As others have already described, Myrrha is shown throughout Act I of Sardanapalus as more domineering than the King himself. However, by the end of the act, she appears far more susceptible to so-called female weaknesses. In her monologue that closes this section she inquires, "Why do I love this man? My country's daughters/ Love none but heroes"(lines 641-2). Although her maturity shows through in her logical thought process, she seems to have no control over her feelings for the King and can barely make sense of the origins of her love. Thus, she is fulfilling the common perception that women have uncontrollable emotions, making them weaker to an extent and more vulnerable than men. In this way, Myrrha's monologue does add some weakness to her character, but not enough to damage her ingenuity. She takes a motherly approach to Sardanapalus as she seems to feel some duty to "free him from his vices" and make him a better ruler. Her maturity and strength here make her femininity more valuable than destructive to her character.
I agree Myrrha's lack of control over her feelings toward the king are a traditionally feminine characteristic, which affirms her role as the less powerful partner. Byron also uses this trait in Sardanapalus himself, who constantly expresses his love for Myrrha, and this additional feminizing of the king contributes to his overall gender-conflicted character.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate kathcal's input that, like Myrrha, Sardanapalus also exhibits a lack of control over his emotions. Whereas this characteristic leads Myrrha to care for Sardanapalus in a way that will push him to become a stronger leader, the characteristic consistently proves a weakness for the king himself. How do the two differ? Perhaps with this dual portrayal of feelings as leading to both helpful change and to weakness, Byron is communicating that such an expressive state is helpful when applied correctly. However, when allowed to take over the wrong aspects of one's career or life, as Sardanapalus allows it to do, the emotionalism inhibits success. Commentary on gender roles is introduced as it is the woman who knows how to regulate her emotions so as to generate progress, whereas the king cannot.
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