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. Bravery is a characteristic commonly affiliated with the male specimen. In the play Macbeth, the protagonist Macbeth, seems to lack the bravery he needs to carry out the tedious performance in
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Psychological studies show that “[w]omen perceive professional power as less desirable than men do. While women and men believe they are equally able to attain high-level leadership positions, men want that power more than women do” (Carmen Nobel, Men Want Powerful Jobs More Than Women Do, hbswk.hbs.edu). Women who crave power are laced throughout today’s society. Currently, this generation is run off of the need for success, and in many cases it becomes necessary for survival for women to seek positions of power. Sheryl Sandberg- a modest variation of Lady Macbeth, has also sought power over the average man. Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, has “affect[ed] how millions of People communicate and interact with one another” (Lee Standberry, Top 10 Most Powerful Women In America Today, toptenz.net). As well as being held to a high standard, Sheryl “continues to advocate the advancement of women in leadership roles and is generally believed to be a viable political candidate down the line” (Lee Standberry, Top 10 Most Powerful Women In America Today, toptenz.net). With Ms. Sandberg’s bestseller, she continues to uphold her powerful position, as she uses her testimony to inspire other women to not be submissive to the stereotypes that have been placed upon mankind. Gaining power in many ways has commonly been understood as a role for men, however women such as Lady Macbeth and Sheryl Sandberg, break the average view on the