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Lady Macbeth And Female Characters In Shakespeare's Play

847 Words4 Pages

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. However, Lady Macbeth is readily one of Shakespeare 's most powerful female characters. Lady Macbeth proves her strength to all by breaking free from gender norms fastened on women the 11th century; this can clearly be seen in her soliloquies and interactions with Macbeth. …show more content…

She is very peculiar. Upon finding out about Macbeth’s fortune about being King of Cawdor, she professes a fantasy she has saying, “Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty!” (1.5:40-43). In this sentence not only does Lady Macbeth confess her desire to be male, but, also her willingness to be filled with evil spirits in order to execute the murder of Duncan. Women of the 11th century did not, nor were they allowed, to have desires to be anything but themselves. They were limited to having children and cooking for their families, anything other then this was a man’s job. Women during this time were treated more like property than they were humans. However, Lady Macbeth refused to obey societies gender norms and validate herself to be more than she was meant to

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