Power, The tragedy of Macbeth, Vol. 2, Shakespeare, female characters, male characteristic, association of gender, Lady Macbeth
Gender roles have been a common theme in several renderings of literature. Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, provides an example. Shakespeare's take on gender is a unique one, revealed through the women in Macbeth. Women share a strong relationship with power in society according to the female characters of the play. Power is a trait that naturally favors a man, but women are equally capable of inheriting the trait.
[...] Their unisex appearance is revealed when Banquo states, "You should be women, / And yet your beards forbid me to interpret / That you are so" (Shakespeare) The women have the same features of the warriors that dominate the society. Additionally, they are witches which are naturally assumed to have powers. In summary, power is very possible for women to attain. It is naturally identified as a male characteristic. However, Macbeth reveals Shakespeare's indirect statement that power is equally attainable for women. Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters display power throughout the story. Their power is equal to that of the men portrayed in the play. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Vol Classic Books Company, 2001. [...]
[...] Her power is shown when she convinces her husband to kill Duncan. Next, we see the association of gender and power through Lady Macbeth's marriage. She may be identified as the controlling force in the marriage. As previously shown, with the killing of Duncan, she dictates Macbeth's actions. The reader witnesses Lady Macbeth order the actions of her husband on multiple occasions. She is shown to be a ruling force in their marriage. The weird sisters further illustrate the equivalence of power. [...]
[...] Gender roles are completely broken in Macbeth. Due to the dismantled gender roles, an unusual take on power is revealed. Power is often solely delegated to men when gender roles come into play. Macbeth completely defies this delegation of power with the female characters. The women are established as characters with equal, maybe even greater power. Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters are the primary characters that reveal the strong relationship women have with power. Each take up a significant role in the play. [...]
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