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Masculine Gender Roles In Macbeth

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The Masculine Gender Role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is one play that really shows the difference between genders, through the personalities of each of the characters. Throughout all the deaths and conversations had by all the different characters, the definition of manliness comes to life quite precisely, through the characters of Banquo, Macduff and even Macbeth. It also becomes quite clear to see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switch their gender roles when Macbeth is about to kill King Duncan. Overall this play is filled with the ‘manly’ gender role and it is seen in many of the characters. The ‘manly’ stereotype of gender, refers to the qualities, such as courage and strength, that are mainly associated …show more content…

Macbeth is one character in the play who is quite ambiguous, because for one he is said to have many brave and valiant like characteristics like men, but there are times when his manliness is questionable. For example, when Macbeth goes to the three witches in the beginning of the play, they discuss Macbeth’s fate, and upon hearing about his future Macbeth did not even blink for a second and left to seize the throne to become king, but he did not do so until speaking to Lady Macbeth first. He relied on his lady to give him advice and help him through this situation, and “such situation can serve an archetype of how power corrupts a morally immature man.” (Ferdous 1). This shows that Macbeth trying to gain power and seize the thrown for himself, leads to the start of a down fall in Macbeth’s life. His swiftness quick thinking at that moment showed male like characteristics, because men tend to think less before they do something impulsive. When Macbeth does complete the deed of killing King Duncan his manliness is shown off because of the way he does it, he is ruthless and does it aggressively. Furthermore, Macbeth is also filled with the extreme admiration of himself. Macbeth mainly wants to focus on becoming king and doesn’t want

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