Macbeth Gender Roles

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During Macbeth, characters are categorized based on their gender and are given expectations to fill the stereotypes of their gender. Gender stereotypes arise solely when a character is frustrated with another who doesn’t live up to their gender guidelines. Male characters in the play are portrayed as disappointments to their gender and are unable to satisfy their wives. However, the female characters surpass their visualized roles and decide to take on the role of a typical male. Due to nearby violence, Macbeth and Macduff are foils of the male stereotype since they are illustrated as emotionally weak and don’t take responsibility for their actions. Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff both have to fill manly roles since Lady Macbeth provides emotional …show more content…
Similarly to how Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff view men as strong mentally and forceful protectors, current day society has relatively similar standards. For example, men are typically expected to control their emotions even if they want to shed some tears or openly share their emotions. Comparatively to Lady Macbeth’s expectation of men, men in society traditionally feel that it is necessary to confine their emotions to themselves. This expectation is typically a given guideline for men to follow, and some struggle to follow this expectation, like Macbeth. Also, Lady Macduff firmly believes that men are the guardians of their home and family, which is another rule for men to abide by, but Macduff is an outlier of this expectation. Quite frequently, the phrases “man of the house” and “manly” are used today, which connect to the scenes of the play. Also, Lady Macbeth shows her emotional strength and provides support for her husband, which defies the female stereotype of the play. In current day society, women are commonly portrayed as emotionally insecure or weak, but people in current day society consistently prove this stereotype wrong, like Lady Macbeth in the play. Lastly, Lady Macduff takes on the task of protecting her family, even though that is a manly role. Today, women are also able to overcome this stereotype and prove that they are just as capable of protecting their family as men. These gender stereotypes are unnecessary and are constantly defied since the assumptions usually don’t apply to members of the male or female
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