Macbeth Women Influence

In the play Macbeth women were treated decent. Women had such a great influence on men. For example, without Lady Macbeth’s ambition to get her husband, Macbeth, to the top of the European kingdom, Macbeth would not have felt the need to murder Duncan and Banquo. But women were also portrayed as weak, shown when Lady Macbeth made Macbeth kill King Duncan and Banquo on his own, then eventually Lady Macbeth could not live with the guilt, which ultimately resulted in her committing suicide.

Lady Macbeth appears evil, but this is proof of her devotion and drive to assist Macbeth rise to the throne. Macbeth is doubtful about their plan to kill King Duncan; however, Lady Macbeth bombards him with comments that question his courage. She goes as far as telling him his love his worth nothing if he refuses, which proves her to be dominant and controlling using his own weakness against him. His love for her. The fact that she belittles his confidence, insults his abilities, and questions his manhood & ambitions showing how manipulative she can be, but also wise because it worked in her favour. She said to him “Screw your courage to the sticking place” (1.7.60). Because Lady Macbeth manages to drive Macbeth to Duncan’s death, this shows viewers that Lady Macbeths own ambition is the real driving force behind most of Macbeth’s actions, because of his strong dedicated love for her.

Although Macbeth commits the murder, Lady Macbeth shows that she has just as many dark and corrupt thoughts as him. The one who comes up with the murder plan is Lady Macbeth, directly after she learns about the prophecy. After Macbeth informs her of the king’s overnight stay, Lady Macbeth’s first words are “O, never/ Shall sun that morrow see!” (1. 5. 67-68) as her plan to kill the king is already being put into motion. If Lady Macbeth had not made the plans Macbeth may not have gone through with the murder. Lady macbeth becomes a driving, manipulative force to Macbeth. She justifies why killing Duncan is good and shames him into committing horrible deeds. When Macbeth tries to refuse she says “When you durst do it, then you were a man;/ And, to be more than what you were, you would/ Be so much more the man.” (1. 7. 54-56), challenging his masculinity. In the end, Lady Macbeth isn't the only one who’s mind becomes corrupted, she drags Macbeth down with her. Finally, Lady Macbeth pretends that the guilt doesn’t really bother her, she simply tells her husband that he is weak. She tries hide her corruption through lies and by putting Macbeth down, but in the end she falters, realises her guilt and drives herself insane.

In lady Macbeth’s argument she holds a seductive and demanding tone. She believes in Macbeth’s ambition and wants him to kill the King once and for all. Lady Macbeth begins to attack Macbeth’s character and provokes him to kill King Duncan by saying, “What beast was ’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man,” (Lady Macbeth,1.7,47-51) Through this quote it’s easy to see that Lady Macbeth is aware of Macbeth’s vulnerability so she attacks his manhood making him feel less of a man for going back on his word. In order to put her plans in action she uses a heavy pathos appeal in the following lines, “From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor As thou art in desire… ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” (Lady Macbeth,1.7,39-44) Through this quote Lady Macbeth makes Macbeth feel sympathetic and cowardice for not following his desires, she uses their love and how she will view him to lure him into the plan even more. While Macbeth may still be weary Lady Macbeth uses an ethos appeal by establishing her authority on the topic of killing King Duncan, “We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll

Then slowly Macbeth looses his masculine qualities. The witches have a part in him loosing his masculinity. The traditional role of men usually take charge, and wears the pants, but its already clear the Lady Macbeth wears the pants. “ Lady Macbeth appears to be the more freighting figure” (Maternal Power par 1). The role of Macbeth is a friendly person, who is dictated by his wife; She controls his every thought. Its as if he doesn’t make a move without her knowing. She clearly over powers him in every way. The weird sisters also play apart in the gender roles. “ The disruption of gender roles occur in the weird sisters the trio perceived as violating nature and dispute the designation, as sister the gender roles, the characters is also ambiguous” (play with gender role par 3).

When the thought of the stereotypical woman comes to mind, what does one see? A kind, nurturing lady who cares for her young ones and is provided for by her husband? Or would one invision a manipulative woman of sorts, who aims to manipulate her spouse and gives minimal thought to the needs of others? Both descriptions fill the mold when considering the stereotypical gender roles in Macbeth. In the tragedy of Macbeth, many examples of this extreme gender stereotyping are included by the author William Shakespeare. The idea of influential gender roles is expressed in Lady Macbeth’s manipulative mannerism, as well as the ways in which the idea of gender roles relates to her manipulation tactics, along with the impact

