Stereotypes In Macbeth
In the twenty-first century, there are no stereotypes on any gender pertaining to the characteristics that they are supposed to have. Males are not expected to be strong and brave; females are not expected to be weak and sensitive, instead everyone can be anyone they choose. But in William Shakespeare’s time – the seventeenth century – people were expected to behave a certain way in society. Throughout many plays Shakespeare went against that expectation and rebelled against society's norms by creating characters that were completely different from the expectations the European world had of them. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, many characters had traits about them that were different from the seventeenth century man and woman; this included women
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She had no hand in any matters, but her husband was at fault for helping Malcolm along with the English army. Just the fact that she was her husband’s wife put her in grave danger, she realized, although a little too late, that pleading innocent and “put[ting] up that womanly defence” (4.2.75) will not help her and that she should face the murderers and accusations like a man, with violence, bravery and courage to regain her honour. She does get murdered before she can stand up to Macbeth or do anything significant, but by at least trying to stand up to the tyranny, Lady Macduff sheds off her womanly appearance and is willingly adopting a man’s style of dealing with his problems. Interestingly, in Macbeth Shakespeare also decided to feminize men so that they show a range of emotions in many …show more content…
Malcolm tells him to “Dispute it like a man” (4.3.222) – with bravery – but Macduff would rather “feel it as a man” (4.3.224), with grief and mourn for his lost loved ones. After vowed revenge on Macbeth, but only after he claims that he could “play the woman with [his] eyes” (4.3.233). Macduff could cry and mourn about his loss, but his gender role of society forbids him to do so, at least in from of other men, so he has no time to act like he truly would if it were a more private environment. Later in the play Macduff does get his revenge on Macbeth, but only for his
She had no hand in any matters, but her husband was at fault for helping Malcolm along with the English army. Just the fact that she was her husband’s wife put her in grave danger, she realized, although a little too late, that pleading innocent and “put[ting] up that womanly defence” (4.2.75) will not help her and that she should face the murderers and accusations like a man, with violence, bravery and courage to regain her honour. She does get murdered before she can stand up to Macbeth or do anything significant, but by at least trying to stand up to the tyranny, Lady Macduff sheds off her womanly appearance and is willingly adopting a man’s style of dealing with his problems. Interestingly, in Macbeth Shakespeare also decided to feminize men so that they show a range of emotions in many …show more content…
Malcolm tells him to “Dispute it like a man” (4.3.222) – with bravery – but Macduff would rather “feel it as a man” (4.3.224), with grief and mourn for his lost loved ones. After vowed revenge on Macbeth, but only after he claims that he could “play the woman with [his] eyes” (4.3.233). Macduff could cry and mourn about his loss, but his gender role of society forbids him to do so, at least in from of other men, so he has no time to act like he truly would if it were a more private environment. Later in the play Macduff does get his revenge on Macbeth, but only for his