Building on the assumption that differences between the sexes in tragedy are defined through competing representations of heroism, this paper shall take a closer look at the representation of gender in two premodern tragedies, Shakespeare's Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra. The aim of this paper shall be to provide a short introduction to (Shakespeare) feminist criticism, which will be supplemented with an overview of various notable instances of the representation of gender in these two works.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN MACBETH
3. THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
4. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to explore how the construction of gender, particularly concepts of masculinity and femininity, is represented within two of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra. By analyzing the interaction between patriarchal cultural norms and the characters' actions, the work examines how these plays define heroism through competing sexual identities and the struggle for political power.
- The influence of feminist criticism on contemporary Shakespeare studies.
- The social construction of masculinity as an achieved, rather than innate, status.
- The inversion of social and political order through female influence or agency.
- The relationship between heroic identity and the suppression of the feminine.
- The symbolic role of violence and the body in defining patriarchal virtue.
Excerpt from the Book
The Representation of Gender in Macbeth
At the heart of Macbeth, one finds a paradox of sexual confusion: Macbeth, a virile warrior-hero, is at the same time an ‘unfinished man’ (Kahn, Estate, 19) who murders because he has been convinced by his wife that only through violence will he achieve a state of heroism. His manhood, displayed in the utterly ‘masculine’ form of bloodshed, is not self-determined or innate, but rather infused into him by Lady Macbeth.
Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are fired by the same passion of ambition. However, while Macbeth is presented as violating moral law, Lady Macbeth seems to violate natural law: she is unfeminine (French 16). By eliminating in herself and her husband tenderness, pity and vulnerability to feeling – human qualities her culture tends to associate with women – Lady Macbeth becomes half man herself (Kahn, Estate, 151). Through his efforts to be supreme among all men, Macbeth re-enacts the ambivalence of his sexual identity: the more he tries to prove his masculinity, the greater his fusion with Lady Macbeth (Bradley 350).
Lady Macbeth’s power as a female temptress allies her in a general way with the witches. The disturbance of gender that Banquo registers when he first meets the witches is played out in Lady Macbeth’s attempts to unsex herself. Calling on spirits ambiguously allied with the witches, she phrases this unsexing as the undoing of her own bodily maternal function:
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;
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse;
That no compunctious visitings of Nature
Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between
Th’effect and it! (1.5.39-46)
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides an overview of Shakespearean feminist criticism and establishes the paper's focus on how gendered identities are shaped within the patriarchal context of premodern tragedy.
2. THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN MACBETH: This section analyzes the performative nature of Macbeth's masculinity and how Lady Macbeth’s attempt to abandon her femininity acts as a catalyst for regicide and the disruption of natural order.
3. THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA: This chapter examines the tension between Roman military values and the threat posed by Cleopatra’s feminine power, illustrating how the male protagonist struggles to maintain his identity amidst shifting gender roles.
4. CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the argument that, while Shakespeare engages with conventional patriarchal structures, he highlights the inherent contradictions and excessive polarization of gender roles in his tragedies.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Gender, Feminism, Masculinity, Femininity, Patriarchy, Heroism, Tragedy, Sexual Identity, Power, Social Order, Performance, Maternal Power
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how gender differences and identities are constructed and represented in Shakespeare's tragedies, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra, specifically through the lens of feminist criticism.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The core themes include the social construction of masculinity, the role of femininity in patriarchal structures, the struggle for heroic status, and the connection between political ambition and the inversion of gender norms.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The goal is to analyze how the characters’ sexual identities are shaped by the patriarchal culture of the time and to determine how Shakespeare uses competing representations of heroism to define these tragedies.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper utilizes a literary analysis approach, drawing upon established feminist criticism and historical scholarship to interpret the text through the framework of gender studies.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body investigates the performative nature of manhood, the influence of female figures on male political identity, and the conflict between internal desires and external expectations of gender-appropriate behavior.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include gender representation, Shakespearean tragedy, masculinity, femininity, patriarchal power, and the social construction of sexual identity.
How does the author interpret Lady Macbeth’s call to "unsex" herself?
The author argues that this act represents an attempt to discard "feminine" qualities like pity or tenderness to align herself with a violent, traditionally "masculine" pursuit of power, ultimately violating natural law.
In what way does Cleopatra’s influence affect Antony’s Roman identity?
Cleopatra’s presence challenges Antony’s established Roman identity, as his attraction to her forces him to navigate conflicting roles between his duty as a warrior and his personal desires, leading to his perceived de-masculinization.
- Quote paper
- Verena Schörkhuber (Author), 2006, The representation of gender in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' and 'Antony and Cleopatra', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/64092
