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Rewriting Lady Macduff's In The 'Fiend-Like Queen'

2188 Words9 Pages

The culture and ideals of the different time periods is what sets one period apart from another. That same culture that sets time periods apart is what makes each period interesting. The best way to learn about the culture of any time period is by reading about that era. Most text, regardless of subject and genre, reflects the ideals and views of the time period they have been written in. These views and ideas come from the majority of people living in that time period and by no means do they reflect the beliefs of all that have, or are, living in that time period. To get a better feel for the renaissance period in particular, the fourteenth century through the seventeenth century, analyzing any of Shakespeare’s plays or poems give excellent …show more content…

Burnett supports his claim by adding that “she stays within the bounds of the household” (10), which also shows another one of the classic female renaissance qualities that Lady Macduff displays. Kemp, when talking about renaissance women, points out that “nearly all women … have … training in housewifery” (10) and it is suspected that Lady Macduff would have been no different. Her housewife duties have given her no reason to go out of her household bounds, especially with a young son. While staying in the bounds of the household Lady Macduff accepts her inferior position with “picturing herself as a wren fighting against the owl” (10), the wren being a smaller and weaker bird than the owl, declares Burnett. Accepting her inferior position to all other men, particularly to her husband, no questions asked, is yet another one of Lady Macduff’s numerous renaissance characteristics. Through Lady Macduff the qualities of being a loyal wife, accepting an inferior position to all men, and tending to wife like duties all support the claim of shakespeare’s female characters resembling traditional women from the fourteenth through seventh

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