How Women Are Portrayed Within Macbeth Essays - 2682 Words

William Shakespeare has many interesting female characters throughout all of his different types of works. Some of his women are leading ladies while others are just supporting characters that help move the story along. No matter the depth of the characters’ role, each lady gives some type of unthinkable personality trait that would be unique to women during Shakespeare’s time. Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear all have female characters that portray women who wouldn’t be seen during the time of William Shakespeare’s writing. It took creativity and skill for Shakespeare to get his characters around the censor who would check the plays. His female characters are strong, but not overtly so. He gives them characteristics of his†¦show more content†¦Emotionally and physically women were considered to be the weaker sex. Men had to take care of their family as well as take care of their wives. It was unheard of for a woman to be considered stronger than h er husband, or any man for that matter. This is why it is so important to note that William Shakespeare’s women don’t fit the mold of the time they were written. Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s female characters that doesn’t fit the mold for a woman in William Shakespeare’s time. While King James was in power, it was nonsense to think that a woman would be smarter than the King. Shakespeare, however, mocks the King by having Lady Macbeth make Duncan, fictional King of Scotland, sound like a fool. While performing Macbeth, this fact wouldn’t be evident to the royal court especially if it got passed the censor. The censor would read through the plays to make sure that people were going against the King. Duncan makes a statement saying that â€Å"there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face† (1.4.12-15). This line has Duncan saying that a person can’t tell what another person is thinking by just lo oking at their face. Lady Macbeth refutes this point by saying to her husband: â€Å"your face, my Thane, is as a book where men may read strange matters† (1.5.61-62). This contradiction has Lady Macbeth prove Duncan wrong. She can tell that something is on her husband’sShow MoreRelatedExmine the Masculine and Feminine Representations in Relation to Power in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth981 Words   |  4 Pageschallenged and manipulated throughout the play, Macbeth. William Shakespeare explores the relationship between gender and power within the play, challenging the male dominant society of the 16th century. The play is set in the 11th century, Scotland where a patriarchal society is portrayed through the characters within the Shakespearean production. Qualities such as courage, honour, braveness and control were reflected at that time as masculinity. Macbeth is portrayed through these characteristics in the beginningRead MoreWomen in Gothic Literature Essay 862 Words   |  4 PagesWomen in gothic literature are presented as either evil or victims how far do you agree? The Gothic genre is an increasingly popular area for feminist studies, showing contrasts in society at the time and the expectations of women within it. In pre industrial times, women were expected to play a subservient role to men, they were expected to marry young and bare children, they would simply care for their husbands and support the family, they were denied the right to vote or own property and wereRead MoreLady Macbeth By William Shakespeare1280 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Lady Macbeth is a big character one of the most complex characters within the play. She is a mixture of contradictions she is strong, ambitious, ruthless, weak and manipulative to name a few. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is strong, ruthless and ambitious, in Act1 Sc.3. Lady Macbeth s more ambitious urges lead Macbeth to the path of crime. She is cold and nasty; she shows no emotion when she believes both her and Macbeth’s dreams are under threat. Lady Macbeth believes her husbandRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Othello1417 Words   |  6 PagesHello, I’m William Shakespeare, the famous and historically known playwright of plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth. Today I will be talking to you all about two of my plays, Othello and Macbeth. I will also be talking to you all about the social, political and historical themes in my plays and my intent for writing them. I wrote Macbeth and Othello during the reign of King James the 1st of England. Events that were occurring during that time period and the feeling of theRead MoreLady Macbeth Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth differently throughout the play. Before the murder of Duncan, she is more naà ¯ve and pure compared to after the murder of King Duncan, where she starts the road to insanity and nervousness. At the very start of the play during Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have a very close relationship and they would tell each other anything. At the start of the scene, Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from her husband, Macbeth. Within the letter Macbeth tells her a lot of sensitiveRead MoreAnalysis Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning And A Woman s Lover 1712 Words   |  7 PagesThis analysis will look at how major themes such as, ambition, supernatural, reality and appearance, played a role in the way events occurred and how they have affected t he marriage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This analysis would also study how the author, William Shakespeare, portrayed these themes using language and historical context to affect the opinions of the audience’s perception of the two characters. As Shakespeare’s Macbeth had been written in the past, it would be of great contrastRead MoreGender And Gender Roles In Macbeth By William Shakespeare1043 Words   |  5 PagesIn Macbeth by William Shakespeare, gender plays a pivotal role in the development of the overall plot and as the play advances, certain characters, including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth experience a reversal in traditional gender behaviors. Additionally, we see gender confusion among other characters that enhances conflict in the play. Originally, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are portrayed in ways that enforce their respective masculinity and feminism in accordance to the society around them. As MacbethRead MoreEssay about Evil in William Shakespeares Macbe th755 Words   |  4 PagesEvil in William Shakespeares Macbeth Evil. It is a word that has been used for hundreds of years, yet the meaning is ones interpretation of what is evil. The criteria for an evil act have changed over the years also. My interpretation of evil is a very bad or ill act against a person, animal or God. Macbeth, dead butcher and evil man? This essay will discuss this question. At the start of the play Macbeth is portrayed as a brave soldier, who would do anything forRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Henry Iv928 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s plays Macbeth and Henry IV Part One are both plays that are wrought with the notion of destiny. The journeys that Macbeth and Hal undertake throughout these plays are contrastingly different and each play takes on a different perspective of destiny. In Macbeth destiny is attempted to be controlled by Macbeth himself whereas Hal has a destiny that he was born into, a destiny to be king. Both are portrayed differently in different spheres of their society this will be explored furtherRead MoreThe Evil That Lies Within1281 Words   |  6 PagesEvil That Lies Within Evil is a complex subject that has existed since the beginning of time and will continue to exist until the very end. It is seen as internal, which can be seen within ourselves, and external, such as how society is. British Literature most often has a form of wickedness involved within the story, consisting of the reasons and motives behind the concept of it. â€Å"Evil comes within ourselves, we are good by nature but are corrupted by society† (Notes). It lies within the subconscious