Equality In Macbeth

Feminism Is Equality Feminism is a strong belief that states both men and women should be equal. Women should have the same rights, the same amount of respect, and the same contribution and acceptance in our society. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Inequality between men and women is still just as relevant today, as it was decades ago. Today, the feminist movement is expanding and empowering women through liberation. Feminism in Macbeth is a different story. In Macbeth, women were portrayed as vulnerable, useless human beings, who were not strong enough to withhold any power or authority in society. Shakespeare wrote in such a way that made it seem as if a woman’s only purpose was to provide and aid men’s needs and wants. Juxtaposed

Not only that, but we also saw fragments of indifferent actions towards the women. The men in the play were evidently more superior and dominant compared to the women. They were also more powerful, and did not treat women as equals. One overt aspect that supports this declaration is the fact that men were the only ones who were allowed to be in command. Being a queen was basically like being a trophy to your husband, standing by them just to make them look even more superior. “Bring forth men-children only,/ For thy undaunted mettle should compose/Nothing but males (I.vi. 80-83).” Macbeth deliberately ordered Lady Macbeth to only give birth to men-children, considering that women-children would not be able to carry on his name for many generations to come. Men were the only ones who were able to have a crown above their head that would grant them the power they needed to rule. For woman, a crown would just be an accessory that labels her a queen. But even then, that power that she possesses, from that single accessory, could easily be taken away from her, by the actions of her husband. “O, gentle lady, /’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:/The repetition, in a woman’s ear,/Would murder as it fell (II.iii. 92-95).” From the words of Macduff to Lady Macbeth, he blatantly thought of her as a vulnerable and weak person who could not handle chaos

Undoubtedly, this belief, or theory, was not applied to Macbeth. Women were evidently placed on the lower level of this spectrum we call equality. Women had to basically depend on a man to withhold any power or authority in society, and if they were to have power individually, they were seen as ugly and unstable. It was as if a woman could not possibly have gained power by herself without being evil, and without using her powers in a disorderly fashion. It conveys the impression that a woman being in power is wrong, and incompatible with society. But we choose to ignore the fact that Macbeth, a man, who was so keen on being powerful that he went insane, and once he gained that power, he did everything to obtain it. And yet men are still seen as a substantial contribution to society. Why must women be beneath men, for the sole reason of having different physical body parts? Women have to strive to even be remotely close to being treated as an equal, while men just keep getting higher and higher on the scale of equality. In Macbeth, women were portrayed as vulnerable, useless human beings, who were not strong enough to withhold any power or authority in society. From a woman’s perspective today, it feels as though we are all put into a category of minorities, who are immensely unvalued, unappreciated, and