Gender Inequality In Macbeth

The play ‘Macbeth’ predates the concept of feminism and therefore equality between the sexes both in the political and personal spheres was unheard of. As a result the women within the narrative are often marginalised and void of any power. In the cases where women do have influence they are either criticised and isolated or treated as strange, supernatural creatures. However, this would have conformed to the original audience’s expectations as women were seen as subordinate to men. Their responsibilities included managing the household, raising children and obeying their husbands; these were their only real roles in society, as a wife and a mother, and were inextricably associated with ideals of femininity. Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ demonstrates …show more content…
Gender roles are culturally constructed and, in the case of ‘Macbeth’, masculinity has as many expectations and connotations as femininity. At the beginning of the play Macbeth fulfils the criteria of contemporary masculinity; presented as ‘brave’ and ‘valiant’, he is described as the perfect soldier and seems to represent the ideals of men of the time. Yet, despite Macbeth conforming to the stereotype, it could be argued that the exposition also suggests equality between the Macbeths- which would have been improbable in the time period. This is shown when Macbeth refers to his wife as his “Dearest partner of greatness” therefore subverting the stereotypical power balance of the patriarchal society, and, defying the norm. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth welcomed more ‘masculine’ traits when she “unsexed” herself in order to be ‘strong’; whereas Macbeth appears weak in the face of the murder and is particularly vulnerable to her manipulations when she ‘pours her spirits’ into his ear. She uses the dominant ideology to her advantage, questioning his masculinity in order to provoke him into the action of regicide. However, as the play progresses, a change of power relations occurs between them. As Macbeth ascends the political hierarchy he appears to revert back to the expected attitudes of the patriarchy, consequently, he marginalises his wife and forces his once ‘dearest partner of greatness’ to become ‘innocent of the knowledge.’ The relationships within the play mirror the political and social world emphasising the concept that the ‘private and public spheres are inextricably linked’ seen in the critical anthology. Their relationship brings into question whether the difference between men and women comes from biology or social construction. However, although Macbeth subverts expectations of masculinity in some aspects of the play, it could be argued that many