Examples Of Gender Stereotypes In Macbeth

Lady Macbeth calls to the spirit to rid her of her feminity and fill her like a man, one with deadly cruelty. This shows how the female qualities Lady Macbeth possessed kept her back by her delicacy to commit such churlish crimes. After Lady Macbeth was stripped, she was later able control Macbeth's actions and take the lead in Act 2, Scene 2. "Why worthy thane, you unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly of things," She continues to call his actions weak so unlike

Upon finding out, Lady Macbeth, wife of Macbeth, insists that Macbeth kills Duncan, making him king, fulfilling the third prophecy. Being “too full o’ the milk of human kindness”(1.5.16), and not wanting to take the shortest and easiest path to power, Macbeth refuses. Enraged, Lady Macbeth calls him a coward, and questions his masculinity, to the point where Macbeth feels he has the murder in order to prove himself and his masculinity. Lady Macbeth even at one point asks the spirits above to take away all her feminine qualities, making her manly, something Macbeth isn’t, and give her the ability to kill Duncan herself without guilt or fear. This shows how even women, especially royalty, had certain views that presented masculinity.

Gender Roles has been developed throughout Act 1 and Act 2 by the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth says “That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature, Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between, The effect and it. Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever, in your sightless substances, You wait on nature's mischief.” This quote is saying that Macbeth is not capable of killing Duncan and to take away Lady Macbeth’s ability to feel guilt and that no pity can prevent her cruel actions from

In the Elizabethan era, femininity is viewed as having characteristics traditionally associated with women, such as traits such as naivety, kindness, and compassion. Women were expected to be caring housewives with little individuality where they just served as housekeepers and homemakers. Lady Macbeth challenges this because not only does she have individuality, but also because she doesn’t have the submissive traits expected of her. This is expressed through Lady Macbeth’s drive and ambition, shown through her expressions, saying, “I feel now the future in the instant.” (Macbeth 1.5.55-56) She feels her desires strongly and asserts dominance.

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.

Men and women in our culture are constantly forced to act a certain way. Humanity takes joy in dictating how each gender should behave. In “Jock Culture” by Robert Lipstye and “Strong Enough” by Wendy Shanker, we learn countless pressures and insecurities that both women and men face in today’s society. The tension placed on both men and women to meet a certain standard may often lead to catastrophic outcomes. Unfortunately, both men and women constantly feel the pressure of fitting into society’s norms, but fitting into these norms comes with many consequences.

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.

Lady Macbeth repeatedly uses Macbeth's insecurities regarding his manhood to influence him to kill King Duncan. She states “Unsex me here” (Shakespeare, 1.4), and subsequently, how she wishes to swap her milk for “gal”, so she can be a man so and kill King Duncan herself. This statement emanates the idea that murder is a man’s job, meaning that if Macbeth does not go through with the murder he has surrendered his manhood. Macbeth exercises the societal standard of masculinity as a reoccurring theme which expedites Macbeth to kill the king. Ultimately, Lady Macbeth takes advantage of this theme of Macbeth’s need to prove his manhood, and influences his characters plot.

[with] direst cruelty”, grants her the ability to act in a way that is considered both ruthless and respected among men, suggesting the difference between the actions of women and men as well as the difference in seriousness taken as a result of action from either gender(1.5.48-50). Without the presence of a stigma relating to gender throughout the play, Lady Macbeth has no reason to declare her disconnect with her feminine identity. However, the idea that gender makes one inferior

Instead, Lady Macbeth would rather embrace traditionally masculine traits such as ambition, aggression, and power. This desire to reject her femininity and embrace masculine traits reflects Lady Macbeth's hunger for power and her willingness to do whatever it takes to obtain it, even if it means defying societal norms.

Why does she shame the slightest form of femininity? As the play unfolds, Lady Macbeth is seen stepping on Macbeth’s toes constantly about being weak and unmanly. But does weak mean unmanly? The construct formed from the beginning of time is that if a man is weak he is feminine, this is the self-conflict within Lady Macbeth. “Lady Macbeth consciously attempts to reject her feminine sensibility and adopt a male mentality because she perceives that her society equates feminine qualities with weakness”, explains that Lady Macbeth fears her femininity (“Be bloody, bold, and resolute”: Tragic Action and Sexual Stereotyping in Macbeth).

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.

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.

It is clear that men and women have two different cultures in Shakespeare’s time, and the relationship between the two was hierarchical. Throughout Shakespeare’s play, it is obvious that the feminine emotions are far less desirable than the masculine. When Lady Macbeth plots to kill Duncan in order for Macbeth to become king, she is aware that he must suppress his natural “love, compassion, pity, [and] remorse” in order to kill Duncan, and she will need to ignore the same emotions, “which she clearly thinks of as feminine” (180). Macbeth, of course, eventually gives in to the gender definitions of his wife and society and kills Duncan. “He is on his way literally and figuratively to becoming the kind of man his wife has urged” (183).

When Macbeth displays uncertainty regarding the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth uses his fear of not adhering to the masculine gender role of being cold-hearted and ambitious and only “when [Macbeth] durst do it, then [he was] a man”. (1.7.56) Upon first glance, it would seem as though Lady Macbeth is strong and powerful. However, Shakespeare uses the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to display that women in power are dangerous and corrupt. Due to Lady Macbeth’s coercion into the murder of Duncan, she allows and essentially encourages Macbeth to ravage all of Scotland.