Sunday, August 25, 2013

Is there a movie for Rain of Gold?

shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth and Witches to revea THE POWER WOMEN HAD OVER MEN, a typical relationship between husband and wife. its lady Macbeth's idea to kill the king Duncan and seize the throne ,


" unsex me here .......come to my woman's breasts


and take my milk for gall "


lady Macbeth is masculinized while Macbeth is feminized.


In many instances, gender is out of its traditional order. Shakespeare explores the relationship between gender and power, portraying male characters as strong willed and courageous, but at the same time assigning a female character – Lady Macbeth a ruthless, power-hungry personality which is usually associated with masculinity. In this sense, Shakespeare’s portrayal of gender roles are addressed and manipulated throughout the play.


Elizabethan men were supposed to be brave and chivalrous, but most importantly, loyal to his country.  Macbeth shows all of these qualities in the battle fought between Norway and Scotland. Macbeth’s fighting is reported to King Duncan by a Scottish sergeant who says: For brave Macbeth–well he deserves that name/Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel/Which smoked with bloody execution/Like valour’s minion… Macbeth valiantly fought his way through the Norwegian army until he reached the Thane of Cawdor, who betrayed his country by allying with Norway.  Macbeth “ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him/ Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chops. Macbeth’s ruthlessness in battle is praised by King Duncan and he is soonafter promoted to Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is the epitome of the Elizabethan man.




One example of gender roles being manipulated is Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy early in the play. After receiving the letter from Macbeth, she learns that he may become king, but she knows that Duncan must be killed in order for him to reach the throne. She cries, “Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top full / Of direst cruelty” (I.5.38-41). Lady Macbeth defies her gender role as an Elizabethan woman. She asks the spirits to give her masculine qualities and make her stronger so she can kill Duncan. She realizes that Macbeth is “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness, and adopts the dominant role in the relationship.

in the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown to be brave, courageous, honorable, strong-willed, and in control. Macbeth quickly loses these strongly masculine characteristics when he realizes what must be done for the witches’ prophecies to come true. After planning Duncan’s murder with his wife, he begins to have second thoughts. Duncan has done so much good to Macbeth and his wife, he begins to feel remorseful.  Ridden with guilt, Macbeth reminds himself of all the reasons why he should not commit the murder. He tells Lady Macbeth:

We will proceed no further in this business.
Lady Macbeth quickly retaliates by saying “What beast was’t, then/ That made you break this enterprise to me? / When you durst do it, then you were a man.  By challenging Macbeth’s masculinity and his honor, Lady Macbeth takes the upper hand in the dispute.  Macbeth regains his masculine qualities by becoming brave and aggressive enough to commit the murder

No comments:

Post a Comment