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