Macbeth and Lady Macbeth may be two of the best known characters in all of literature. But why are they so well-known? And how is it that a play that was written over 400 years ago remains so well known and well read today? The writing and the drama, of course, are major factors, but there is one other that keeps Macbeth relatable today. Macbeth, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, is read today because Shakespeare’s progressive handling of gender roles is relevant to people in today’s societal climate.
For one, Shakespeare challenges the definition of manhood through his two most prominent male characters, Macbeth and Macduff. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth leads men into battle against the rebel Macdonwald. The battle ends with Macbeth’s victory, and Macbeth remarks that “so foul and fair a day [he has] not seen” (Shakespeare I.iii.38). This paradoxical statement suggests that even though he celebrates his win, Macbeth recognizes the terrible violence that took place; his victory makes the day “fair, but the great number of people who were killed in the process make the day also “foul”. This characterization of Macbeth as a softhearted person supports Shakespeare’s belief that, contrary to the popular stereotype, men do not need to always be strong in order to be heros — look at Macbeth, a valiant yet sympathetic victor! It is human nature to feel emotions, and expressing these feelings does not diminish someone’s manhood. Furthermore, Shakespeare reinforces his definition of manhood through Macduff’s reaction when Macbeth, having turned into a paranoid, corrupt leader, kills his entire family. Macduff says he must “feel it as a man. [He] cannot but remember such things were that were most precious to [him]” (IV.iii.260-263). Macduff is unashamed of the pain he feels upon hearing that his family has been killed. While he is a military leader similarly to Macbeth, he acknowledges that part of being a man is also being able to feel emotions. After all, even the manliest of heros are, like everyone, vulnerable and able to get hurt.
However, this progressive view of masculinity was not commonly accepted in England’s Elizabethan Era, and this remains true to this day. In fact, as a result of society’s long-entrenched view that men should always be strong, many men have recently taken on toxic masculinity, “a form of gendered behavior where sex and brutality [are] yardsticks by which men are measured” (Clemens 1) and men are praised for flaunting strength while shamed for revealing emotion. In this application of the male stereotype, a man’s worth is measured through his physical, rather than human, qualities. As a society, we are gradually starting to realize the true toxicity of this trend, and there are now many movements, such as Terry Crews speaking out on his experience with toxic masculinity, that are being initiated to stop it (Lifestyle 1). However, countering a stereotype that has been established and reinforced time after time throughout history is no easy task. This is why Shakespeare’s ability to express an unconventional, progressive view of masculinity is almost as significant and impressive as his literary work itself. It is an aspect of his play that keeps it relevant 400 years after it was written.
Just as Shakespeare challenges manhood, he also challenges the role of women through his primary female character, Lady Macbeth. When Lady Macbeth hears that a prophecy predicted that Macbeth will become the king, she is determined to speed up the course of the prophecy. She immediately schemes to convince Macbeth to kill the current king, Duncan, by “… [pouring her] spirits in [his] ear and [chastising] with the valor of [her] tongue all that impedes [him] from the golden round” (1.5.29-31). Lady Macbeth’s harsh diction like “chastise” and “valor” reflects her Machiavellian-style ambition. Additionally, Lady Macbeth is willing to deceive her husband in order to advance herself towards her goal, which represents a contrast from the typical 16th century female who stayed in the subservient role. Additionally, Lady Macbeth later calls upon the “ spirits that tend on mortal thoughts [to] unsex [her] here, and fill [her] from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (1.5.47-50). Lady Macbeth is done being a submissive wife; she demands to be “unsexed” and free from her femininity so she can work towards her goals with a degree of fierce determination that is reserved for men. Thus, Shakespeare has introduced a powerful character of Lady Macbeth who embodies a complete opposite of the traditional stay-at-home women of the Elizabethan society — she is greedy, deceitful, and dominant over her husband.Through her scheming actions, Lady Macbeth has become a negative archetype for ambitious, dominant women. One example is the comparison that is frequently drawn between Lady Macbeth and Hillary Clinton. When Clinton was the First Lady while her husband, Bill Clinton, served as president, she was viewed by some as an unelected woman who overstepped her boundaries and assumed too much control (Schneider 1). People believed that, like Lady Macbeth, she was a driving force behind her husband who used her husband’s own position of power as a platform of her own. Clinton continued facing this backlash when she ran for president in the 2008 and 2016 elections, as people grew frustrated with her ambition, believing the Clintons’ time in office had ended with her husband’s two terms (Schneider 1). Of course the aptness of this comparison is very questionable. While Lady Macbeth gained power through criminal scheming, Clinton has earned every position she has held through legal means; Lady Macbeth’s desire to rise in ranks was based off of an arbitrary prophecy that her husband received, while running for president was a logical next move for Clinton after having gained years of experience in politics. Yet, this comparison does show that because Lady Macbeth was such a unique and presciently developed character in Macbeth, she has become an archetype of her own for women who are ambitious and overreaching.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth not only provides a riveting plot for readers to enjoy, but it also demonstrates just how powerfully an author can convey ideas through their writing. Shakespeare, for one, provides readers with progressive ideas on gender roles that show how limited society’s customs and thinking can be. While we may not always know the effect that these ideas embedded in literature can have, the discussions that they give rise to surely influence society’s thinking over time and have the potential to catalyze readers to advocate for change.
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