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The Contraception Of Women In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

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During the Elizabethan era, society expected women to be subservient and dependent on men; hence, it was unthinkable for women to be anything else. In many ways, the witches and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth share similar circumstances since they contradict contemporary views at that time. Throughout the play, the women employ manipulating techniques to control Macbeth’s decisions regarding his future as King. However, the women experience vastly different fruits of their labour: the witches gain satisfaction from the chaos they create, and Lady Macbeth commits suicide because of her immense guilt. Since the witches are fictitious characters with unrealistic achievements, Macbeth explores the idea that the odds of success for women …show more content…

This forecast sparks Macbeth’s ambition which takes over his conscience as he tries to achieve greatness at any cost. Despite having a healthy relationship with King Duncan, the witches provoke Macbeth to murder the King so he can take over the reins. Hence, they are one of the two parties responsible for Macbeth’s cunning actions. The other party, Lady Macbeth, pressures Macbeth to murder King Duncan by forcing him to think he is not “manly” enough. For example, just as Macbeth hesitates about committing the crime, Lady Macbeth asks him, “What beast was’t then / That made you break this enterprise to me? / When durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.48-49). Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth what “beast” he was in the past when he had agreed to follow her plan to kill the king. She claims that Macbeth was more of a man than he is now by equating masculinity with a vicious “beast.” As a result, her remarks begin to manipulate Macbeth into thinking that killing the king will make him more “manly.” By questioning his “manhood,” Lady Macbeth increasingly coerces Macbeth into committing the crime. Ironically, murdering the king does the opposite of what Lady Macbeth projected for Macbeth since he experiences nervous breakdowns soon thereafter. Clearly, the witches and Lady Macbeth all share manipulating character traits that dominate Macbeth’s life. Contrary to societal views at the time, the …show more content…

The witches stay consistent with their evil and dark attitude, and the audience does not witness them change. For instance, the witches cast a spell together, chanting, “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble” (4.1.10-11). Their chant alludes to the fact that Macbeth would face twice the trouble due to his earlier attempts to get the throne. Hence, they continue to warn Macbeth of his rise and fall and looming danger, even though they gain nothing from it. In other words, the witches are like puppet masters who control Macbeth’s actions to perform evil deeds that they may find amusing. Clearly, the witches are witches who stay the

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Gender roles have impacted the lives of men and women for centuries. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth attempt to defy societal expectations, but eventually they both succumb to the traditional gender roles assigned to them. The witches are the only ones who never conform to societal standards and are free to act without consequences. Although Shakespeare initially questions the traditional gender roles of his time, it is evident that only the witches, who are gender neutral, are truly free to ignore societal expectations, as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's attempt to do so leads to their ultimate demise.

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Gender’s role in Macbeth In act I of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, some characters allude to their commentaries on the natures of men and women. As she dreams of the throne and contemplates the steps towards her ambitions, Lady Macbeth says, “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from from crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty…come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall… ”(1.5, 47-55).

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The question of what these witches actually are

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At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.

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It’s no surprise, that Shakespeare’s Macbeth was clearly constructed as a rebellion against femininity roles of the time. During the Elizabethan era, women were raised to believe they were inferior to men since men obtained desired masculine qualities such as strength, and loyalty, whereas women were viewed as figures of hospitality (1; 6; 28-31). Obviously, not being tempted by the luxury of subservient women, William Shakespeare rebuked this twisted belief, applying that women deserve more respect than their kitchen tables.

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Men were supposed to act as strong fighters, while women were locked in the domestic sphere. These gender roles are prominent in the character developments of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At first, Macbeth is a strong, heroic solider that shows unbounded courage in battle and loyalty to his king. As the play progresses, he becomes cold, ruthless, and miserable. Lady Macbeth takes on a “manly” role, which is surprising because of how patriarchal the society is.

