Actors. They played the female ones too.
Men and boys played these parts. It was considered indecent for women to appear on stage.
memorable characters
Petruchio and Kate.
Some of the moons of Uranus are named for Shakespeare's female characters.
I think, probably, Romeo and Juliet.
Identification with the characters alienation
Young boys played the role of women.
They All were male actors
In one of his great plays, his main characters, in a love play, were Romeo and Juliet.
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.
His son's name was Hamnet, which sounds like Hamlet.
Males