Masculinity In Shakespeare's Macbeth

The play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, is a story that revolves around reversals and the idea that “fair is foul and foul is fair” (I.i.12). One of the most intriguing characters in the story is Lady Macbeth, who manipulates her husband Macbeth to carry out her nefarious plans. Her obsession over the prophecy that Macbeth will be king incites her to convince Macbeth that he must murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth introduces her own view of masculinity that stems from the idea that men are inherently reckless and greedy. Although Macbeth contemplates whether or not to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth taunts and persuades Macbeth by challenging his masculinity. She envisions a man to be someone who will take any actions — regardless if violent — to attain his goals. In this way, Lady Macbeth is like a puppeteer who pulls the strings for Macbeth. Because Lady Macbeth appeals to so many male characteristics and acts overpowering in her relationship with Macbeth, it is evident that Lady Macbeth is suffering from gender dysphoria due to her immense desires to

It is quite clear that Lady Macbeth is much more manly than how one might picture her, despite her understanding of masculinity descending the play into chaos. While it is also clear that she greatly suffers from gender dysphoria and relies on supernatural spirits to change her gender, Shakespeare is actually trying to address the issue of misogyny. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a male figure to demonstrate that women can be just as violent and aggressive as a man. We also see female influence over their male counterparts. The reason that Macbeth becomes so corrupt is due to Lady Macbeth convincing him to commit evil actions. Therefore, the play Macbeth exemplifies how people don’t necessarily need to conform with the gender that they identify with and that societal norms should not define how men and women are supposed to