Gender and Power

Female characters like Hippolita, Matilda, and Isabella are subjected to Manfred's patriarchal authority, yet they demonstrate resilience, piety, and agency through their resistance, escape, and moral strength.

Hippolita's submission and Isabella's flight illustrate the limited agency of women, while Manfred asserts patriarchal control over both.

Hippolita's submission to Manfred's will and her advice that women must obey fathers and husbands highlight the powerlessness of women in patriarchal society.