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Macbeth Gender Roles Essay

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Gender roles have been changing throughout centuries and they have been included in plays, books, stories, and much more in the English Renaissance, especially in Shakespeare's works. In “Macbeth” Shakespeare’s ideas of gender roles on the main characters are different compared to the ones in the English Renaissance, but soon switched back to the original gender stereotype. “Macbeth” by Shakespeare was written during the English Renaissance period as he was influenced by one of the kings that was current in his time called King James I, compared to the rest of the plays that were written in English Renaissance “Macbeth” has a different type of style most of the gender stereotype on one of the main character and his wife.

Men in the Renaissance …show more content…

Women were only allowed “limited opportunities for their involvement; they would serve largely as managers of their households. They were expected to focus on practical domestic pursuits and activities that would be an influence on their families, but more particularly, their own husbands'' (Women in the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries: Introduction | Encyclopedia.com. ) Women didn’t have many options to do during the 16 century the only jobs that they had to do was to provide service for their husband and children, not only that but that was their only main focus, if they couldn’t be able to work, even if they did they would still have to get their service to their families, but Lady Macbeth character is much different in the play than a typical woman in the …show more content…

Her sleeping walking can also mean that she is guilty but it can also resemble something that can be important to determine Lady Macbeth's change in character. “The analysis of the sleep-walking scene demonstrates that it is neither genuine sleep nor the pricking of a guilty conscience, but a clear case of pathological somnambulism, a genuine disintegration of the personality.”(Coriat) Her sleepwalking is not because she is guilty, but rather a potential disorder called pathological somnambulism, simply from her personality, but this can also “repressed emotional complexes in Lady Macbeth must of necessity illuminate the motives of the entire tragedy” as it is needed for a character after doing a bad deed or a decision to have a tragedy or a downfall, so her sleepwalking represents her downfall after her decisions she

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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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Even in sleep her mind is filled with guilt and she is ill at ease. This causes her to sleepwalk and this is “an expression of Lady Macbeth’s internal anguish over the grave sins she has already committed” (Umanath, et al.). Her sleepwalking shows her true inner feelings and thoughts toward what she has done. Even in sleep, she cannot escape her guilt. It follows her around like a dark cloud.

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This study will focus on the way in which Shakespeare crafts his play and uses dramatic devices in his portrayal of Lady Macbeth in order to confront the gender stereotypes of the time, femininity and the natural order of society. During the early 17th century there was a substantial fear that if women were liberated from their domestic, maternal roles, the historically patriarchal society would unravel. With prevailing challenges of gender such as “When you durst do it, then you were a man” Shakespeare uses the character of Lady Macbeth to transgress the natural limits concomitant with her sex. In order to be able to answer the research question, it is vital to concretely establish the contemporary gender roles and the context of the play.

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Through the course of ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. In this essay, focus will be on masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In the beginning, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized masculine quality and the key to respect in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth has power comparable to man’s

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Sleepwalking "Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon ’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep" (5.1.3-7) Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking symbolizes the distress and psychological pain she is in. Since she demands Macbeth to kill innocent people, she becomes restless from guilt. According to Dream Dictionary, sleepwalkers are under a massive amount of stress and lack sleep. Lady Macbeth realizes she cannot escape the consequences of her actions, therefore she holds a lot of stress. Moreover, her eyes which remain open as she sleepwalks symbolize that she may never rest

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It is clear that Lady Macbeth is the dominant one in their relationship as she seizes control of all situations. Although “women are perceived as the primary caretaker of the home among other oppressive notions that pertain to them. They

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