“…those ‘feminine charms’ we are so fond of are not feminine at all, but mere reflected masculinity – developed to please us because they had to please us, and in no way essential to the real fulfillment of their great process.” —Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland The Inspiring, Unsexed Villainess: Lady Macbeth The effect women have had on literature, whether as authors, readers, or subject matter, is substantial in terms of producing great works and inspiring great introspection. William Shakespeare has also made a substantive contribution to the world of English literature and his creation of female characters is also integral to the formulation of women in literature. In particular, Lady Macbeth from Macbeth is a special example of how women …show more content…
Many of Shakespeare’s sonnets are believed to be addressed to a handsome young man, so it may be understood that Shakespeare did not always adhere to the heteronormative culture during his lifetime. Additionally, in a handful of plays, The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night to name a couple, Shakespeare had some of his female characters cross-dress as young men. So, Shakespeare appears to dabble with non-traditional ideas of gender and sexuality in his work, and quite possibly in his real life as well. Although he developed female characters of refreshing assertiveness and defiance, Shakespeare and his work are nonetheless a product of his …show more content…
Furthermore, these examples also show Lady Macbeth’s defiance of the rules of stereotypical femininity. So, Shakespeare wrote Lady Macbeth as an impenitent, determined, and ruthless woman. He did not, or at least we can strongly believe that he did not, intend on creating a powerhouse of a woman out of Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare presumably highlighted these qualities as inherently immoral ways for a woman to