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Macbeth Gender Roles

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Williams Shakespeare's play Macbeth explores issues of gender roles and the supernatural, using aspects of guilt, manipulation, and ambition to help the audience gain a better knowledge of human emotions. Lady Macbeth's influence and the three witches' prophecies shape Macbeth's climb to power. Historically women have been portrayed as the weaker sex, less intelligent, and easily conquered by emotions. Shakespeare plays with gender roles by giving male and female characters characteristics that violate standard gender presumptions. Shakespear employs power through the concept of gender roles in Lady Macbeth's dominant role in the Macbeths' marriage, Lady Macbeth's character begins as a kind and supporting wife before becoming manipulative …show more content…

When they meet Macbeth and Banquo, they inform them that Macbeth will soon be king, but only Banquo's descendants will be king; they constantly demonstrate power by deception, making Macbeth believe what they say. 'Double, double toil and trouble fire burn and cauldron bubble'. The use of reputation and alliteration emphasizes that the witch's presence is dirty or unnatural. The witches are a symbol of evil, and Shakespeare exploits this to create a frightening otherworldly atmosphere. They captivate Shakespeare's audiences with their prophecies that drive Macbeth to desire ambition for more power. The witches continue the theme of supernatural power in their prophecies, stating that he will be punished for all of the acts of violence he performed on his road to becoming king."I pour my spirits in thine ear," says Lady Macbeth, continuing the notion of supernatural power. Shakespeare's use of metaphorical spirits expands on the witches' supernatural themes, widening the link between women and witchcraft and reflecting Jacobean conceptions of women's bad nature. The knife that leads Macbeth to his victim ,the king represents supernatural forces. 'Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle pointing towards my hand? Come, let me grab you. I don't have thee, but I still see you. In his soliloquy, Macbeth employs a rhetorical question. The dagger encourages Macbeth to murder King Duncan. Shakespare employs supernatural power to demonstrate to the audience Macbeth's ambition for power. After hearing the witches' prophecies, Macbeth will go to any length to obtain it, even if it is morally wrong. The remark shows how Macbeth begins to believe his wife's views, but is still overcome by guilt, prompting him to experience hallucinations linked with the supernatural. Shakespeare uses supernatural themes in Macbeth to strengthen his

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