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Shakespeare's portrayal of women
Viewing Shakespeare from a feminist viewpoint
Shakespeare's portrayal of women
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In her book We Should All Be Feminists, novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie states that, “The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be, rather than recognizing how we are.” This statement reveals a flaw in today’s society, but back when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth was this still the case? Shakespeare completely disreguarded gender roles in the writing of Macbeth, giving all the power to Lady Macbeth and leaving Macbeth himself victim to her. In Macbeth, women are written in such a way that it can be seen as progressive for its time because they are strong, powerful and manipulaive. There are way too many books in which women exist solely to fawn over the man in their lives. Take Twilight for example, if Bella had somehow convinced Edward to murder everyone in his way of her being a vampire those books would have played out way differently, but instead the book includes this gem: …show more content…
First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was part of him — and I didn’t know how potent that part might be — that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
(Meyer 235)
This is in the first book, not even halfway through…she falls in love with the guy despite the fact that he might want to kill her…sounds safe.
On the other hand, if Shakespeare had written Lady Macbeth the way Bella was written, Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macduff and her son would more than likely have lived through the play because Macbeth is too afraid to do commit the crimes on his own. In Act 1, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manhood, something many women wouldn’t dare do, by saying:
What beast was’t, then,
That made you break this enterprise to
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
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
Characters in Macbeth frequently dwell on issues of gender. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband by questioning his manhood, wishes that she herself could be ?unsexed,? and does not contradict Macbeth when he says that a woman like her should give birth only to boys. In the same manner that Lady Macbeth goads her husband on to murder, Mac...
In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth was a power hungry woman who would do anything to achieve control. “…Nature is more powerful than nurture, and a person’s capabilities are strictly limited and largely determined by his endowment at birth” (The Scientific Monthly 221). Lady Macbeth was born to be a powerful and controlling woman. She took on many masculine characteristics, because she was craving power. If it weren’t for her manipulating Macbeth to commit the murder of King Duncan, she would’ve done it herself. Macbeth even thought that she was a man’s soul in a woman’s body. “…Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the ...
In the Elizabethan era, the expectations for woman were limited to being a housewife and a mother. Women were expected to obey their husbands. These expectations, and the person Lady Macbeth actually was, are polar opposites. Lady Macbeth did rely on Macbeth, but she only relied on him because she could only obtain her power through him. The methods she used to obtain this power go against the stereotypical Elizabethan woman. She used deceit to convince her husband to commit the first murder, saying that she would “chastise [him] with the valour of [her] tongue.” (I,v, 26) What convinced him to go through with the murder, however, was when Lady Macbeth laid out the plan for him. (I,vii,60-72) After the murder occurred, it was Lady Macbeth who took control, while Macbeth was extremely shaken. She returned the daggers to the chamberlains, then again insulted Macbeth, saying she would be ashamed “[t]o wear a heart so white.” (II,ii,68) She then ordered him to wash his hands, telling him, “[a] little water clears us of this deed.” (II,ii, 70) Macbeth’s inability to stand up to Lady Macbeth showed that she had complete control over him. This was not expected of an Elizabethan wife.
Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth is well known to be a strong, independent character. She proved her strength multiple times throughout the play. But, since she is a woman, her character has a certain weakness which is recognized by the other characters in the play, and especially herself. Given this limitation, many people perceive her to be simply a women with a lot of potential that never truly is able to flourish. On the contrary, she is a key part in the play. Without her, many of the events of the story wouldn’t have taken place. Given her gender, many people won’t be able to realize how large of an influence Lady Macbeth had over Macbeth and the other characters. Lady Macbeth was the “man” in her relationship, showing the strength
Shakespeare, one of the most famous play writers in history, wrote Macbeth in 1606. Many women were not allowed to perform in plays during that time period; however, Shakespeare did have very few females act out roles in his play (Shakespeare: Sample). Shakespeare viewed his women as strong-willed individuals (“Macbeth.” 227 ) when in reality they were often gone unrecognized (Women in Anglo). The character, Lady Macbeth, was a frightening, ambitious woman. Lady Macbeth often wished to “unsex herself” to carry out the killing of King Duncan on her own as her husband showed no manly characteristics to do it. Women during the Anglo-Saxon time period however, were way different then the way Shakespeare viewed his women during his time period.
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
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author who has received numerous awards and distinctions. Her main argument is that everyone should be a feminist not because of our gender, but because it is what is right. Adichie has been featured in Beyonce’s song, “Flawless”, spreading awareness to the idea of feminism. “We Should All Be Feminists” is a book about her experiences in Nigeria, where men are more powerful than women. The intended audience of the passage is each and every person residing in heavily patriarchal societies. Hesr thesis is “we should all be feminists”.
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.
...d have developed a serious mental illnesses of her own, and later die because of it. There would also be no need to killing Banquo, for Macbeth could not have children and he would most likely be dead by the time Banquo’s lineage had succeeded him. Macduff’s family would most likely be saved also. It is amazing how Shakespeare used the psychological issues of one man to develop such a strong interlaced plot would not be the same without Macbeth’s disturbed mental state.
In the play, Macbeth, the power of a woman is a strong force to be reckoned with. Many times in the play, the female characters have proven their equality with any man. From the witches to Lady Macbeth, these characters show their power either in words or in actions. The women, in the play Macbeth, contradict the roles set by society in 1606. Women who over stepped their boundaries were considered a threat to the people and were punished severely. It was shocking to the public to see such masculine female characters in Macbeth.
Shakespeare is known for strong male heroes, but they are not laying around in this play, not that Macbeth is full of strong female heroines, either. The women in the play, Lady Macbeth and the witches have very uncommon gender belief, and act as inhumane as the men. While the men engage in direct violence, the women use manipulation to achieve their desires. As Lady Macbeth impels Macbeth to kill King Duncan, she indicated that she must take on some sort of masculine characteristic in order to process the murder. “Come, you spirits/ that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ of direst cruelty.” (i v 31-34) This speech is made after she reads Macbeth’s letter. Macbeth, she has shown her desire to lose her feminine qualities and gain masculine ones. Lady Macbeth's seizure of the dominant role in the Macbeth's marriage, on many occasions, she rules her husband and dictates his actions. Her speeches in the first part of the book give the readers a clear impression. “You shall put this night’s great business into my dispatch, which shall […] gi...
William Shakespeare was an English writer who was regarded as one of the best writer during the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare is known for many of his poems and plays that he wrote. Historically women weren’t regarded equally as men were. The education level that was offered during that time was different for men and woman. Woman weren’t getting further education unlike men were. Woman were homeschooled while men went to schools. During the Elizabethan era witches were being prosecuted and executed. William Shakespeare was influenced by the historical and cultural events that took place during the Elizabethan era and implemented it into his play called Macbeth. Major historical events that affected how the play Macbeth was written was witchcraft,
Within many Shakespearian plays, roles of women often focus on their intelligence, strength, and perseverance. This may indicate Shakespeare’s understanding that women should be treated equal to men and receive equal opportunities like that of men and pose the possibility of Shakespeare himself being a feminist.