Macbeth Gender Roles Essay

Shakespeare's Portrayal of Powerful Women in Macbeth Defies Elizabethan Gender Norms The Elizabeth era was known for an explosion in England's greatness. Theaters, conquests, and trade, the era could even be called a “golden age”. However, the flamboyant and remarkable aspects of the era does not reflect its harsh patriarchism and the collar it had on women's role and stereotypes. Ironically, in the play Macbeth, Shakespeare boldly depicts several powerful female characters who defy the conventional gender roles of women in Elizabethan England. Most notable are the three witches and Lady Macbeth, whose ambition, manipulation, and sly control over Macbeth stand in stark contrast to the ideals and stereotypes of womanhood during that era. He

Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, raises eyebrows by brewing her husband's murderous deeds, exemplifying another woman who wields significant influence over male action. Along with challenging the prominent female roles, Shakespeare explores themes of gender, power dynamics, and the consequences of unbridled ambition. The implementation of these themes, along with the prominence of strong women, could only be described as a defiance towards Elizabethan gender and societal roles. Now to even begin talking about Elizabethan gender roles, there must be some way to define it. The Olivet Nazarene University notes that, “Roles of authority were reserved for men, and the general expectation of a middle to lower class woman was to submit”(Lewis, 2022). Through this it could be inferred that the Elizabethan societal role for women was weak and held little to no power. In fact, this was what Elizabethan girls were taught in schools. Skills of housewifery like singing, dancing, managing a household and estate were the only things women could learn as they would not be admitted into universities. Even from childhood, women were put into a role weaker than