Macbeth Gender Roles Essay

Picture 11th-century Scotland, a period of isolation and self-dependence; society was very patriarchal. Similar to many other societies worldwide, Scottish women played a minor role in life, limited to housework and caring for children and their husbands, and were expected to be subservient to and considered weaker than men. However, Shakespeare’s stance on gender is hard to understand. In Macbeth femininity and masculinity overlap for many characters, especially characters like Lady Macbeth. Gender in Macbeth reinforces beliefs of traditional gender roles, with women playing a minor part or being of lesser status than men.
Gender in Shakespeare’s plays and writings is complex, but characters take a semi-traditional role based on their gender,

These prophecies set the foundation for Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s actions. After Macbeth tells his wife about the news of his new title, she pushes Macbeth to take the spot as king next. From “Shakespeare’s Violent Women: A Feminist Analysis of Lady Macbeth” by Camila Reyes and Amy Kenny, it states “...in Macbeth, Macbeth’s brutality in service of Duncan’s reign is rewarded, and it is his propensity for violence that grants him the crown. However, it is also this inclination towards violence that dubs Macbeth’s reign as tyrannical. This violence that is used to keep patriarchal systems in place is frequently used against women to exclude them from power. Violence in Shakespeare’s plays is then typically examined through a lens that further supports the notions of patriarchal dominion against women.” (Reyes & Kenny). This is a perfect example of why Lady Macbeth did this. She desired power, just like her husband, but in a male-dominated society, it’s difficult to do so, so she takes masculine qualities and uses violence to achieve this. A way she does this is by encouraging her husband to achieve their goals by any means necessary, killing King Duncan and Banquo. She helps develop Macbeth’s ambition. Without her actions, Macbeth would have taken longer to get where he is or not have gotten here at all. Eventually, she dies. Her guilt consumes her and she

“Give me,” quoth I.
“Aroint thee, witch!” the rump-fed runnion cries.
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o' th' Tiger;
But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,
And like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do. (1.3.4-11)
The witches aren’t afraid to get back at people who did them wrong. The witches are also often depicted as old women or hags, reinforcing the idea that powerful women are always dangerous and should be steered clear of. They move the plot forward and give us a tiny summary of what’s to be expected in the story.
Gender in Macbeth is a complicated concept. It both follows and defies traditional gender roles. However, it reinforces traditional roles more, just very subtly. The women in the play are never given proper names, only referred to as Lady [Husband’s name]. This demonstrates their roles in their societies, just there to help their husbands and other men in the story. So even if Macbeth seems progressive, it continuously upholds traditional gender