Gender is a fluid social construct to describe ones of being whether they are male or female. Gender can be seen as fluid because many different people throughout the world go outside of their traditional gender roles. In the Shakespearian era, the popular viewpoint of gender was that gender is concrete and is something that one is born with and must adhere to. It can be said that Shakespeare had the contrary belief of that time, this is evident by looking at some of the characters in the play Macbeth, specifically the characters Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff. In the play, Macbeth, Shakespeare deconstructs traditional concrete ideas about gender plus argues that gender is a fluid social construct by demonstrating fluidity of gender
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One example of Macbeth demonstrating his masculine side is when he proclaims,
“I will not yield,
To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet,
And to be baited with the rabble’s curse.
Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,
And thou opposed, being of no woman born,
Yet I will try the last.” .(5.8, 33-37)
Macbeth is practically saying that he will not surrender and give his throne to to Malcolm and be taunted by commoners, he will fight to the end for his kingship.This quote is a great example of the toxic masculinity within Macbeth. Macbeth's greed of the kingship and what he will do for it exemplifies his hyper ambition which is a characteristic of toxic masculinity. In what Macbeth says, it can be seen that Macbeth is experiencing a lot of the characteristics of masculine toxicity such as over competitiveness, hyper …show more content…
This is Lady Macbeth rejecting her femininity to go into masculinity. We can see Lady Macbeth demonstrate masculinity when she says “O, never/
Shall sun that morrow see!/
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men/
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,/
Look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye,/
Your hand, your tongue. Look like th' innocent flower,/
But be the serpent under ’t. He that’s coming/
Must be provided for; and you shall put/
This night’s great business into my dispatch,/
Which shall to all our nights and days to come/
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.”.
One example of Macbeth demonstrating his masculine side is when he proclaims,
“I will not yield,
To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet,
And to be baited with the rabble’s curse.
Though Birnam Wood be come to Dunsinane,
And thou opposed, being of no woman born,
Yet I will try the last.” .(5.8, 33-37)
Macbeth is practically saying that he will not surrender and give his throne to to Malcolm and be taunted by commoners, he will fight to the end for his kingship.This quote is a great example of the toxic masculinity within Macbeth. Macbeth's greed of the kingship and what he will do for it exemplifies his hyper ambition which is a characteristic of toxic masculinity. In what Macbeth says, it can be seen that Macbeth is experiencing a lot of the characteristics of masculine toxicity such as over competitiveness, hyper …show more content…
This is Lady Macbeth rejecting her femininity to go into masculinity. We can see Lady Macbeth demonstrate masculinity when she says “O, never/
Shall sun that morrow see!/
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men/
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,/
Look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye,/
Your hand, your tongue. Look like th' innocent flower,/
But be the serpent under ’t. He that’s coming/
Must be provided for; and you shall put/
This night’s great business into my dispatch,/
Which shall to all our nights and days to come/
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.”.