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In his play, Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the ambitious construct of Lady Macbeth to portray his critical perception of the patriarchal Jacobean society. Consequently, Macbeth’s death is not displayed onstage reflecting gender inequality and the dangerous repercussions of disallowing women to obtain power. The persecution of Lady Macbeth fuels her desire to garner power, ultimately resulting in her manipulating and emasculating her husband to commit regicide. Sexism and the marginalisation of women causes Macbeth to call upon evil spirits to ‘Unsex me here’. ‘Unsex’ implies that Macbeth is aware of the societal disadvantage of being a woman and desires to be stripped of her feminine characteristics allowing her to become more powerful.

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The killing of King Duncan would be a surprise to the kingdom because of his kind heart and good soul. Meanwhile for Macbeth, the birth of his son is a threat to the throne. Although Macbeth may seem at fault for his murder, in Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth pushed him too far by gaslighting, manipulating, and creating the whole murder plan for him. Lady Macbeth, like her husband, wants the throne. Throughout these acts, one can assume that Lady Macbeth is a very passionate person and is determined to get what she wants.

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William Shakespeare portrayed the character Lady Macbeth to be extremely ruthless, malicious and manipulative. Thus, being the reason she could easily convince Macbeth to do her will, yet still put on such a convincing performance in front of those who knew nothing of her and her husband’s actions. Lady Macbeth shows her complexity constantly throughout the story when she shares her view-point on masculinity by demasculinizing her own husband, when she strategically plans the murder of the King Duncan, and finally when she finally goes crazy because of the guilt she possesses for not only her own actions but also turning her own husband into a

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William Shakespeare takes an unconventional turn on gender roles in “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. It has been a historical and social trend for society to be predominantly ruled by males. In addition, females are expected to be subservient and responsive to all of her husband’s needs and are viewed as weak and feeble. This trend is seen at the beginning of the play. Ultimately, the play seeks and attempts to define what it means to be considered masculine and feminine in society’s standards.

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The women in Macbeth are presented by Shakespeare to be powerful and ambitious which was unlike the typical views during Jacobean times. The playwright portrays Lady Macbeth and the witches to be highly influential to male characters in the play, which again contrasts the contemporary views to that time. Their ambition and power are demonstrated through the perversion of nature. This highlights the evil and immoral side, they possess. Shakespeare, however, presented Lady Macbeth and the witches to be manipulative and cunning, rather than violent like Macbeth was during the play.

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Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, analyzes the tragic downfall of a man who pursued his prophecy given to him by three witches, and suffered the downfall because of it. Told his power was inevitable, Macbeth explores the idea of murdering the King to achieve his goal of becoming King himself. Macbeth continually faces this, contemplating the moral issue of committing murder to in turn, fulfill his powerful destiny. While facing this internal conflict, Lady Macbeth developes an influence over Macbeth as well. Driven by her own desire to be Queen, Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to commit the murder, by challenging his manhood and often reminding him that it is, in fact, his destiny.

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As the Macbeth’s portray the opposite of social constructs and expectations in the play, they eventually fall into their belonged stereotype after Lady Macbeth slowly starts to spiral downhill. Once Macbeth feels as though someone is in the way of him becoming King, he instantly creates a plan to murder them like Lady Macbeth did with Duncan. As they eventually take up each others common behavior, Lady Macbeth drives herself to insanity due to her womanly feelings. “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.” , she is seen sleepwalking and participating in strange activities due to the insanity driven from guilt (5.1.4-6).

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Macbeth’s ambition is one of the most prominent things that drive Macbeth in the play and truly becomes evident when he hears of the Witches prophecies. When the witches stop talking, he demands to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (I, III, 73-74). This portrays his excessive curiosity on the subject as well as his craving for more desirable prophecies. This ambitious nature and craving for power is also demonstrated only moments after hearing the witches, when he starts formulating a plan to kill Duncan in order to make the third prophecy come true.

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In comparison, females were significantly limited in their ability to access political or patriarchal authority, as embodied by Lady Macbeth. During the Elizabethan era, it was customary for females to hold supportive and domestic roles as wives and hostesses. At first glance Lady Macbeth satisfies this norm. However, upon learning of the witches’ prophecies, Lady Macbeth ambitiously devises a plan in a lead to access the power she is denied her traditional gender role. Lady Macbeth desire is to wield influence as Queen of Scotland.

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