After reading The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, many people are left with unanswered questions about the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. What really provokes Lady Macbeth’s cruel actions? What is the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth? And lastly, is Macbeth really just a power-hungry, violent man? When one dissects the play scene by scene and analyzes every line, all of these questions are answered. In the play, Lady Macbeth’s actions are a result of a presumed mental illness, societal gender roles force a dependency on Macbeth and define the couple’s relationship, and Macbeth is shown as more than just a cruel man and is capable of being compassionate.
There are multiple instances where Lady Macbeth …show more content…
First, her eyes are bloodshot and seem fatigued. Since there is a lack of color within the picture, the red around her eyes really pop and emphasize her exhaustion from her lack of sleep and all of her restless nights. Also, her skin nearly matches the color of her white gown showing the unhealthy, ghostly pale complexion she is depicted to have. And lastly, her hair is long, stringy, and frizzy. Both her skin and hair is illustrated proof of her breakdowns and her sickly mental state. When someone undergoes stress, their physical appearance is altered. Therefore, through Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene, evidence from a well known and prestigious psychoanalyst, and Lady Macbeth’s physical appearance in George Ben’s illustration, there is proof that Lady Macbeth’s action of killing Duncan are initiated by her mental …show more content…
For example, Elizabeth Klett proclaimed this about Lady Macbeth and her unsexing herself, “Thus, Lady Macbeth must act and think ‘like a man’ because good women are by definition subservient, and no exert no recognizable authority” (Klett 1). This expands on the thought that Lady Macbeth must show manly traits in order to accomplish her goals of acting upon something that is so drastic. She clearly wants to have an authority in a situation like this which demonstrates the gender roles that portray women as incapable of holding a high position. Another point that Klett was sure to make is the setting and how that affects the gender roles and relationship between two sexes. She says, “Set in medieval Scotland, the play depicts a violent society in which gender roles are rigidly defined: men are judged by their ability in combat, and women by their docility and obedience” (Klett 1). It’s stated here that simply because Lady Macbeth is a woman, she must do what Macbeth says and respect him. In modern day society, it is a known fact that women are just as capable of doing what a man can do since the play is taken place at such a different time period, it results in a man and woman having a different relationship compared to
There are multiple instances where Lady Macbeth …show more content…
First, her eyes are bloodshot and seem fatigued. Since there is a lack of color within the picture, the red around her eyes really pop and emphasize her exhaustion from her lack of sleep and all of her restless nights. Also, her skin nearly matches the color of her white gown showing the unhealthy, ghostly pale complexion she is depicted to have. And lastly, her hair is long, stringy, and frizzy. Both her skin and hair is illustrated proof of her breakdowns and her sickly mental state. When someone undergoes stress, their physical appearance is altered. Therefore, through Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene, evidence from a well known and prestigious psychoanalyst, and Lady Macbeth’s physical appearance in George Ben’s illustration, there is proof that Lady Macbeth’s action of killing Duncan are initiated by her mental …show more content…
For example, Elizabeth Klett proclaimed this about Lady Macbeth and her unsexing herself, “Thus, Lady Macbeth must act and think ‘like a man’ because good women are by definition subservient, and no exert no recognizable authority” (Klett 1). This expands on the thought that Lady Macbeth must show manly traits in order to accomplish her goals of acting upon something that is so drastic. She clearly wants to have an authority in a situation like this which demonstrates the gender roles that portray women as incapable of holding a high position. Another point that Klett was sure to make is the setting and how that affects the gender roles and relationship between two sexes. She says, “Set in medieval Scotland, the play depicts a violent society in which gender roles are rigidly defined: men are judged by their ability in combat, and women by their docility and obedience” (Klett 1). It’s stated here that simply because Lady Macbeth is a woman, she must do what Macbeth says and respect him. In modern day society, it is a known fact that women are just as capable of doing what a man can do since the play is taken place at such a different time period, it results in a man and woman having a different relationship compared to