Essay William Shakespeares Macbeth - 671 Words

William Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeare lived in an era where women possessed few political and private rights. Women were subjected to the will of men as men were thought to be greater morally, physically and intellectually. Shakespeare, as he was living in this hierarchical and patriarchal world, was subjected to this value system. His powerful and tragic play Macbeth, reflects aspects of this world but also challenges the very basis of its foundations with the use of the characters, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, the Three Witches and Lady Macduff. These characters are not necessarily represented as traditional stereotypical type; this is inputted through the use of role reversal. It can†¦show more content†¦This is achieved through sexual taunting, powered by her own ambition, â€Å"when you durst do it, then you were a man† (1, 7, 49). Macbeth responds to her gibe with a clear sense of himself as a man, and as a human. â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man/who dares do more is noneà ¢â‚¬  (1, 7, 46-47). It is clear then, that Macbeth while typifying the dominating stereotypical masculine image of the time, one of courage, decisiveness and strength, is also plagued with a significant weakness, that of femininity. This serves to both uphold the values of the Elizabethan era, and to challenge them. In Lady Macbeths desire to unsex herself (â€Å"unsex me here† (1, 5, 40)), she seeks to provoke her husband to action by unabashedly attempting to portray herself as an example of the superior man. In doing so she succeeds in inverting the standard of male and female roles as they were prescribed by the Elizabethan Era. She demonstrates her great concern with her husband’s weak countenance saying, â€Å"Yet do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way† (1, 5, 16-18). Lady Macbeth recognizes that her husband’s impressionable nature leaves him vulnerable. His inability to withstand the pressures of his conscience presents LadyShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth749 Words   |  3 Pages1. Macbeth, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, suffers from the fatal flaws of insecurity and indecision, allowing him to easily be manipulated, which causes the audience to feel sympathetic toward him. After Macbeth has heard the prophecy from the three witches and he has been named thane of Cawdor, he is led to a strong internal conflict: â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair†¦ / Shakes so my single state of man that function / is smother’dRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth1401 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth At the beginning of the play, before Macbeth is introduced, the impression given is that he is a very good man indeed. It is as if he was a local hero and could do no wrong. The sergeant refers to him as brave Macbeth and Duncan says O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! Duncan, the king, rewards Macbeth with the title, thane of Cawder, and the previous, treacherous thane having been sentenced to death. People speak of MacbethsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth2461 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth In Macbeth, look at the following scenes: Act one, scenes one, two and three, Act two, scene two, Act four, scene one and Act five, scenes three, six and seven. What did Macbeths character, words and actions show about changes in his character? Why are these scenes important to the plot and structure of the play and how the themes are presented? The play Macbeth is about a man whose rise to power and fall are influenced by his ownRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay757 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth was a â€Å"butcher†, however he became that way as a result of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth was a fiend-like queen whose evilness declined after the murders. In the end of the play, however, Macbeth’s transformation was complete and he was a butcher. Main Body Topic 1 ================= Macbeth’s transition from good to evil by Lady Macbeth:  · Ambition was his only reason for killing the king – â€Å"I have no spur To prickRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Macbeth1483 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth During the Elizabethan era, the great chain of being reigned. Women were low on this chain of power, and men were on top. In fact, women were below horses; you couldn’t live without a good horse, but, you could live without a wife. Lady Macbeth was a woman before her time, she was caught between being today’s ambitious, powerful modern woman and a fragile creature of the Elizabethan era. In the first four acts of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is vicious, overly ambitiousRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth Essay770 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth â€Å"This dead butcher† is not an accurate description of Macbeth. Macbeth did not give an impression of a â€Å"butcher† since he was affected by the death of Duncan. He had contemplated on the positive and negative points about killing Duncan before he committed the act of treason. However his ambition to be king and Lady Macbeth’s persuasiveness and mocking had overridden his sense and logic which caused him to commit this crime. He was consumedRead MoreEssay on William Shakespeares Macbeth647 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth In the tragic play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide, to kill King Duncan. In the play, we see the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth transform in their personality after murdering the King. Macbeth begins the play as a noble soldier, gradually changing into an ambitious murdering man. Similarly, Lady Macbeth is ambitious but she beginsRead MoreThe Letter in William Shakespeares Macbeth1609 Words   |  7 PagesThe Letter in William Shakespeares Macbeth Lady Macbeths reaction when she reads her husbands letter is powerful and dramatic.  · As soon as shes finished reading, she has decided she will make sure Macbeth is king Its as if she and her husband are thinking exactly the same thing. She does not hesitate for a moment.  · Lady Macbeth invites the spirits of evil to enter her She knows she has to steel herself, that the murder will need evil power, andRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Macbeth638 Words   |  3 Pagesagree? Well, in Macbeth manhood is concurrent with power, physical strength, courage, and force of will. Rarely though, is it bound to the ideals of moral fortitude or mentality. The motif of gender recurs many times in Shakespeare’s work. Being a â€Å"man† in Macbeth means that you must be physically capable, cruel, and do what ever it takes to accomplish one’s goals. Women were supposed to obey their husbands and be good. Evil from a woman was absolutely not permitted. The women in Macbeth are the fireRead MoreThe Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe Downfall of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeares Macbeth William Shakespeares Macbeth has been a theatrical favorite since Elizabethan times. Its timeless themes of ambition, fate, violence, and insanity collaborate to produce a captivating plot. The audience traces the disintegration of a tragic hero and his willful wife. Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeares most forcefully drawn female characters, plays an important role in the play Macbeth. She has a profound influence over the action