The themes of gender roles and masculinity centre heavily throughout Shakespeare’s work, presenting various opinions on the interactions between men and women, men and society and women and society. In both Macbeth and Coriolanus, the ideal man is depicted as a strong, violent warrior with the ability to mercilessly and brutally kill in battle while the ideal woman is silent, chaste, obedient and weak. Shakespeare depicts destructive, militaristic societies that value warriors and vicious killers. He uses the small planets he has constructed in both plays to explore the danger that is brought about by the unattainable fantasies of masculinity and the destruction caused by the conflicting gender roles presented within these societies. In both …show more content…
This militaristic world conflates gender roles as Volumnia challenges her femininity and takes on a masculine role in Coriolanus’s life. As a woman, the only true ability Volumnia has in their society is to impart all of the traits of a man to her son and, to do so, she must embody many of those beliefs herself. Volumnia is not seen as a matriarchal figure; she is harsh and blunt towards her son and grandson – which is contrasted by Virligia’s more nurturing, motherly behaviour towards her son. Volumnia, much more a patriarchal figure in the life of Coriolanus, understands and navigates the world of politics and war better, some would argue, than Coriolanus himself, who only understands war. She rejects the nurturing, feminine qualities of her gender to take on the role of father to Coriolanus, more so than mother, and adheres to the confined gender roles of men within society. She counts her son’s wounds when he returns from battle, approving of his success, but does not shed a tear for her injured son. She is proud of his battle scares, preferring blood to milk and encouraging the violent warrior nature of the society in her son. Her embracement of male characteristics and strengths ultimately leads to the death of her son as she pushes him into the political sphere and forces the imposed role of politician on Coriolanus, a role fit only for a man. Seeing her as more of a father than a mother, Coriolanus is only convinced that he must calm down and speak gently to the plebians by Volumnia. Since she is the one who has instilled his views of manliness and male strength, she also dictates how he believes a man should behave. While Coriolanus initially does not understand how political speech can be an ideal characteristic for a man, Volumnia, who understand far better the workings of the society, realizes that it is essential for his rise to power and pushes
Women have always been the backbone of human civilization, whether it be in ancient times or even in the modern era. However, they are oppressed and not given the same fundamental, human rights as men, like access to education, leaving this discrimination and sexism to span over prolonged periods of time. Specifically, sexism is seen during the Elizabethan Era of history when William Shakespeare writes his prominent dramatic piece, Macbeth. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, the prevalent theme of sexism is depicted in the play when Lady Macbeth, a character of strength and ambition, is shown as manipulative and inevitably weak when Shakespeare portrays her eventual downfall and suicide. Throughout the world today, the many different forms of sexism
The great masterpiece Macbeth, which is written by William Shakespeare, deals with many different hidden themes. One of the best-hidden themes in Macbeth is manhood. Shakespeare's descriptions of his characters give real descripitions of living beings, not actors upon a stage. His manuscript is able to show the masculinity of men as well of women. Masculinity is not just for men; some women are just like men in their quest for ambition.
In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth‚ the theme of masculinity is explored. As Macbeth matures‚ there are times when his masculinity is put to the test, mostly after the murder of Duncan. There are four main themes in which masculinity is presented in the play.
It more becomes a man/ Than gilt his trophy. the breasts of Hecuba/ When she did suckle Hector, looked not lovelier/ Than Hector 's forehead when it spit forth blood/ At Grecian sword contemning” (1.3, 36-40). Volumnia believes that Coriolanus being bloodied is more lovelier than a mother breastfeeding her child. This is an incestuous thought that Volumnia is fantasizing about. Just as she did before with thinking about Coriolanus as her husband, she is now saying that she would get more pleasure from seeing Coriolanus bloodied than him performing the action of sucking on her breasts. As she does say again later on: “Thy valiantness was mine: thou suck 'st it from me” (3.2.129). This implication of Coriolanus sucking on her breasts is not only of a maternal concept, it is of a sexual act. A mother who ponders the thought of having sex with a husband who is her son further implies that her feelings for Coriolanus are more than just what a mother would have for her son. Coriolanus being bloodied and injured in battle portrays him as this handsome and brave warrior; a picture that excites Volumnia sexually enough to compare it to her son “suckling” her. This incestuous perspective of the play is a reflection of Volumnia’s true desire towards Coriolanus as he is her dream warrior. She raised him in a way that fulfilled her fantasy of a
A prominent theme in William Shakespeare’s novel Macbeth is the idea of universal masculinity. Throughout the play, Shakespeare utilizes male gender stereotypes to present conflicting views on the definition of manhood. Macbeth tells the reader about a man who allows both societal pressures inflicted upon him by his wife and his intense ambition to drag Macbeth into a spiral of committing obscene acts of violence. Characters often associate being a man with courage, cruelty and power. This pervading caricature of a “man” is evident to the reader throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, for instance, goads Macbeth about his masculinity to the point of murder. Additionally, Malcolm and Macduff’s rigid discussion on revenge reveals a defined notion of “true” masculinity. Perhaps the culmination of rigid gender stereotypes is evident in Macbeth's pondering of the legitimacy of the hired murderers' manhood. Clearly, Shakespeare upholds male gender stereotypes throughout Macbeth.
Volumnia is the most influential person in Coriolanus' life. She adores her son, maybe a little too much, and boasts about how she raised him to be the deadliest warrior in Rome. According to Volumnia, the only way for her son to prove his worth as a man was for him to become a warrior. This leaves a psychological effect on Coriolanus as he is constantly proving his worth to his mother which as mentioned affects his decisions. In Act 1, Scene 3, Volumnia describes her son from his boy-like beginnings to his manhood but then goes on describe him as a force to dealt with when he becomes a soldier going off to war and coming back as a conqueror and how proud of that fact she is rather than giving birth to him: “To a cruel war I sent him, from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he uses the theme of manhood to create motives for characters to act like a man. This is seen in many occurrences in Macbeth where characters try to act like men for certain reasons. Characters that apply this action are Macbeth, the first murderer, Macduff, and Young Siward. These actions are seen throughout the play, and play a key role in the development of the performance.
Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare dramatically shows what can happen when our common gender roles are broken. He shows the power that people can have over others when they aren’t acting the way they’re expected to.
Masculinity is prominently imbued through the main character Macbeth as he struggles with indecision, regret, and an overall lack of valor. Through some verbal manipulation and sly persuasiveness, Macbeth seals his fate and finally strikes Duncan down, which slowly begins to whittle away at his frailly precious mentality. When Macbeth returns from the aforementioned murder, he states, “List’ning their fear, I could not say Amen.” (Act II, scn ii, ln-27-28) Although Macbeth travelled along the road of his destiny, brightened with the guiding light of treason that promised that which he desired the most, Macbeth absolutely loses it and his sheer level of paranoia is laughably feeble. Macbeth’s inability to compose himself in the face of a dilemma speak volumes to how strongly Macbeth’s personality opposes the qualities of a true man, courageousness and firmness of purpose. Lady Macbeth is the one that has to babysit Macbeth and ensure the success of the entire operation as Macbeth continues to stir in his crib. This wavering cowardice; this crippling inability to steel his resolve and commit to the task at hand is a prime example of his lack of manliness and, when asked to return to the scene of the crime and stage the grotesque daggers emblazoned with sin and gore, Macbeth says “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done.” (Act II, scn ii, ln-50) This quote places Macbeth’s regret and fear on the surface,
Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity suggests that there is a distinction between “sex, as a biological facticity, and gender, as the cultural interpretation or signification of that facticity” (Butler, 522). Performing certain actions that society associates with a specific gender marks you as that gender. In this way, gender is socially constructed. Alfar defines the societal expectation of women as the “constant and unquestioning feminine compliance with the desires of the masculine” (114). Considering Macbeth from a modern perspective and taking this distinction into account, it is necessary to determine if the play is concerned with sex or with gender. Before the action of the play even begins, the audience is warned that “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.11). The first scene of the play casts the world of Macbeth as a land where everything is opposite or disordered. This line at the very start of the play cautions audiences to not take the play at face value because things are not always as they appear to be. Because of this, “all the binaries become complicated, divisions blurred. Thus the binary nature of gender identities, male/female, is eliminated” (Reaves 14). In the world of Macbeth, the typical gender constructions are manipulated and atypical. If the play does not deal with sex, the qualities of Lady Macbeth cannot be applied to all women but rather, representative of society’s construction of gender, “the patriarch, and the limited, restrictive roles of women” (Reaves 11). Within this reading of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s examination and questioning of gender construction allows modern day readers to recognize the enduring relevance of
Throughout history women have fought for the same rights of men. In the time of William Shakespeare they were seen in society as weak and vulnerable. They were seen to be good, caring and not as powerful as men. Men were the superior and ruled the land. Shakespeare has taken the stereotypical image of the women of the time and turned it on its head in ‘Macbeth’. Lady Macbeth is shown as a very powerful, strong woman. She has an evil about her that Shakespeare has used to make ‘Macbeth’ a supernatural play. Women were seen to be good and not as powerful as men, in ‘Macbeth’ Lady Macbeth is the dominate character and commands and persuades Macbeth to commit the murders and crimes that he does.
Gender is evidently out of its traditional order within the play, and thus the three chosen exemplar characters to showcase this are Lady Macbeth, the Witches, and Macbeth. In saying this, Lady Macbeth is a clear example of how the traditional characteristics of a woman are non-existent as they are taken over by masculinity and strength. The witches challenge their womanhood due to the power they hold and attributes they have, all while Macbeth challenges his gender as he shows femininity through weakness and fretfulness.
William Shakespeare's Macbeth presents an immense alteration in gender roles and stereotypes through the characteristics of Lady Macbeth. Her intriguing personality and unique decisions allow her to be one of the most absorbing female characters in Shakespearean history. Through her behaviour, actions, and possession of dominance in her relationship, Lady Macbeth proves herself to be more than just the average woman of Elizabethan culture. Throughout the duration of the play, Lady Macbeth defies the feminine stereotypes imposed upon women of her era.
The portrayal of gender roles in William Shakespeare’s play Othello, demonstrates the inferior treatment of women and the certain stereotypes of men placed on them by society. Both the male and female characters in the play have these certain gender expectations placed on them. In a society dominated by men, it is understood that the women are to be seen rather than heard. The women are referred to and treated much like property. If indeed they do speak up, they are quickly silenced. One woman’s attempt to be the perfect wife is what ultimately led to her demise. The expectations of men are equally stereotypical. Men are to be leaders and to be in control and dominant especially over the women. The male characters compete for position and use the female characters in the play as leverage to manipulate each other. Shakespeare provides insight in understanding the outcomes of the men and women who are faced with the pressures of trying to live up to society’s expectations, not only in the workplace, but also in the home. The pressure creates jealousy issues amongst the men and they become blind to the voice of reason and are overtaken by jealous rage, leads to the death of many of the characters.
.... The theme of masculinity being displayed throughout the play, particularly by Macbeth himself, reinforces his position in terms of importance. This revolving notion can be justified through the manner in which the audience views Macbeth’s own urge for power- over femininity and also for the throne; thus slowly developing a setting for the preceding plot. Once again Macbeth is also imperative in regards to the story line, as he is the figure in which Shakespeare tends to propose certain principles and consequences.