A Study of Female Voices in Shakespeare's Richard III Using a DialogicalFramework and Bakhtinian Polyphony

This study explores Bakhtin’s ideas in Shakespeare's Richard III. Russian linguist and literarycritic Mikhail Bakhtin used polyphony, literally meaning many voices to describe literary writingthat managed to liberate the voice of its characters from under the domination of the authorial ornarratorial voice. The monological novel is dominated by the author's ideology while inpolyphonic writing, the author must relinquish monologic control over the work. In this research,women's voices in Richard III have been investigated and it is shown a feminine voice that is openand ambiguous and that questions and opposes the voice of authority. In fact, one may contendthat the dialogue's sense of indeterminacy. The researcher concludes that Shakespeare's RichardIII is polyphonic and that females challenge the patriarchal will

A Study of Female Voices in Shakespeare's Richard III Using a DialogicalFramework and Bakhtinian Polyphony Keywords:

Shakespeare , Bakhtin , Polyphony , Richard III , Female voices