She Wears the Pants Throughout the ages, society has stereotyped men and women with certain characteristics and roles. Men and women are expected to stick to these gender roles and are often criticized or ridiculed when they stray from the status quo. During William Shakespeare’s time, women were submissive to their husbands and did nothing more than serve them and the rest of their family. Shakespeare explored the idea of switched gender roles and the meaning of masculinity through the use of strong female characters. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, the character of Lady Macbeth uses her sexuality and channels her masculinity to accomplish her goals. When the audience meets Lady Macbeth for the first time, she is seen as Macbeth’s
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Unfortunately, she is no longer sane and is consumed by the guilt of her actions. When she does pass away, Macbeth is left to fend for himself which makes him even more paranoid. Since “Macbeth leans upon her strength, trusts in her fidelity, and throws himself on her tenderness” (Jameson 7), his goal becomes more difficult. It is evident that their relationship, while she was alive, was one filled with love and equal respect for one another – he fondly calls her “my dearest partner in greatness” (Shakespeare 46) in the letter addressed to her. After Duncan’s murder, it seems to distance the partners in crime. In Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s exchange of words in Act III, Scene 2, we see how she is persuading Macbeth to leave their crimes in the past, but it becomes known that he is planning future ones – without her. From this point on, Macbeth does not include her in future plans, and he now “serves as the driving force in their course of evil” (Morrow 98) while his wife sits at his side, ready to act when necessary. Stereotypes and gender roles are a major theme in this play. Given the time period, Lady Macbeth was expected to conform to one role, yet she defied society’s expectations. Even though Lady Macbeth consciously rejected her feminine side for a masculine one, she unknowingly used
Unfortunately, she is no longer sane and is consumed by the guilt of her actions. When she does pass away, Macbeth is left to fend for himself which makes him even more paranoid. Since “Macbeth leans upon her strength, trusts in her fidelity, and throws himself on her tenderness” (Jameson 7), his goal becomes more difficult. It is evident that their relationship, while she was alive, was one filled with love and equal respect for one another – he fondly calls her “my dearest partner in greatness” (Shakespeare 46) in the letter addressed to her. After Duncan’s murder, it seems to distance the partners in crime. In Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s exchange of words in Act III, Scene 2, we see how she is persuading Macbeth to leave their crimes in the past, but it becomes known that he is planning future ones – without her. From this point on, Macbeth does not include her in future plans, and he now “serves as the driving force in their course of evil” (Morrow 98) while his wife sits at his side, ready to act when necessary. Stereotypes and gender roles are a major theme in this play. Given the time period, Lady Macbeth was expected to conform to one role, yet she defied society’s expectations. Even though Lady Macbeth consciously rejected her feminine side for a masculine one, she unknowingly used