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How Does Shakespeare Present Women In Macbeth

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Shakespeare’s portrayal of women in Macbeth Macbeth was most likely written in 1606, during the reign of King James I. During the Middle Ages, it was largely believed that God had designed an ordered system for both nature and humankind. Every creature and person had a particular place in this system, and it was a grave sin for anyone to try and alter their ‘position’ in life. Monarchs were considered God’s deputies, who had been given the right to rule, and it was very treasonous for average man to aspire to be king. Women, in general, were considered inferior than men. They were considered to be weaker and in need of protection. It is for this very reason, that most of the main characters in Macbeth are males. Women were considered to be manipulative and seductive. This can be seen in the roles of the witches and Lady Macbeth. The witches manipulated Macbeth by feeding him with ambition, and Lady Macbeth controlled him by constantly questioning his …show more content…

Macbeth refers to his wife as ‘my dearest partner of greatness’, which is quite strange in terms of the context, and suggests that Macbeth considers her wife to be an equal to him. Shakespeare’s choice of words here adds to the pessimistic mood set by the play and shows Macbeth as over-trusting of his wife. In the same scene, Lady Macbeth criticizes Macbeth: “It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” and later on says “Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall...” both of which add to the idea of femininity. Shakespeare compares human milk to kindness, a feminine trait unsuitable for males, who are supposed to be strong, courageous and brave. The whole idea is further emphasized when Lady Macbeth summons the evil spirits: “…unsex me here…”, which suggests that the plans Lady Macbeth has for Duncan are too masculine to be carried out by a female, hence the need to make her less of a

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During Shakespeare's time, misogyny was a significant factor that impacted many, men and women were heavily influenced by the rules and guidelines on how they had to act, dress, talk and more. Women were judged by how pretty their hair was or how expensive their dress was. For men, it was about wealth, strength and honour. In Macbeth, we can clearly see the themes of masculinity and stereotypes portrayed throughout the play. In Act 1, scene 5, Lady Macbeth quotes “Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers, wherever in your sightless substances.

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Firstly Shakespeare reverses gender roles in the play through expressing each character 's personality. Shakespeare manages to defy conventions through the character Lady Macbeth as he explores the boundaries of what it means to be a “woman.” Her first mental gender transformation occurs after she reads the letter sent to her from Macbeth and hears of King Duncan 's intended visit. In Act 1, Scene 5 she pleads to the spirits, "Come, you spirits. That tend on mortal thoughts.

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Gender’s role in Macbeth In act I of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, some characters allude to their commentaries on the natures of men and women. As she dreams of the throne and contemplates the steps towards her ambitions, Lady Macbeth says, “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from from crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty…come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall… ”(1.5, 47-55).

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The expected gender roles during the Renaissance are not exactly depicted same way in the the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare. Gender roles during that time period consisted of men having complete power within the family, government, as well as everyday life. The lives of women were limited and were stereotyped to be the classic housewife that did the dirty work at home and provided the needs of her husband. While this was the status quo during the Renaissance along with the Elizabethan era, the gender roles between characters in Macbeth were portrayed in a different way. Shakespeare made his play more original by verging from the expectations by Lady Macbeth having say in her husband’s actions, the comedic tone often used to depict Macbeth’s female feelings and actions, in addition to the diction used by Lady Macbeth that has a sense of androgyny.

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Gender Roles in Macbeth Gender stereotypes have affected many events leading up to today. In Macbeth, gender roles impact the way that readers view the characters in the tragedy. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have gone against the grain in regards to gender specific viewpoints. Throughout the whole play, they exemplify the breaking of gender stereotypes placed upon women and men. Abolishing the pre-existing idea that men are better at some things than women, the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be compared to events in society throughout time.

