The power of the patriarchy has been demonstrated throughout history and has made the actions of women appear immoral and even damnable despite the actions being true and often noble. Genuine strength and ambition are exhibited notwithstanding misguided societal views and influences. Women are more than capable of true strength, a strength that is without malevolence, and is warped and diminished by the misguided views of society. No matter the manipulative power of the patriarchy women have demonstrated true strength and ambition. Society views the strength of women as an impossibility despite its obvious existence. The strength of women is misinterpreted as masculinity by society. Lady Macbeth is seen by her own husband to have “undaunted
…show more content…
Macbeth believes that she could “bring forth men-children only” (I vii 80) as she, with all this strength could not possibly be feminine enough to carry a female child. He, and the society that groomed him, believe that strength is a purely masculine trait and though Macbeth can recognise the strength in Lady Macbeth he instantly concludes that if a person has strength they cannot be feminine and thus so masculine that any children born of such a person must to be masculine. Similarly, society believes that for one to be truly strong one must be devoid of all feminine influences. Not only does Macbeth believe that Lady Macbeth cannot be feminine if she is strong but Lady Macbeth herself believes this fallacy. In a time when she must be strong she calls on spirits to “unsex” (I v 44) her. She too believes that to be strong she must be separated from her sex, her womanhood. Moreover she asks the same spirits to take her “milk for gall” (I v 51) hoping to “empty out [her] natural maternal fluid” (Adelman, 286) and leave her without the assumed weakness of womanhood. Lady Macbeth falls prey like all others to the bogus assumption that with …show more content…
True strength is found in crimes committed in the name of passion. It takes great strength to put the needs of others before one’s own and a great deal more to put aside one’s aspirations aside entirely to forward the ambitions of another. Lady Macbeth puts aside her own ambitions to help her husband forward his own ambitions. Lady Macbeth sees that her husband is “too full of the milk o’ human kindness” (I v 16) to do what is necessary to get what should be his leaving Lady Macbeth to do this for him. She does this instantly without thinking because true strength is a part of someone not something that must be thought over and Lady Macbeth is truly strong. In the same, way actions without malicious intent are not evil. The so called crimes of Lady Macbeth can be treated similarly to modern crimes. There is no mens rea or intent in Lady Macbeth’s crime. Her thoughts at the time of the murder are not her own. She cannot in her right mind commit a murder and must call upon “spirits that tend on mortal thoughts” (I v 44-45) to allow her to commit the murder. “She knows the horror of her statement” (Ludough, 236) when she calls upon the spirits. It takes great strength to do something that one fears so greatly without hesitation as Lady Macbeth does. To add to that idea, a truly nefarious person cannot show guilt or feel remorse. The remorse of Lady Macbeth for
Macbeth believes that she could “bring forth men-children only” (I vii 80) as she, with all this strength could not possibly be feminine enough to carry a female child. He, and the society that groomed him, believe that strength is a purely masculine trait and though Macbeth can recognise the strength in Lady Macbeth he instantly concludes that if a person has strength they cannot be feminine and thus so masculine that any children born of such a person must to be masculine. Similarly, society believes that for one to be truly strong one must be devoid of all feminine influences. Not only does Macbeth believe that Lady Macbeth cannot be feminine if she is strong but Lady Macbeth herself believes this fallacy. In a time when she must be strong she calls on spirits to “unsex” (I v 44) her. She too believes that to be strong she must be separated from her sex, her womanhood. Moreover she asks the same spirits to take her “milk for gall” (I v 51) hoping to “empty out [her] natural maternal fluid” (Adelman, 286) and leave her without the assumed weakness of womanhood. Lady Macbeth falls prey like all others to the bogus assumption that with …show more content…
True strength is found in crimes committed in the name of passion. It takes great strength to put the needs of others before one’s own and a great deal more to put aside one’s aspirations aside entirely to forward the ambitions of another. Lady Macbeth puts aside her own ambitions to help her husband forward his own ambitions. Lady Macbeth sees that her husband is “too full of the milk o’ human kindness” (I v 16) to do what is necessary to get what should be his leaving Lady Macbeth to do this for him. She does this instantly without thinking because true strength is a part of someone not something that must be thought over and Lady Macbeth is truly strong. In the same, way actions without malicious intent are not evil. The so called crimes of Lady Macbeth can be treated similarly to modern crimes. There is no mens rea or intent in Lady Macbeth’s crime. Her thoughts at the time of the murder are not her own. She cannot in her right mind commit a murder and must call upon “spirits that tend on mortal thoughts” (I v 44-45) to allow her to commit the murder. “She knows the horror of her statement” (Ludough, 236) when she calls upon the spirits. It takes great strength to do something that one fears so greatly without hesitation as Lady Macbeth does. To add to that idea, a truly nefarious person cannot show guilt or feel remorse. The remorse of Lady Macbeth for