‘s All’s Well That Ends Well (1623) and Webster ‘s The Duchess of Malfi (1613)

Abstract

This paper examines the portrayal of powerful female characters in Webster ‘s The Duchess of Malfi (1613) and Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well (1623) through the lens of feminist theory. It demonstrates the strategies that Helen and the Duchess employ to challenge patriarchal norms, positioning them as nonconformist women who pave the way for other women to assert their identities. This paper will show clearly the interplay between the semiotic and the symbolic in the text and how subjectivity is revealed through language. In each play, the struggle between these two aspects shows how the Duchess portrays the triumph of the symbolic, which represents patriarchal society, over the Duchess's strategies, while Helen shows the victory of the semiotic, which represents personal drives and desires dominating the symbolic. Furthermore, the paper will explore the strategies that these women use to achieve their goals, highlighting their intelligence and their management of the people around them.