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Examples Of Misogyny In Macbeth

1426 Words6 Pages

Bailey Schauer
Mr. Kenton
Advanced English IV
28 March 2023
Misogyny in Shakespeare
“Female subservience was saliently prevalent during the Elizabethan era, in which dominant male society oppressed women…” (ALRaznah). This oppression was constantly reflected in literature at this time as well. One predominant playwright during this time period was William Shakespeare, who is not an exception to this pattern. When looking at William Shakespeare’s Macbeth from a feminist perspective, the play is ultimately misogynistic. This was not unusual for the time period, though, because women were generally oppressed. However, the women in this play are not oppressed in the same way that women were in the real world. Shakespeare showed his misogyny through …show more content…

They were to marry a man and have children to continue the patriarchy. They were technically able to work, but not in just any profession. They had to work in some sort of domestic service. For example, a maid or a cook. Women were only able to write literary works if they were deemed suitable for women by the patriarchy. Women were not even allowed to perform on stage in theater, because it was deemed dishonorable. Female characters would often be played by young or more feminine men. Of course, women were also not allowed to vote, and were unable to inherit their father’s title. Titles would be passed down from father to son, but of course not to women. This does not mean, however, that no one liked women. In marriages, though, men were seen as the head of house. William Shakepeare’s Macbeth does a good job portraying that society. Lady Macduff, for example, perfectly followed this example. Lady Macduff was not a very deep character in Macbeth, but that was because her character had one purpose. To be Macduff’s faithful wife, and to obey him. Lady Macduff in fact is the only woman in the play who fits this standard. She is in no way defiant of the patriarchy, and therefore is the only woman in the play that is not typically seen as a villain in any

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