Macbeth - GENDER THEME Flashcards
How is the theme of gender presented
During lady’s Macbeth’s soliloquy, she appeals to spirits asking them to “unsex me here” and “take my milk for gall” in order to “stop up th’access and passage to remorse.” The juxtaposition of “milk” and “gall” is significant as it proposes her true desire to eradicate her womanhood entirely, by taking extreme measures such as filling her body with poison.
She believes her femininity is a detrimental factor in her quest to murder King Duncan, therefore is insisting to “unsex” herself in order to fulfil her newfound ‘vaulting ambition’
How does lady Macbeth show theme of gender
Lady Macbeth employs the difference in the stereotypes of gender in Macbeth by not only defying the contrast in genders but also reinforcing these stereotypes. Shown in quote “my hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white “ meaning the both have “blood” on their “hands” Macbeth is the only one conveying a sense of cowardice suggested by the colour imagery “white.” She’s exploiting the stereotype of her husband’s masculinity to manipulate him shown by “are you a man?” Here she defies gender stereotypes by having the audacity to stand up to him, whilst simultaneously reinforcing these stereotypes
