Gender Roles In Macbeth Essay - 974 Words

Introduction Plays tend to reflect the politics and social issues of the time they were written, which can educate people in modern day about philosophy further back than the 17th century. The plot of the play, Macbeth shows how dark and hostile Shakespeare’s writing became after King James took the throne in 1605 (BBC, 2014). The way the play speaks about women can reflect on the way Shakespeare thought of gender roles, and can display how far society has come in four centuries. In the 17th century, women had few rights, and followed orders from men, at the time the world depended on men (Alchin, 2012). Shakespeare wrote about men as superior and strong, yet women were weak, but he almost challenged those roles even in the 17th century†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.† (1, v), she knew Macbeth was too kind to fulfill Duncan’ s destiny, and she was the only person who would do it, yet she wasn’t a man which was the only fault to her plan. Macbeth started to refuse Lady Macbeth’s plan which is when she questions his manhood: â€Å"What beast was ’t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.† (1, vii). Using the term â€Å"man† as another word for being a strong person could possibly be the root of small sexist terms people use in modern society, Macbeth shows that sexism started centuries ago. The play even started to question these terms. When Macduff is given the news that his wife and children had been killed, Malcolm tells him to take it like a man, yet Macduff wants to grieve â€Å"I shall do so, but I must also feel it as a man. I cannot but remember such things were that were most precious to me† (4, iii). Macduff challenged these roles by suddenly saying that sadness and grief aren’t just felt by women. Macduff somewhat contradicts himself a line later â€Å"Oh, I could play the woman with mine eyes and braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens, cut short all intermission.† (4,Show MoreRelatedMacbeth Essay: the Role of Gender and Position911 Words   |  4 PagesMacbeth Essay: The Role of Gender and Position Amilio Lopez In Macbeth, many elements that affect the story’s plot and outcome; however, gender and position of power play the most important role of the story. For example, Lady Macbeth continuously wants to be changed into a man in order to get certain duties done that Macbeth is hesitant to do. Also, Lady Macbeth uses the power of belittling Macbeth’s masculinity to further drive his actions in the play. 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