Quentin Adams

04/20/17
2nd hr.
Literary Analysis

Macbeth

Throughout literary works men have always been the most dominant within story plots

and works across the literary world. Within literary works many male characters actions have

been related to relationships with their female character. Many stories such as the biblical for

instance, Sampson and how he was betrayed by his love and ultimately led to his demise. Other

text such Macbeth differ in detail and story plot but women have similar roles they both persuade

their male characters to commit some act of sin which leads to their downfall. The story of

Macbeth is similar to that of many other literary works. Macbeth being a young noble man seeks

to gain power after receiving prophecy from three witches after a long fought battle. The witches

provide him with an insight into his future they tell him that he will become the Thane of

Cawdor and eventually king. Immediately after receiving the prophecies he is recognized as

Thane of Cawdor which leads him to believe that what he has been told will come true.

Eventually his lust for power followed with Lady Macbeths greed drives him to murder the

current King and his best friend and ally Banquo. Within the text Lady Macbeths role

shapes the relationship between male and female characters and how they are portrayed while also

defining the roles of male and female and how they embody these traits.

Within the text Lady Macbeth acts almost as if she is Macbeths second conscious she controls

him for her own personal gain. While most characters within the text may have believed that Macbeth

was in control and thought with his own mind it was actually the opposite. It was actually Lady

Macbeths own greed that mapped out their next move to gain power. In the time period of the text many

wives of noble man would actually be the opposite of Lady Macbeth her dominance was quite rare within
that time period of history. Women usually birth children while their husband fought at war or handled

business affairs of their own. For a woman to manipulate her husband for her own gain of power was

unheard of.

Lady Macbeths greed for power pushes her husband Macbeth to a point of insanity from his

murdering. Macbeth also has a genuine thirst for power himself which grows exponentially after being

recognized as the Thane of Cawdor just as the witches prophecies proclaim. That along with his wifes

lust for power is what drives him into madness. Even though male characters out-weigh females within

the story the women contribute to the plot substantially Lady Macbeth being the reassurance for her

husbands deed is just one of the many examples within the text. Lady Macbeths constant battering at her

husband for continuing his rampage of murder is actually an example of gender roles being swapped

within the literary world. In most instances male characters assert dominance by instructing woman tasks

and them following the instruction they are given. The text follows some common standards for female

characters while also going against them. Other literary works have also followed in this style of gender

roles and how they embody them. The play the crucible is another example of woman dominance defying

the plot. The main female character Abigail Williams manipulates the community of Salem to believe that

certain citizen are practicing witchcraft and then she finally accuses the wife of her past lover of the same

crime which leads to her arrest and a new found hope for her to be with him. Even though female

characters may not have the same spotlight as male characters their actions often help shape the plot of

the story.

With woman assuming male roles within the shadows of the plot they are allowed to play a more

vital role than many may think. Lady Macbeth allowing her husband to venture as he see fit played a very

major role within her conquest of power. By allowing Macbeth to do as he pleased while slightly edging

him in certain directions in which made it easier for her to grasp what she wanted. Switching the roles

ultimately assured that she would get what she wanted at any cost. Lady Macbeths characteristics which

goes against the literary standards for female characters defies the characteristics for other female

characters within the text. With her being the opposite of the other females within the text the one can
assume that most female characters within Macbeth follow their husbands instruction or do little to defy

them or ask little of them in return.

The text itself reveals that behind men of great power there are women who are even stronger. Macbeth

itself embodies this notion, as the story unfolds one only sees the gain of power that Macbeth and Lady

Macbeth receives due to the fact of her using her husband as a puppet to constantly move forward.

Socially, the female dominance within the text is covered or wrapped within the plot the Author sheds

light only on Macbeth and his acts while also acknowledging the acts of Lady Macbeth but not as if she

was the main male character.

You should be women yet your beards forbid me to interpret you are so quotes such as this

from the play still use the common notions for what a women should and shouldnt look like. These

standards constitute that men of that era still believe in regular femininity. The thought of women being

dressed in gowns and that for a women to have facial hair equal to that of a man is obscure or looked

down upon. Although that many women of this time period did not dress such as this standards of what a

women should and shouldnt look like should not be determined by males. The reasoning for many

females to dress as the do stems from the judgment of males within society and their approval of what a

female should look like and how they should uphold themselves.

These notions wavered by men of the era is shown through the literary works they are modeled

after. Stating, simply that a womans role within society was to solely birth children and be a servant to

their husband. No ambition women of that time period fell to their societys standards and formulated a

different view of the female. By taking charge and showing dominance within a female to male or female

to community role. Characters such as Lady MacBeth and Abigail Williams characteristics stem from the

women who opposed the standard female view and while creating a new.

Within the work of many literary scholars it is always evident of the male dominance within the

plot especially coming from earlier eras of civilizations which were almost completely ran in a patriarchal

manner. Men leading while women sat in the shadow of the man in which they married. Although in later

literature the rise of female dominance is more prominent the common women has been almost if not
completely wiped away. These literary eras show a rise in female control of plot and complete story view.

The female character gains power if not equal to man then above it. The way manipulation is used to gain

power within Macbeth is an example. Which later leads to a point in literary history where males still

dominate in lead characters while acknowledging female characters.

As throughout the entire literary world men still are more prominent to gain power but females

relationship with other characters , and how they are portrayed within the story and throughout the plot.

While also defining female and male roles and the characters themselves embody those of the Time

period the literary work was written in. Prominent due to the common notion of men in the era of there

common female of society.

Bibliography

Macbeth by Shakespeare (1606)