1. PREFACE
This term paper has the women of Shakespeare’s time in focus with a special interest in the figure of Lady Macbeth in his play “Macbeth”. My goal to achieve will be to draw a line between the understanding of women in Shakespearean England and his forming Lady Macbeth as a destructive female figure in this drama. Macbeth was written predominantly as a stage play around 1605/06. The significance of gender and sex in this play is most obvious in the conception of Lady Macbeth. In Shakespeare’s former plays women had only minor roles with a lesser quantity of speech acts. Although Lady Macbeth still has merely a third of her husband’s lines, she is still the second largest role of the play. But focus should not only be laid upon quantity as such. Concerning the reception of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it becomes clear that Lady Macbeth’s central role as wife, seductress and passive leader of events make her nearly as important as Macbeth himself. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Preface
2. Renaissance and Gender Theories
2.1 Renaissance
2.2 Gender theory in ancient Greece
2.3 ‘Gender’ during the age of Renaissance
3. Gender in Shakespeare’s Macbeth
3.1 Introduction
3.2 ‘unsex me here’ – Lady Macbeth
3.2.1 Lady Macbeth’s attitude towards the murder
3.2.2 Lady Macbeth’s motherly features
3.2.3 Lady Macbeth and her husband
3.3 Thunder and lightning. ‘Enter three Witches’
3.4 Shakespeare’s destructive women
4. Conclusion
5. Literature
5.1 Primary Literature
5.2 Secondary Literature
5.3 Online Resources
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines the depiction of women during the Renaissance period, using William Shakespeare’s tragedy "Macbeth" as a primary case study to explore the intersection of gender roles, power, and perceived femininity.
- The historical context of gender theories in Renaissance England.
- The characterization of Lady Macbeth as a "destructive female figure."
- The analysis of Lady Macbeth's subversion of traditional maternal and domestic roles.
- The connection between femininity, witchcraft, and the disruption of the natural order.
- The overall impact of gendered social hierarchies on Shakespearean character construction.
Excerpt from the Book
‘unsex me here’ – Lady Macbeth
The following passage gives a great number of interesting and important expressions. Lady Macbeth calls upon “metaphysical aid” (I.5/l.27), as she put it before.
Come, you Spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me, from crown to the toe, top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood, […]
That no compunctious visitings of Nature […]
Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall […] (I.5/l.38 – 46)
The Lady obviously wants to take matters into her own hands, as she does not trust her husband to have the drive to murder Duncan. As stated before, manhood in general is connected to cruelty and brutality. Women in the late 16th Century belonged nowhere but home. While she is seduced by the letter of Macbeth she changes into the active seductress within a very small number of lines. It is already at this stage, that the reader finds an unusual cruelty about this woman since the way to achieve regency is irrelevant to her. In the centre of this passage stands the wish of Lady Macbeth to be freed from her sex. This wish depicts her feeling trapped in the role of the loving, maternal, nourishing, stay-at-home wife. With these words she recognises that she as well has too much humanity in her blood to do the deed. Only if she looses the features classifying a woman, she might be able to kill someone. She rises above herself as the forcing power behind Macbeth’s aims. Important to see here is that she does not do it for her own sake. ‘Unsex me here’ does not mean she wants to be a man, but the role she must now take on requires from her masculine features.
Summary of Chapters
Preface: This section introduces the focus on women in Shakespearean times and outlines the aim to link historical gender understandings with the destructive characterization of Lady Macbeth.
Renaissance and Gender Theories: This chapter provides a historical overview of the Renaissance movement, Greek gender concepts, and the societal status of women in the 17th century.
Gender in Shakespeare’s Macbeth: This main part analyzes the play as a discourse on manhood and nature, examining Lady Macbeth’s subversion of femininity, the role of the witches, and the marital dynamics between the Macbeths.
Conclusion: This section synthesizes the findings, arguing that Shakespeare reinforced traditional gender hierarchies despite giving female characters powerful roles, ultimately associating their subversion of gender norms with destruction.
Literature: This chapter lists the primary and secondary sources used for the investigation, including academic journals and historical analyses.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Renaissance, Gender Theory, Femininity, Manhood, Witchcraft, Natural Order, Humanism, Destructive Women, Elizabethan Era, Regency, Gender Roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this term paper?
The paper focuses on the depiction of women during the Renaissance, specifically analyzing how female figures are portrayed in William Shakespeare’s "Macbeth."
What are the central thematic fields covered?
Key themes include gender theories of the Renaissance, the social status of women in the 17th century, the interplay of masculinity and cruelty, and the symbolism of femininity in "Macbeth."
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to draw a connection between the contemporary understanding of women in Shakespearean England and the author's construction of Lady Macbeth as a destructive force.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon primary text excerpts and historical-cultural context to interpret gendered characterizations.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines Lady Macbeth’s rejection of femininity, her influence on Macbeth, the role of the witches in disrupting natural order, and the specific marital dynamic of the Macbeths.
Which keywords define this academic work?
The work is defined by terms such as Gender Theory, Renaissance, Macbeth, Femininity, Manhood, and Destructive Women.
How does the author interpret the phrase "unsex me here"?
The author argues that Lady Macbeth's request is not a desire to become a man, but a recognition that the role she must assume to achieve power requires her to shed traditionally "weak" feminine traits.
Why are motherly features significant in the analysis of Lady Macbeth?
Motherhood is identified as an attribute of womanhood that the play portrays as contradictory to cruelty; Lady Macbeth rejects these features to dissociate herself from traditional moral constraints.
Does the author believe Shakespeare was progressive regarding women?
No, the author concludes that while Shakespeare gave female characters central and powerful roles, he ultimately depicted them as destructive, reinforcing the era's view that a society run by women would lead to chaos.
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- Sabine Reich (Autor:in), 2005, Shakespearean Drama - Women in Renaissance, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/54687
