More handpicked essays just for you.
How women are portrayed in Shakespeare plays
Shakespeare's portrayal of women
Shakespeare's representation of women
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
From ancient empires to the inheritance of simple family farms, the passing down of kingships and property has depended on patrilinearity. Maternity is essential to maintain this patrilineage. In Macbeth, Shakespeare vilifies Lady Macbeth as the anti-mother because she rejects patrilineal expectations. By both vilifying her maternal agency and using Lady MacDuff as a foil to Lady Macbeth’s anti-maternal attitudes, Shakespeare endorses traditional maternal values of Early Modern England.
Lady Macbeth’s maternal agency is a threat to Macbeth’s lineage, which casts her and her anti-motherhood, as an antagonist. According to Stephanie Chamberlain, Lady Macbeth’s, “threat of maternal agency (Chamberlain 76),” is negatively depicted in the play because
…show more content…
it, “nurtures social and political chaos (Chamberlain 79).” In Early Modern England, “That mothers could undermine patrilineal outcomes, in fact, contributed to a generalized cultural anxiety about women's roles in the transmission of patrilineage. That patrilineage could be irreparably altered through… nursing, and infanticide rendered maternal agency a social and political concern” (Chamberlain 73). In 1.7, this is made clear when Lady Macbeth, to Shakespeare when he is considering not murdering Duncan, delivers her lines on nursing, then rapidly shifts to describing infanticide: “How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me; / I would, while it was still smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn” (Shakespeare 1.7 55-58). This section reveals her maternal attitude to be ruthless, the antithesis of nurturing. Lady Macbeth also speaks of her breast milk as “gall” (Shakespeare 1.5 47), or bile, which is reminiscent of the witches, specifically their brew in 4.1, with, “Gall of goat” (Shakespeare 4.1 28), where the goat widely symbolizes evil or the Devil.
Lady Macbeth’s multiple references to motherhood in these distinctly unpleasant ways disclose her more brutal nature, effectively having her perceived as foul and therefore more aligned to antagonism in the play. Additionally, in his soliloquy in 3.1, Macbeth bemoans his childless state, his “fruitless crown and… barren scepter” (Shakespeare 3.1 60-61). Lady Macbeth wields power, or at least undermines the expectations of her femininity and her role in perpetuating patrilinearity, by not having children. In 1.5, in her famous invocation soliloquy, she distances herself from the female sex, saying, “Unsex me here” (Shakespeare 1.5 40). This demonstrates her rejection of the maternal demands of patrilinearity. Furthermore, the only one Macbeth fears is Banquo (Shakespeare 3.1 53-54), but it is only the “possession of an heir which elevates Banquo above Macbeth, ensuring that the patrilineal future of [Macbeth] this bloody and barren usurper is denied (Chamberlain 83).” Banquo’s son’s future success lies in the fact that Macbeth will not have children, the blame for which can be foisted on Lady Macbeth’s rejection of
motherhood. This fixation on patrilinearity is again evident “when [Macbeth] is confronted with fathers such as Duncan, Banquo, and MacDuff who have satisfied their patrilineal obligations” (Chamberlain 84). Again, Lady Macbeth’s anti-motherhood is antagonistic. She defies this patrilineal expectation while Macbeth waxes over his “barren scepter (Shakespeare 3.1 60-61), and her rejection of motherhood is not only condemned, but motherhood itself is elevated through the character of Lady MacDuff. The play’s denunciation of the anti-mother, Lady Macbeth, is exemplified by the elevation of the mother, Lady MacDuff. As foils, they present polar experiences of motherhood. Lady MacDuff’s short appearance in 4.2, where she participates in a model of the good family and has lighthearted dialogue with her children, emphasizes Lady Macbeth’s anti-maternal attitude. In this way, Lady MacDuff contributes heavily to the villainous casting of Lady Macbeth, who participates in no nurturing throughout the play and would, had she so sworn, “dashed the brains out” (Shakespeare 1.7 58) of a baby. Consequently, the reception of their deaths relates to their maternal values. Chamberlain discusses how Lady Macbeth’s “solitary, anti-climactic death, unmourned either by Macbeth or his society, becomes apt punishment for the havoc Lady Macbeth's infanticidal fantasy wreaks upon the social and political order” (87). This is in sharp contrast to Lady MacDuff’s death. The receptions of the deaths of the two mothers reflect the maternal being exalted, with Lady MacDuff’s death being avenged and tragically grieved her husband, and with Lady Macbeth’s unsympathetic death being brushed over by the quickly devolving Macbeth in 5.5. Essentially, the foils illustrate the intended direction of the audience’s sympathy toward mothering, while demonizing anti-motherhood. In sum, Lady Macbeth’s lack of motherhood is antagonistic, as it “enables the murder of patrilineage” (Chamberlain 87) that is integral to Macbeth’s story of obtaining the throne. With Lady Macbeth and Lady MacDuff being foils of each other in relation to their motherhood and the receptions of their death, the play provides them with differing levels of sympathy corresponding to their maternal attitudes. Through their opposing roles in patrilinearity, the play exalts traditional values of motherhood by portraying Lady MacDuff as a good character deserving of sympathy, and by having Lady Macbeth regarded as anti-maternal and therefore antagonistic. Today’s anti-mothers are not regarded with as much vitriol as they once widely were, but the pressure and significance of motherhood remain observable, even today.
