Comparing Human Nature in Macbeth and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The correlation to the dress of the day is very interesting, as men would be in colorful, exuberant and tight outfits, resembling women's wear.  This reduced the esteemed masculinity for some males, and Macbeth is obviously feeling similar emotions, though his dress is more ancient.  It is more the feeling conveyed by an actor that the audience would receive.  This almost comic irony becomes important in the following scenes, as Lady Macbeth winds up to sucker Macbeth into killing Duncan so that he may be king and she may be queen.  In addition, her attacks on his manliness reflect her character, as a man is playing it.  In essence, a man, playing a woman, is making fun of the incapacity of the penis of a man dressed like a woman.

Throughout this tragic play by Shakespeare, Macbeth is faced with the question of fate or free will. While fate is a force or power that predetermines events, free will is the ability to decide actions according to oneself (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Throughout the play, Macbeth’s choices were influenced by many other characters which in turn alter his future. In the opening of the play, there were the 3 witches who sparked his initial interest to become King. Then came Lady Macbeth who, by telling him her opinion and persuading him, gave him the idea to kill King Duncan. But in the end it was his own ambition which resulted in his death, because as the play progressed Macbeth’s character took a drastic turn from good to evil. Even though the witches and Lady Macbeth also played a great role in his decisions, they didn 't force him to commit any of the crimes, and so ultimately it was his own choices that led to his downfall.

Lady Macbeth is known for her characteristics because of her neglect to human emotions and her harsh language. For example; “Unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe…” (I.V.40-44). With Lady Macbeth’s characteristics, she is easy to accuse. Readers may see it as Lady Macbeth prompting Duncan’s murder with her words, but it is Macbeth’s weakness in his manhood that provokes the murder, “Marshall'st me the way I was going,” (II.i.41-42). Before the murder she tells macbeth the murderous ideas and questions his manhood because of his previous

Macbeth uses his manhood to portray his solider like qualities, but Lady Macbeth’s masculinity manipulates Macbeth’s actions, however, in the end it is Macbeth who uses his masculinity to do heinous actions.

A prominent and permeating theme in Macbeth is the roles and characteristics of masculinity and femininity. Throughout the play Shakespeare presents the audience with strong and sometimes conflicting views of these gender roles. What exactly defines being a man or a woman? How does an individual’s grasp of these roles effect their actions? Shakespeare shows that a clear and accurate understanding of the concept of masculinity is of critical importance in the success of a ruler. In particular, he illustrates how Macbeth’s acceptance of a perverted, violent view of masculinity leads his kingdom into chaos and turmoil, and leads Macbeth to his inevitable demise. Moral order can only be restored

In Act One, Scene Seven, Lady Macbeth attacks Macbeth’s pride in order to manipulate his decision. Macbeth doubts the choice to kill the King, but Lady Macbeth wants the power and the title for Macbeth and herself. She asks Macbeth, “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem,” (1.7). Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manliness, by asking if he is a coward or a noble king. No man wants to be called a coward by his female companion, or anyone else. In doing this, she mocks his fear of committing regicide, by calling his masculinity into question. Consequently, this affect’s Macbeth’s decision to kill King Duncan. Macbeth believes that men should be violent, cruel, brave, and unremorseful. This viewpoint has been instilled in him by people surrounding him such as his wife. His pride and masculinity were superior to any future punishment for this action. His myopic view prevents him from truly seeing the consequences to come of his decisions. The egotism of some men seems to take over their perspective of right and wrong. Males today do not want to be inferior to women, because they would seem weak.

Lady Macbeth embodies the ideals of masculinity because she manipulates her husband to kill the king Duncan so she and her husband can have all the power to be king and queen and to manipulate people so they can be by their side. For example the text states, ¨Marriage counseling to solve the issues of our relationship? What issues? Just kill Duncan so I can be Queen already’’(Shakespeare #). This quote shows that Lady Macbeth takes advantages of her husband because he only tell her his secrets to her, so that is when Lady Macbeth takes advantages of her husband and manipulates her husband to kill king Duncan so Lady Macbeth and Macbeth can been the next king and queen. Accordingly, at the beginning of the sentence, this evidences shows Lady Macbeth manipulates people by taking advantages of them. From my point of view Lady Macbeth manipulates people so she can be the next queen and she also takes advantages of people that trust her so that is when she gives them advice so they can do things that favor Lady Macbeth by being the next queen. For instance ¨Lady Macbeth outraged, calls him a coward and question his manhood, ¨´when you durst to do it,´ she says then ´you were a man´¨(Shakespeare #) .This quote shows that Lady Macbeth also manipulates her husband in many ways like making him think he is not man because he is scared to murder king Duncan and making him think a man is who doesn't have fear to do something that might have dangerous consequences, so then he decides to murder Duncan. In conclusion in “Macbeth “the

