Femininity Flashcards
(3 cards)
Context
In the Jacobean era, gender was a very strict and rigid construction and for the most part
determined male and female roles within society. Gender was also an establishment upon
which the hierarchy of society was built.
Women were expected to be
loyal and respectful
daughters, wives, and
mothers. Angering the men
in their lives could result in
being kicked out or killed,
and it was near impossible
for women to support
themselves financially.
They received little to no
education, and were very
restricted in their
movements and decisions in
life.
LM
Lady Macbeth’s character is highly significant in Shakespeare’s presentation of gender.
The traditional subservient wife figure has been entirely rejected by Shakespeare, instead
she is manipulative and domineering in her marriage. Her lust for power drives the plot
forward and she attacks Macbeth’s manhood to get what she wants. Yet it’s important to
note that her power is purely mental, while she orchestrates their plan she doesn’t commit
any acts of violence herself.
Lady Macbeth’s manipulation of Macbeth associates femininity with the fall of man. Her
bullying leads to Macbeth’s tragic downfall in the same way Eve convinced Adam to eat
the Forbidden Fruit. She can be viewed as a femme fatale, an archetype of femininity
where a woman charms and seduces her lover, to his detriment.
She hopes Macbeth will return home quickly so she “may pour [her] spirits in [his] ear”
(1.5), showing how she wants to persuade him to do her bidding. The reference to
“spirits” connotes the occult, as if
she wants to possess Macbeth.
Shakespeare links witchcraft with a
woman’s dominance over her
husband, implying that it is
unnatural for women to have power
over men.
An alternative interpretation is that
Shakespeare is criticising how
society denies women their own
freedom and autonomy. Lady
Macbeth only has to manipulate and
possess Macbeth because her
power and status are directly tied to his. “Pour[ing]” her “spirits” into his “ear” may be a
metaphor for how her desires can only be fulfilled by a male form.
The witches
The Witches
A lot of the conflict and tension surrounding gender in the play is concentrated in the
characters of the Witches. Typically, witches were known to be women, but in Macbeth, it is
unclear if the Witches are female or even human. Though their characters are certainly
linked to the presentation of femininity because of the historical association between
witchcraft and women, it is debatable whether Shakespeare intends them to be female
characters or symbols of ambiguous gender.
The Witches are an archetype of
‘ugly’ femininity. They represent the
classic old hag trope, and they
occupy the very isolated edges of
society, meeting on heaths and in
caves. Shakespeare supports the
common notion that women who
refused to meet the expectations of
femininity would be rejected by society
and punished for their actions.
There are three of them, perhaps symbolising an anti-holy trinity. Their ambiguous
femininity contrasts with the masculinity of the Holy Trinity. Their prophecies are the catalyst
(cause) for the murder of Duncan and the following chaos. Therefore, like Lady Macbeth,
they seem to be ‘Eve’ figures, temptresses who lead men to their downfalls.
The Witches’ appearances are presented as grotesque and revolting because they aren’t
purely feminine. Banquo provides a description of them, saying they are “so withered and
so wild in their attire”, with “choppy finger[s]” and “skinny lips” (1.3). They personify
the typical Jacobean perception of witches.