As Macbeth becomes less dependent on his wife, she loses more control. She loses control of her husband, but mostly, of herself, proving her vacillating truth. Lady Macbeth’s character gradually disintegrates through a false portrayal of unyielding strength, an unsteady control of her husband and shifting involvement with supernatural powers.Throughout the duration of play Lady Macbeth’s truly decrepit and vulnerable nature is revealed. Lady Macbeth has been the iron fist and authority icon for Macbeth, yet deep down, she never carried such traits to begin with. This duality in Lady Macbeth’s character plays a huge role in planting the seed for Macbeth’s downfall and eventual demise.
Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. As she is Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. She is Macbeth’s other half. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. Though in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the highest influence in Macbeth’s life. Her role was so large; in fact, that she uses her position to gain power, stay strong enough to support her unstable Lord, and fails miserably while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth is enough to create the perfect villain because of her ability to manipulate everyone around her. It appears that even she can’t resist the perfect crime.
... pity and fear. In another step further in removal from womanhood, she requests from creatures of evil to turn her mother’s milk into a poison unfit for maternal care of a child. Such acts against the womanly disposition are labeled by Elizabeth Klett to be unnatural. In her introspective article about the women in Macbeth she claims they are so, “Not […] necessary evil, but because they critique their roles, either directly or indirectly, in an oppressive patriarical world”. Lady Macbeth upsets the natural order of known behaviors to women, and changes the course of her husband’s destiny as well as her own. Later in the play, Macbeth changes into man who has become the cold, callous warmonger his wife so venemently fought for. Unfortunately, the request of thickened blood now thins, and Lady Macbeth cannot deny her guilt as she slowly crumbles under the pressure.
One permeating aspect of Shakespeare’s depiction of masculinity is its dominance over femininity. Lady Macbeth is a vital contributor to this mindset throughout the plot. As a means of obtaining power, Lady Macbeth sees her femininity as an obstacle and obtaining masculine attributes as a step toward the throne. We see this when she says, “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and full me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (33). In this quote she is literally asking to replace her feminine attributes with masculine ones, which she perceives as cruelty and aggression. She continues to emphasize this ideal when she states “Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall” (33). This line is a blatant reference ...
Shakespeare’s most distinguished male characters are often influenced and defined by their relationship with their fathers. One can say that a fathers’ goal in life is for his son to become his successor and carry the honor of one’s family name. It seems the same is true for royalty, apart from one’s reputation the future of an entire country is at risk. Shakespeare’s father-son relationships are a depiction serving as a thematic image of social and familial unity. In Macbeth the depiction of the relationships suggest that the bond between father and son is vital to human society because it provides the patrilineal, and genealogical connection that sustains the natural growth of family and community through time.
“Born of a Woman: Fantasies of Maternal Power in Macbeth”. Shakespeare. Online Detroit: Gale, 2003.Student Resource Center- Gold. Gale. Ozen High School. 12 Jan 2010. http://find.galegroup.com
...the beginning of humanity, childbearing has served not only as a way of consummating a relationship, but also as assurance that one’s lineage will carry on. The desperation and emotional stress felt by infertile couples such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Lady Macbeth yield expected, yet certainly not desired, effects.