The industrial revolution completely changed the urban landscape of Europe during the 19th century. Technological advances, economic success, along with medical and scientific discoveries reshaped many aspects of modern life in european cities. The citizens of these modern cities, however, were skeptical of this evolution. Change was daunting, and people were afraid that it was accelerating to a point where society would transform out of all recognition. In 1886, a popular novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson, wrote his book Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The novel was a smash hit because it appealed to the feelings society was already experiencing; the fear and anxiety of the evolving modern city. During this time, a higher percentage of people were literate and excited to read, which is another reason why the novel was so popular. It is evident to readers that Stevenson was skeptical of progress during his time period. In his book, he depicts the middle class victorian society and their feelings toward progress in the modern city through his characters.While Dr. Jekyll, the main character, represents middle class respectability and the repressions they kept hidden, Mr. Hyde embodies the perfect example of a degenerate and criminal. Then, Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll’s friend and lawyer, stands in for the audience and identifies with the anxious society as a whole.

The city of London proved to be the sole dominant location in the 1800’s during the Victorian era in this novel. As the story unfolds in the classic literature novel, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” written by Robert Louis Stevenson, the magnificent city of London becomes a darker and mysterious location. The powerful city of London embodied the freedom and solitude required for the antagonist of the story, Mr. Hyde to hide his wicked behavior from the society as a whole. According to the history of the Victorian age, “Traditional ways of life were fast being transformed into something perilously unstable and astonishingly new” (1049). The population in England was growing at an astounding rate, illustrating the transition

While Lady Macbeth believes that men are superior when it comes to power and warfare, the effect that she has on Macbeth’s actions manages to change the outcome of the entire play. This speech illustrates a prominent power relation in the text - Lady Macbeth and the power that she has over her husband. While Macbeth is the one carrying out the deeds, Lady Macbeth, at least at the beginning of the play, is the brains behind the operation and manages to maintain a certain amount of control over him. “When you durst do it, then you were a man.” - Lady Macbeth. Being a man is something Macbeth cares about strongly, and Lady Macbeth manages to harness this desire of Macbeth’s to keep the power in their relationship. This speech is revealing because it manages to expose the inner workings of the relationship between the two

By the end of the play, it is notable how hyper masculinity deteriorates the main characters of the play. The characters of Macbeth inhabit a world of darkness and uncertainty as hyper-masculine ideologies are introduced to them. As one reads throughout the play, it’s easy to pick up on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's excellent job at portraying the personification of humanity’s identity crisis with gender. Without proper gender roles, humanity begins to deteriorate, so the struggle that takes place in this play is of significant concern. With the creation of the Macbeths, Shakespeare diminishes everything that what was considered to be human nature. Macbeth becomes unstable because he cannot please such an unsatisfied woman, so he feels the need to take on an artificial hyper-masculine role but because of this is too torn to

Manhood and its definition is a major theme in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. On first appearance, Macbeth is characterized as a loyal and valiant thane in defense of the honor of Scotland and King Duncan. The brutality that he shows as a warrior on the battlefield is an acceptable and lauded trait. These attributes come into question as the witches introduce the prophecies tempting Macbeth’s vaulting ambition. After the regicide, Macbeth is damned and is no longer concerned with being honorable. He covets immediate gratification at all costs and by all means. However, this gratification is temporary due to that Macbeth later on, experiences guilt and regret which directs him towards his morbid fate and ultimate demise.

In Act 1, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth’s response to Macbeth’s declaration that he “will proceed no further in this business” is one of brutality and dominance. In order to persuade Macbeth to pursue the mission at hand, she target’s his insecurity and desire to uphold his masculinity by viciously mocking and attacking his perceived weakness of cowardice. Lady Macbeth constitutes her own definition of manhood through the line “when you durst do it, then you were a man”, inferring that Macbeth can only become a man once he proves his courage by murdering King Duncan. To reiterate the strength and power she has in over her husband, she juxtaposes references to maternal tenderness such as “lov[ing] the babe that milks [her] with the violent and ferocious

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, gender plays a pivotal role in the development of the overall plot and as the play advances, certain characters, including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience a reversal in traditional gender behaviors. Additionally, we see gender confusion among other characters that enhances conflict in the play. Originally, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are portrayed in ways that enforce their respective masculinity and feminism in accordance to the society around them. As Macbeth begins to contemplate his decision regarding the killing of Duncan, his marriage becomes the primary driving force behind his action and thoughts in this matter. Although in some cases, male and female roles in this play remain static, the

Macbeth realizes that in obtaining the crown by foul play he is devaluing it as the king is meant to be appointed by God. By now, Macbeth is able to have the courage to look into the heart of fear; Lady Macbeth on the other hand is unable to do this.