What is the Republic of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale?
BASED on Margaret Atwood’s classic 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the near future and depicts a dystopian world in which women are stripped of the most basic of human rights.
With Season Four of the hit TV show set to air on Channel 4, we take a look at the Republic of Gilead and the various states surrounding the totalitarian regime.
What is the Republic of Gilead and is it a real place?
Following the overthrow of the US government, The Sons of Jacob movement enforce a Christian, totalitarian regime under the pretext of restoring good.
Within this new society, women are assigned various roles.
Offred, the protagonist, is forced to become a Handmaid – women who are made to have sex with their Commanders to provide children for them and the infertile Wives.
The Republic of Gilead prohibits women from having a job, reading, owning possessions and voting, among many other restrictions.
In both the book and the TV series, the fictional Republic of Gilead is centred around Offred’s former neighbourhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Gilead appears in the Bible in the book of Genesis 31:21, and is believed to mean “hill of testimony”.
There is also a real-life Gilead, which is a mountainous region in modern-day Jordan.
Where are the Colonies and will Offred be sent there?
The Colonies border the Republic of Gilead in North America and are areas that have been contaminated by radioactive waste.
By way of punishment, convicts, or Unpeople, are sent to the Colonies if they have committed a crime.
Most view this punishment to be worse than death, because the majority of convicts die of malnutrition and sickness caused by the pollution.
In the last episode of series one, viewers saw a pregnant Offred being taken away after she rebelled against her Commander and the system.
In addition to the main states, other territories and strongholds are held by the Socialists, Baptists, Mexicans and other factions.
In season 3, June smuggled baby Nichole to Canada to find her first daughter Hannah, still stuck in Gilead.
She also gets sent to a new commander, Joseph, so she’s no longer “OfFred” but “OfJoseph”.
Turns out it’s Commander Lawrence, who helped baby Nichole escape- luckily for June he doesn’t partake in the rituals of Gilead.
June is also in love with two men, her husband Luke in Canada and her lover Nick in Gilead.
What are the other states and districts?
Rebelling against the Republic are the states of Florida, the Appalachian Highlands and Chicago city, Illinois, where the US Army and the Illinois National Guard are fighting for control.
Within Gilead, information about these rebel states is limited, as the media is subject to extreme censorship.
Thanks to Mayday, a group comprised of rebels within the Republic of Gilead, small snippets of information manage to filter through to Offred about her husband and child from before the regime.
Those trying to flee Gilead and the oppressive order make moves to escape to Canada or Europe.
At the end of season one, we saw Offred’s best friend Moira (played by Samira Wiley) escape and reunite with Offred’s husband Lucas.
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When is season four of The Handmaid’s Tale released in the UK?
Season 4 will begin airing on Channel 4 on June 20, 2021 at 9pm.
It continues at the same time each week.
If you miss an episode, you can catch up on 4OD here.