Immediately, after reading Macbeth’s letter, Lady Macbeth’s malevolence urges her to plot the murder for the king. She decides to encourage Macbeth and calls for evil spirits to aid her brutal plans, “Come, you spirits… you murd’ring ministers… You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night”. Her talk about defeminising herself and making her the superior amongst the couple, “That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here”, suggests Macbeth is weak and powerless in her presence. She implicates her husband of not being physically impotent but soft hearted and sentimental. She confronts him of this and warns him of his manliness and cowardice. She uses these various, manipulative strategies (challenging his manhood, being more aggressive, and defeminising

The women in Macbeth, namely Lady Macbeth, contradict these expectations through their commanding, and ambitious tones. During that second half of act one Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the ruling figure in the house. Instead of being a grateful and fulfilling housewife she instead pushes and commands Macbeth to commit assassination. She berates him when he falters and asked if he would rather, “live like a coward in thine own esteem.” (Shakespeare)

In Macbeth, one of the most tragic and well known plays, William Shakespeare changes women’s part in society. During this time period, women are known to be both mentally and physically weaker than men. Women are called to be only housewives. Shakespeare reflected the image of women in society by giving the men bigger leads in his plays. Only in a few of Shakespeare's plays did he give women strong leading roles. Macbeth is one of the few plays where women play a more powerful role than the men. In Macbeth, he gives the women unusual traits like manipulation and betrayal. In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, women like Lady Macbeth , the trio witches, and Lady Macduff portray non-feminine traits.

It is interesting to note the importance of gender in the personifications of evil in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is as obsessed with her gender as her evil. When she implores evil to "unsex" her, to take her "woman's breasts for gall" she reveals the sense of powerlessness and weakness she feels. Being a woman makes her dependant on her husband for her social

Women are portrayed in Macbeth into two primary ways. First , they are portrayed as being highly influential but not as being the primary actors. during the period that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth women were uneducated and they never express their feelings or their opinions, but not all women were not educated, Shakespeare went against the expectation in this period . women during this time were taught submissive behavior. However, lady Macbeth has her own idea of how women should behave in Macbeth play.

Although the story of Macbeth has been analyzed for decades, the aspect of feminism is often overlooked. Feminism is defined as “ the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (Merriam Webster, 2017). The concept of feminism is controversial in our society, but plays a key role within the tale. Throughout Macbeth, the struggles of Lady Macbeth parallels difficulties that many women in our society encounter today. The modern and traditional roles that society has created for women are evident within the story of Macbeth. However, without the essential aspect of feminism, the tragedy of Macbeth would lose its significance as one of William Shakespeare’s most powerful plays.

Lady Macbeth is an element of extreme power. Macbeth’s ambition and conflicting morals make him hopelessly vulnerable to Lady Macbeth’s terrible resolution and unnatural, daunting, power. She begins by frankly questioning his ambition; preying upon his weakness as a man of pride and challenging his determination, valour, courage, and preparedness to fight for what he desires: “Art thou afeared To be the same in thine act and valor as thou art in desire?” She even questions his manhood, so that he feels the need to tell her; “I do all that may become a man, Who dares do more is none”. He is still morally cognitive and has deep reservations; committing the murder would be inhumane. His conscience has not yet been put aside. But now Lady Macbeth, sensing that all the fruits of her ambition are at stake, shows a degree of determination and commitment to the cause that Macbeth must match if he is to maintain his own sense of purpose. She tells him that she would have dashed the brains out of her own infant “had (she) so sworn as (Macbeth)

Soon after, a letter is sent by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth it begins to show Macbeth the reader learns Macbeth may not be as heroic as he is on the battlefield. The letter that Macbeth writes to Lady Macbeth explained what the witches prophesied to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth comments by saying “ Yet I do I fear thy nature: it is to full of th' milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way”(1.5.16-18). Lady Macbeth views Macbeth as a coward and therefore would not kill the king for the throne. In fact, Lady Macbeth is the person who pushes Macbeth to commit the murder of King Duncan in order for her to for her to become queen. Lady Macbeth is the one who plans King Duncan's murder. “When Lady Macbeth enters, though, she uses her cunning rhetoric and persuasive techniques to convince Macbeth of the murders.” (Macbeth-Attitude Changes). Lady Macbeth is strong and likes to get her way. Macbeth continues to demonstrate his lack of heroism because he is Lady Macbeth's follower and does whatever she makes him do. Lady Macbeth treats Macbeth as though he was a ring on her finger. Lady Macbeth at first is shown as ruthless and has complete control over Macbeth and makes him do what ever she wants “Had he not resembled my father as he slept I don it”(2.2.13). This states though she is ruthless she has a

Subservient, ignorant, passive, timid: these are the qualities that described the ideal 17th century woman in the eyes of Europeans. In the play Macbeth, author William Shakespeare explores the roles of these women through his female characters, challenging preconceived notions and setting up his personal perspective on what a woman's niche in society truly is. Through his contrasting female characters of the gentlewoman and Lady Macduff versus the witches and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare depicts the reality of how women actually function is society.