gender

Question 1

1.5 “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here”

Answer 1

-LMB rejects traditional gender roles by asking to be “unsexed” rejecting femininity + its associated qualities of compassion + nurturing
-imperative verbs “unsex” + “fill” suggest her yearning for power which she associated with masculinity
-reflects jacobean anxieties about women stepping out of their submissive roles

Question 2

1.7 “I dare do all that may become a man; Who dare do more is none”

Answer 2

-MB initially defines masculinity as possessing honour + self-control
-“Who dares do more is none” foreshadows eventual downfall as he later defies this definition of manhood by succumbing to unchecked ambition
-shakespeare explores how societal pressure to conform to hyper masculine ideals can lead to self-destruction

Question 3

2.2 “My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white”

Answer 3

-LMB scorns MB’s emotional response to the murder, equating his guilt with weakness, which she dreams unmanly
-contrast between “white” + her own resolve underscores her rejection of traditional female sensitivity in favour of perceived masculine strength

Question 4

3.4 “Are you a man?”

Answer 4

-LMB questions MB’s masculinity during banquet
-shows emotional vulnerability is incompatible with traditional masculine notions
-shows how suppressing emotions leads to MB’s paranoia + violence
-breakdown of relationship reflects consequences of subversion of gender roles

Question 5

4.3 “But I must also feel it as a man”

Answer 5

-MD offers alternative view of masculinity when grieving
-MD balances action with emotion, refusing to suppress his feelings
-shakespeare redefines masculinity contrasting it with MB’s toxic ambition
-shows damaging effects of adhering to narrow, destructive view of gender roles

Question 6

5.1 “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!”

Answer 6

-in somnambulism scene, LMB’s obsessive attempt to cleanse imaginary blood symbolises her overwhelming guilt
-contrasts with earlier rejection of femininity in A1
-by A5 she has been undone by very emotions she sought to deny suggesting repressing feminine qualities isn’t sustainable