Male Domination In Macbeth

Women are considered the more feeble species of humans, however they are not the truly

feeble species and we know this from several causes of history. Women have been lessened to men

for several decades going back to before women could even vote. We see a shift in the traditional

sense of male domination as we look at William Shakespeare 's, Macbeth, through the character of

Lady Macbeth. “Women have a much better time than men in this world; there are far more things

forbidden to them” (Oscar Wilde). In the above quote from Oscar Wilde, we notice the inference

to women inferiority. Women have to fight for what they want in this world because of all the

things that are not granted to them. We see a fight through the character of Lady
Lady Macbeth

is the one that guided Macbeth through the murdering of Duncan, which was hard for Macbeth to

accomplish because he felt incompetent on fulfilling the deed of killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth

goes on to make Macbeth lower in status as she continues to tell him what to do as if he is not

capable of completing any task at all on his own. Macbeth is inferior because he does not take

control over the task of killing Duncan, he leaves the planning of the murder up to Lady Macbeth

leaving Macbeth to feel like the subordinate character. Macbeth is kind and does not fit the status

of a king or a person in effort to take the thrown away from someone. Macbeth 's inferiority as he is

incompetent to handle situations alongside Lady Macbeth stimulates the manipulative nature.

Macbeth, presents Lady Macbeth 's manipulative nature, because she is a woman and feels

the need to control those around her so that she will not feel inferior to them. To manipulate is to

control, dominate, or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one 's own

advantage. For example, Shakespeare depicts Lady Macbeth 's manipulative nature when
Lady Macbeth speaks to Macbeth in a

manner that causes him to actually listen and take in everything that she is saying, which are words

of manipulation as she continues to call him unmanly. Lady Macbeth took it upon herself to

manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan for self advantage. Lady Macbeth has complete influence

over Macbeth, which allows for her to easily manipulate him with her words. She compares him to

an animal and this completely emasculates him because any man compared to an animal will

change his ways so that he will not fit the characteristics of an animal. Lady Macbeth employs a

range of different methods, which successfully reverse her husbands intentions through

manipulation. It is clear that Lady Macbeth’s affections are conditional and, unless he meets her

expectations, she will continue to deny his role as a protector and husband. Both Macbeth and

Lady Macbeth live in a society where status is defined by strength. Macbeth shows his strength in

war, but cannot do so in killing Duncan until he is manipulated by Lady Macbeth. She