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Role Reversal in Macbeth Stereotypes are preconceived notions identifiable in society and culture around the world. William Shakespeare utilizes the stereotypes in reference to gender roles in his romantic tragedy, Macbeth, to shape characters and advance plot. The typical characteristics between genders in the era in the play are initially revealed but are then readdressed thereafter in a complicated gender-role reversal which Shakespeare portrays the difference between women and men by how they derive the ultimate theme in Macbeth: power. To begin, Shakespeare employs his progressive view on gender in the play. Extending off of that point, Shakespeare wrote his plays in an era where women had been stereotyped as less intelligent and rational, therefore labelled as the weaker sex.

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Lady Macbeth views masculinity as powerful, which is one of the reasons she rejects her femininity. She calls upon the spirits to take away her femininity which she

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Presley Gallagher Ms. Tenore English 10 1/9/23 Gender’s Role in Macbeth One of the most important roles that take place in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is gender. The play Macbeth illustrates many gender stereotypes. One where men had to be ambitious, independent, strong, and unaffected. Women had to be dependent, submissive, and have no opinion or ambition. During the Renaissance, women tended to their husbands, children, and the household.

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Women were expected to be wives, mothers, seen but not heard. Women were definitely not meant to defy their husbands, gain power, and commit acts of violence and destruction. Lady Macbeth violates these stereotypical ideologies of women in marriages of the time and therefore violates the natural order, which she is ultimately punished for later in the play. Shakespeare uses the character of Lady Macbeth as a warning to the audience – a deterrent. The fact Lady Macbeth does not have her own name and depends on her husband for an identity emphasises the expectations of a woman and furthers Lady Macbeth’s unnatural desire for power.

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He shows Lady Macbeth with female qualities as well as with manly qualities too. When Lady Macbeth learns about the witches' prophecy that Macbeth will ultimately be King, she fears he will be excessively kind-hearted to achieve this status so she begins to take matters into her own hands. Her soliloquy imploring dark powers to take all compassion from her is appalling in its unnaturalness, "Come, you spirit, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty". We truly see her evil and horrifying side when she starts to call the evil spirits to come and persuade her, and take control of her actions, "come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here…make thick my blood…take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers…come thick night." (Shakespeare 40-50).

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In the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth relationship was very complex. Macbeth struggles with putting up with Lady Macbeth, making it seem like the woman in the relationship is superior to the man. In the text, it talked about how Lady Macbeth says “unsex me here” (Thomas 84) to have the feminized traits of pity and sympathy and bodily signs of motherhood removed to give her the power of a man to take over in the relationship. This shows that men are superior to women when it comes to the relationship. More evidence of this is when Lady Macbeth said: “ Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I would have done it” (Mac. 2.2.

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Well Lady Macbeth, who is dead set on having absolute power, disagrees with that. She convinces Macbeth to kill, to cover up the murders, and tries to convince him that these murders will get them to the top. Lady Macbeth calls upon the witches and states, “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 lines 31 and 31). This shows that while in the pursuit of power, Lady Macbeth wanted it so much that she asked the witches to “unsex” her and make her more like man. But along with that you see the theme of gender roles are uncertain which ties into Lady Macbeth leading Macbeth in this pursuit of power, also giving him the ambition that she wants him to

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The women in Macbeth are presented by Shakespeare to be powerful and ambitious which was unlike the typical views during Jacobean times. The playwright portrays Lady Macbeth and the witches to be highly influential to male characters in the play, which again contrasts the contemporary views to that time. Their ambition and power are demonstrated through the perversion of nature. This highlights the evil and immoral side, they possess. Shakespeare, however, presented Lady Macbeth and the witches to be manipulative and cunning, rather than violent like Macbeth was during the play.

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Women are never shown as strong dominant characters, whether it be in the past or modern day. Previously, women were owned by their husbands and told how to and what to do in their lives. Today, women are no longer owned but still seen as objects, over-sexualized and objectified. Propitiously, Lady Macbeth was not portrayed like this at all, nor was she depicted as most women in plays. Women in plays are usually displayed as weak, vulnerable character with little to no sense.

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