The concept and perception of gender has changed radically from Shakespeare’s time to now, yet the perceptions of women and the limitations placed on them remain shockingly similar. William Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, Macbeth, addresses gender concerns and the role of women in power positions. The play was written for King James VI of Scotland and I of England as he took the throne during a transitional period in the country’s history. The succession of King James marked the long-desired transition from a matriarchy to a patriarchy. Considering the historical context and Shakespeare’s affinity for King James, some Shakespearean critics hold Lady Macbeth responsible for the political, moral, and personal destruction in the play, as well
Lady Macbeth is one of the most compelling characters who challenges the concept of gender roles. Her relationship with Macbeth is atypical, particularly due to the standards of its time. Lady Macbeth becomes the psychologically controlling force over her husband, essentially assuming a masculine role, in order to inspire the aggression needed to fulfil his ambitions. Through her powerful taunts and persuasion, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to murder the king and to take his throne. She emasculates over her husband repeatedly, knowing that in his desperation to prove his manhood, he will perform the acts she wishes. In Act 1, Scene 5
Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth and the person who has the greatest influence over him. A childless woman, from the start of the play she turns feverish at the prospect of becoming queen and declares that she would kill her own child--"dash his brains out"--if it would help her achieve her goal (I.vii.55). This connection between childlessness and power has led critics, prominently AC Knight in his famous essay, “How Many Children Had Lady Macbeth?” to remark that this is part of the play's greater symbolism, where evil is infertile and good is fertile. (Citation? Since you just paraphrased one of Kn...
Choices all individuals make impact their lives. In the play, Macbeth, we see the damaging physical and psychological consequences that unchecked ambition can have on an individual; showing Macbeth as a once good willed nobleman that turns in a two faced tyrant king. Treachery, paranoia and external forces play a role in Macbeths descendent into madness, displayed through verbal representation such as the disparity between cruelty and masculinity, the difference between kinship and tyranny a parallel use of antithesis to represent the interrelationship of fate and coincidence. Through such themes, Shakespeare demonstrates that despite external factors influencing Macbeth's decisions,
The story of Lady Macbeth throughout Macbeth is one unlike those of its time in its unusually forward-thinking portrayal of a woman with thoughts and actions which would have been considered indecent. This is seen through the representation of her relationship with Macbeth and how they interact. It is also illustrated through Lady Macbeth’s morals and their effect on how she acts and reacts in situations which would weigh heavily on most peoples’ conscious. Her power-hungry attitude is one often reserved for men, especially in this era of literature. All of these factors create a character in Lady Macbeth which is dissimilar to the classic portrayal of women 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...
The play Macbeth is set during the Renaissance Era in Scotland. During the Renaissance Era, women did not have a role is society; they were invisible in the eyes of men. Men managed the public life and went to work, while women were expected to stay at home and take care of household responsibilities. A perfect example of a Jacobean woman is Lady Macduff. Lady Macduff perfectly fits the stereotypical, maternal figure. For example, She has five children that she loves very much. Her love towards her children is shown when she calls her son, “poor monkey”(Macbeth, IV,II,64), which is a term of endearment. Unlike Lady Macduff, Lady Macbeth has no children or a kind heart. Lady Macbeth, to prove her power and strength says, “I would, while it (my child) was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed t...
In Macbeth, Shakespeare conveys the change in Lady Macbeth’s attitude in order to convey the consequences of treason beyond the law. Lady Macbeth is described as a dominant and powerful female character before and immediately after the murder of King Duncan. The characterization of Lady Macbeth is portrayed through situational irony as she is depicted as a strong-willed and confident figure, which is incongruous as it counters the common expectation that women are weaker beings than men. This situational irony is emphasized through lines such as “unsex me ,” and “take my milk ” that tacitly portrays Lady Macbeth’s promptness to abandon her femininity that makes her seem fragile, in order to achieve royalty and power. This characterization is exhibited in the commanding tone that is set by the syntax where the pronoun such as “me” is placed after the verb like “unsex” which makes these phrases an injunction. However, Lady Macbeth’s morbid thoughts and actions surprisingly do not last long after Macbeth murders King Duncan and Fleance, as she becomes less confident and more submissive to Macbeth; thus, contradicting the previous attitude of challenging gender stereotypes. Differing from he...