Macbeth - Gender Quotes - ANALYSED Flashcards
“Worthy Cawdor! […] all hail hereafter” to a “coward”
Lady Macbeth Act 1
(Macbeth related quote)
JUXTAPOSITION: LM’s initial flattery curdles into a poisonous insult in which** EMASCULATES Macbeth.** Having hailed him as soon to be king, she now reduces him to be a mere “coward” to catalyse him into committing regicide to become king.
- The single word pierces Macbeth’s core, a soldier defined by courage and strength. it is not just a questioning of his masculinity; it is A BRUTAL ATTACK ON THE VERY ESSENCE OF HIS IDENTITY and his battlefield reputation
CONTEXTUAL LINK: within the rigid gender roles of Jacobean society, a man’s dominance over his wide was paramount. LM recognised that M’s ambition, his HAMARTIA WAS DEEPLY INTERTWINED WITH HIS PERCEIVED MASCULINITY and exploits this to propel him to violate kingship.
- By stripping him of the mantle of a dominant husband through the** EPITHET (nickname) “coward” she threatened the very foundation of his self worth**. This emasculation becomes a key factor in his downfall as his ambition crumbles when his image of a powerful man is shattered and all he can do to reinstate his power lost is to become king.
“With Tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design”
Macbeth
CONTEXTUAL LINK: Macbeth ambitiously strives to emulate Tarquin, the Roman Tyrant who raped his wife so that he can embody what it means to be a ruthless blood-thirsty leader
- Macbeth’s ambition is further fuelled by the lingering emasculation he experienced at the hand of Lady Macbeth in Act 1.. For it is compounded by his insatiable ambition which propels him towards a relentless pursuit of dominance through brute force.
CONNOTATIONS ON “DESIGN”: The diction “design” connotes intentional creation mirroring Macbeth’s intentional crafting of his desired position as King through ambitious pursuit. Despite his transgression of natural order in this pursuit, the seductive allure of these temptations of power and authority obstructs him from seeing the permanent and eternal consequences he will face.
- Macbeth clings onto the belief that seizing the crown will fulfill his need to prove his masculinity to his wife. He mistakenly thinks the external validation of kingship will compensate for the internal strength Lady Macbeth seemingly stripped from him.
“Make thick my blood, stop up th’ access and passage to remorse”
Lady Macbeth (Act 1)
IMPERATIVE: the imperative “make thick my blood” illustrates how she commands for emotional restraint and a callous (cruel) indifference. Recognising that her aspirations for tyranny require a detachment from femininity and the accompanying emotions, Lady MAcbeth seeks to rid herself of these elements to pave the way for her ruthless ambitions.
- FEMME FATALE: this is a seductive and manipulative woman who can lure men into danger or sin. She is thus a femme fatale as she not only is manipulative but rejects her womanhood and motherhood - a typical trope of femme fatale
“Dash’d the brains out”
Lady Macbeth (Act 1)
PLOSIVE ON “DASH’D”: the plosive sound creates a brutal sound mirroring her brutal rejection of motherly instincts. her proclivity (tendency) for violence takes precedence over motherhood, leading to her **unapologetic willingness to extinguish human life in the relentless pursuit of unchecked violence. **
JUXTAPOSITION: The deliberate contrast between the forceful verb “dash’s” and the delicate nature of “brains” serves as a poignant symbol reflecting LM’s character. Despite her seemingly fragile exterior she harbours a strong desire to instigate violence and chaos.
- Notable her choice of targeting the vulnerable “brains” of infants signifies a recognition of both the paramount importance and extreme fragility of human existence. Yet this is IRONIC as the very organ she seeks to disrupt in her unborn child - the seat of morality and reason- becomes the locus (particular place something occurs) of her own downfall (when she goes completely insane with guilt)
“Beards”
said by Banquo about the Witches (Act 1)
MASCULINITY SYNONYMOUS WITH POWER: Masculinity is presented as synonymous (closely linked) with power throughout the play, thus this description imbues them with a threat of dominance. They there fore appear** androgynous** (partly male partly female) alike to LM and their lack of **gender conformity exacerbates them as duplicitous and powerful beings. **
- in a patriarchal society where power is associated with a clear gender identity, the Witches’ ambiguity becomes a potent symbol of their threat. They represent a chaotic force that can unravel the carefully constructed social order.
