The
original title Shakespeare's Sister refers to early feminist
thinking that a female playwrite would have been just as successful as
Shakespeare, had it not been for the patriarchy. Looking back on
it now, it may seem obvious to us, and so the film makes it clear that
in the year 1935, a man would be surprised to hear that a woman could write
just as well.In this regard we have to look at the consistent handling of Eleonor, who cannot herself deal consistently with her feminism. She demands the right to carry her own baby (a decision condemned by the film to the end), but feels that she owes it to her husband to let him choose the father. Let us not forget that this is not about modern in vitro fertilisation, but good old-fashioned sexual intercourse. A feminist today would not be a feminist, if she could not at least choose herself with whom she has sexual contact, no matter what the reasons. Even the male narrator sometimes notes that, in the course of events, Eleonor departs more and more from her feminist ideals.
Mentioning Shakespeare in the alternative title portends to a certain tragedy – indeed, individual fates, woven together, become more and more worthy of the bard himself. This is the real fascination of The Proposition. Moral questions and feminist points of view are no longer posed in this way, and the portrayal of the love story is no different from that of any other British costume drama. But Shakespeare's ideas about fate still fascinate – even if, this time, he is not wielding the pen.
