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
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 this day and age people define masculinity as a strong person with no fear and having all the power, destroying everyone who comes in the way of gaining power or taking their power away. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the author develops the definition of being masculine as a strong person and also by manipulating others. To start with, in Macbeth, all the characters act masculine, but the strongest character that acts is Lady Macbeth because she is a person that manipulates her husband in many ways. Lady Macbeth embodies the ideals of masculinity because she manipulates her husband to kill the king , she is ambitious, and she thinks that she is a man.
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).
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
account thy love. Art thou afraid to be the same in thine own act and
In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare attempts to define manhood and explore the different perceptions held towards what it means to be a man. As William Liston notes in his essay, “Man appears more than 40 times, almost always with a conscious sense of defining the term—or rather, of defining a person by the term” (232). Lady Macbeth is used as a tool to not only convey this theme, but she instigates the plot as well. Without her consistent scorn and ridicule of Macbeth and his “femininity”, he would most likely have never killed King Duncan or performed any of the other murders that occur throughout the play. Specifically speaking, the word choice of Lady Macbeth as well as her actions are what propel her husband into acting himself. Eventually, Macbeth’s overall attitude changes as a result of his wife’s ridicule. While Lady Macbeth undoubtedly spurs her husband into action, it is important to note that by the end of the play, she has lost what influence she had over him as well as her ability to control her own emotions.
In ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. The essay’s focus is masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Primarily, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized masculine quality which was respected in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth yearns for masculinity but she fails to acquire it. Shakespeare thus displays masculinity in two different lights.
In this scene it is clear that Lady Macbeth is willing to do whatever it takes to get to the throne. The overwhelming need for a purpose is contrasted with Macbeth’s affinity to waver with decisions. This is a prime example of how Lady Macbeth is the backbone of Macbeth and her ambition –not evil- is strong enough to pressure her husband into murdering Duncan. Simultaneously the language of his words grasp the thought of masculinity which is a reoccurring theme- "unsex me here.....come to my woman’s breasts, take my milk for gall," is what Lady Macbeth says to prepare herself for the crime she about to commit. The language implies that her breasts and milk – symbolic reference of nurturing ways – impedes her from acting on her wishes to perform
In ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. The essay’s focus is masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Primarily, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized, respected masculine quality in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth yearns for masculinity but she fails to acquire it. Shakespeare thus displays masculinity in two different lights.
In one of the most tragic and well-known plays, Macbeth, William Shakespeare constantly uses gender roles and reversed gender roles as a significant part of the play’s brutal content. Not only did Shakespeare explore the traditional roles concerning leadership, power, and masculinity during his time but he constantly questioned them as well. Within this play, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth both exhibit traits that are not the way females and males are “supposed” to act. Shakespeare intentionally shows that it is not true that all males are considered to be masculine and all females to be fragile and innocent.
Gender roles are the roles or behaviors learned by a person as appropriate to their gender, determined by the prevailing cultural norms. Typically In the play Macbeth, The author William Shakespeare uses gender roles of the two sexes to portray the stereotypes during the Elizabethan time period. Lady Macbeth uses her seductive and manipulative behavior to convince her husband to do as she desires. However Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth to have more male characteristics than Macbeth. In the play, Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to take over the King position, In this Macbeth would be required to kill in order to obtain the top position.
Gender Roles in Macbeth Society has socially constructed the definition of what it takes to be a man and a woman, however in Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth the definition of these terms have been reconstructed to be limitless in terms that gender does not have to be defined by certain actions, behaviours or traits. Traditionally, men are considered to be strong and powerful while women are considered to be emotional and delicate. On the contrary, Shakespeare forces the audience question and rethink these traditional thoughts of gender roles by the role reversal that is seen between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Not only that, Shakespeare uses MacDuff to represent an individual who knows himself and acknowledges his happiness instead of living up to the ideal set forth by society.
William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” completely challenges the idea of traditional gender roles and social norms during the renaissance period. The male characters have many feminine traits while the female characters have many more masculine and manlier traits. This was going entirely against the stereotypical outlook of the roles you’re supposed to play as your gender during that time of history. During the renaissance period women were only expected to clean, cook, and to have babies. Men on the other hand were typically expected to work hard and to provide for the home. Socially women didn’t have power or respect and men were the ones who were supposed to be brave and tough at the best of times and the worst of times. That idea is
The conformity to gender roles that Macbeth and Lady follow leads to the destruction of their relationship. At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is more masculine than Macbeth and holds the power in their relationship. Lady Macbeth is aware that she is the assertive one in their relationship and uses that to manipulate Macbeth. In act 1, scene 7, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity saying, “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.”(54-56) in saying this, she is using Macbeth’s fragile masculinity against him because she knows Macbeth will prove his masculinity by killing Duncan. After they succeed and get away with the murder, Macbeth becomes more assertive and decisive. Macbeth begins to hide things from Lady Macbeth, like his plan to kill Banquo, this causes a strain on their relationship. In act 3, scene 2, lines 50 and 51, Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till thou applaud the deed.” about his plan to kill Banquo because he doesn’t want her involved. This furthers the strain in their relationship because Macbeth thinks he, a man, should handle these kinds of things where Lady Macbeth, a woman, should not concern herself with such problems. Furthermore, by excluding Lady Macbeth he has pushed a wedge between them by keeping secrets from her, losing her trust and leading to the downfall of their relationship. Closer to the end of the play, Macbeth assumes his role as a hypermasculine man and becomes violent, killing any possible threat to him. In becoming king, Macbeth becomes obsessed with having power because of the lack of control he had in his relationship with his wife. To Macbeth Macduff appeared as a threat,
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.