THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE

The representation of women in English literature has always depended on the cultural and social rules of each period. From medieval times, when women appeared mostly as symbolic figures, to the Renaissance, where education and virtue shaped expectations, and finally to the Victorian period, when female writers began to challenge traditional gender roles, women gradually moved from being passive characters to active voices. This article analyzes how female characters were portrayed and how women authors shaped literary traditions. By examining Chaucer, Austen, the Brontë sisters, and Virginia Woolf, the paper discusses how feminist interpretation helps us understand the social and linguistic construction of gender.