In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth’s character to explore traditional gender roles and the corrupting nature of power. Lady Macbeth is a strong, ambitious woman who isn't hesitant to encourage her husband to kill to accomplish the goal of gaining power. Lady Macbeth goes against the social norms and adjusts to more of a male persona. As the play goes on, it becomes clear that Lady Macbeth’s desire for power ultimately kills her since it drives her mad and consumed with remorse. In the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s character can be described as violent and aggressive, which challenges traditional gender roles and highlights the corrupting nature of power. This description shows the audience that the relationship …show more content…
She is coercing Macbeth because she is trying to encourage him to follow through with the plan, and to do whatever it takes to make sure they succeed. In conclusion, Lady Macbeth’s character in Macbeth is unique in that she challenges traditional gender roles by taking on a more assertive and aggressive persona, which is usually associated with masculinity. This is evident in the way she speaks to Macbeth and encourages him to commit murder, using forceful language and questioning his manhood. Her ambition to gain power ultimately leads to her downfall which shows the corrupting nature of power can affect the strongest and most determined people, regardless of gender. In the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s character can be described as ambitious; this description shows the audience that the relationship between power and gender is complicated because Lady Macbeth’s ambition challenges traditional gender roles but ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition. In Act 1, Scene 5, the quote provided is her soliloquy, in which she calls upon the spirits to "unsex" her and make her more masculine, so that she can be strong enough to help her husband achieve his …show more content…
Lady Macbeth's desire to be "unsexed" and made more masculine is a clear example of how she is willing to challenge traditional gender roles in order to achieve her goals. However, encouraging her husband to kill King Duncan and take the throne, Lady Macbeth sets in motion a series of events that ultimately leads to her own death. This suggests that while Lady Macbeth's ambition may be admirable in some ways, it is ultimately destructive and should be approached with caution. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to claim the throne, fearing that his kind nature will prevent him from seizing power. “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way:” This is significant because this quote shows Lady Macbeth expressing her fear that her husband is too kind-hearted to seize the throne; it shows that Lady Macbeth is not content to be passive to achieve her
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
In Macbeth, gender roles are held in high regard by the characters and the society in which the characters live. The strict gender roles upheld by society influence the character’s actions throughout the play, becoming a driving factor for the plot of the play. Macbeth's insecurity in his masculinity drives him to be easily manipulated by Lady Macbeth, and her cruelty and ambition are compared to masculinity. Lady Macbeth's desire to escape from the confines of her femininity is driven by the rigidity of the gender roles of her time, which she felt limited her possibility for power. Overall, gender plays an essential role in Macbeth as the struggles the characters face with the constraints of the gender roles of the time guide many of the character's actions and decisions throughout the play.
Lady Macbeth believes that being kind, loyal and worried about the outcome of actions are all acts that are questionable in terms of one’s masculinity. She very cunningly uses masculinity to manipulate him and get her
Well Lady Macbeth, who is dead set on having absolute power, disagrees with that. She convinces Macbeth to kill, to cover up the murders, and tries to convince him that these murders will get them to the top. Lady Macbeth calls upon the witches and states, “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 lines 31 and 31). This shows that while in the pursuit of power, Lady Macbeth wanted it so much that she asked the witches to “unsex” her and make her more like man. But along with that you see the theme of gender roles are uncertain which ties into Lady Macbeth leading Macbeth in this pursuit of power, also giving him the ambition that she wants him to
In act I of the play, Macbeth, who is the main protagonist is chosen by the witches to become the king. “Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under 't. He that 's coming Must be provided for: and you shall put This night 's great business into my dispatch;” (Act I. Scene v. Lines 67-69). In this piece of evidence, Lady Macbeth is convincing Macbeth to kill the King. Lady Macbeth is proving to Macbeth that she can be more of a man than he is which swaps gender roles a lot in the play. Another piece of evidence states, “thee, my dearest partner of greatness,
(1.5.15-17) In saying this, Lady Macbeth rejects the common role of women and pushes her husband to rid himself of his human kindness and bring them success. Shakespeare including this exposes Macbeth's tendencies to be timid with the actions perceived to bring the family greater success, conforming to a more
Lady Macbeth is one of the most complex characters in Shakespeare's play "Macbeth". She is portrayed as a powerful and ambitious woman who plays an important role in driving her husband Macbeth to his own quest for power. Lady Macbeth is determined to become queen and uses manipulative tactics to commit murder. Lady Macbeth's desire to become "unsexed" is an example of how she defies the gender roles of her society. By asking the spirits to remove her feminine features, Lady Macbeth rejects the traditional expectations of women in her society, which were to be passive, nurturing, and maternal.
As Lady Macbeth continues to hide her “weak” attributes by displaying a stronger shell, she also reveals her sense of ambition. Although Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both seek power, it is obvious that power is what drives Lady Macbeth. From the second she knew about the witches’ prophecies, she made it her goal to become King and Queen. When she creates a plan to murder King Duncan, Macbeth shows he is nervous, Lady Macbeth finds this problematic and asks him to “project a peaceful mood, because if you look troubled, you will arouse suspicion.” (1.5.63-65).
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
She rejected her gender role so she could take matters into her own hands, a move that allowed her to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan. This action is the cause for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to live in fear that someone may discover what they did, forcing Macbeth to kill those who he perceives dangerous, making him insane. Lady Macbeth, seeing all the trouble she has caused, also goes insane from her guilt. The supernatural are a visual representation of Lady Macbeth’s internal struggles, and they give the reader a better understanding of Lady Macbeth’s character. Lady Macbeth’s rejection of gender roles, illustrated by the supernatural, gave her the ability to control Macbeth, but it was her control that would lead to the downfall and death of her husband and
It makes her more ferocious than her masculine counterpart and hence her dominance over Macbeth. As well as she invokes the spirits to deprive her of feminism and make her as volatile as men, so that she can fulfill her dream of being the queen. Lady Macbeth is a bold and ambitious woman. She has implicit faith in herself. She wants to remove every obstacle in her pursuit of becoming the queen.
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).
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.
Gender Roles- an exploration of femininity and masculinity in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Written by William Shakespeare in the 17th century, Macbeth tells the tale of a power-hungry soldiers rise to the throne, while exploring various themes including concepts of masculinity and femininity, drawing a particular emphasis to the dichotomy between the two. In Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the bounds of these gender roles, and challenges their limits. By juxtaposing characters who step outside of the roles prescribed by their genders, such as Lady Macbeth, with characters who stay within their roles, such as Lady Macduff, Shakespeare conveys a disapproving message regarding individuals who defy their gender roles. Several unique female characters
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.