A Woman Can Be Manly

As early as the time when Jesus walked the earth, men and women had clear and distinct

differences. Throughout history, masculinity and femininity were classified based on

assumptions that men were capable of anything and that women were just incompetent. These

gender roles were the building blocks of society for years on end which carved the images of

men and women as time progressed. Not many people chose to speak out about how these

gender roles categorized a man or a woman based on presumptions. However, in William

Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he challenges the gender roles perceived appropriate for man and

woman. He contradicts the common concept of masculinity and femininity through the thoughts,

actions, and appearances of his characters.

Prior to Shakespeare’s works of literature, especially before Macbeth, the common

concept about men was already laid out. Men were to possess specific characteristics that would

consider them manly. This brings us to the question: what was considered manly? Aspects from

characteristics to physical appearance played a big role in recognizing the manly identity.

Generally, it was expected of a man to embrace their qualities of being strong, aggressive,

dominant, independent, and courageous. These attributes were categorized since men were

always the forefront when it came to war. Who were the soldiers? Men. Who were the generals?

Men. Who were the leaders? Men. To be able to handle war and the hardships that come with it,

you had to be a man. There was no way, under any circumstances, a woman could be associated

with war. In a typical family household, the father was the man of the house. From this

viewpoint, it can be said that most of early life was male dominated. In Macbeth, Shakespeare

defends this ideology to a certain extent since his main male character, Macbeth, uses force and

violence to gain power as a result of jealousy. Shakespeare purposely portrays Macbeth as a war

leader to show his dominance over most of the male characters in the play. His role as a war
 2

leader is also symbolic because to be a war leader, you must be the strongest and the most

courageous. Shakespeare justifies this statement in Macbeth when he says, “Bring it after me /I

will not be afraid of death and bane, Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane” (5.4.72-74). This

statement justifies his confidence in taking on anything. By inheriting the responsibility as the

leader of the Scottish army, Macbeth should not be afraid of anything, not even death. This was

the masculine concept that Shakespeare highlights. On the other hand, Shakespeare portrays the

common concept of femininity through one of the female characters in the play, Lady Macbeth.

Women were inferior to men for most of early history. Qualities that classified a woman

as womanly were elements of being gentle, empathetic, full of humanity, sensitive, and

dependent. Women lived under a man and his ideologies. They listened to a man’s instructions

and didn’t have a say in what they were to do. Of course, women were afraid of men since their

counterpart held much power over them. Women were considered innocent and incapable of

violence. When violence did occur, women were the least expected to be involved. In regards to

the regular family household, a woman would live under her husband’s decisions. They were not

allowed to perform any type of hard labor since many believed that women were weak. Instead

they worked in a domestic setting. Who were the cleaners? Women. Who cooked? Women. Who

took care of the children? Women. It is evident that women were the binding agent among

families. On top of everything, nothing could ever sever the connection a woman has with her

child. In Macbeth, Shakespeare defends these common beliefs of women when Macduff warns

Lady Macbeth that she cannot handle the news of murder since she is a lady. He says to her, “O

gentle lady, ’Tis not for you to hear what I can speak / The repetition in a woman’s ear Would

murder as it fell” (2.3.96-99). This statement justifies how innocent a woman would be. If

Macduff were to mention anything about murder, it was assumed that Lady Macbeth would die
 3

herself if she heard it. Although men were higher in rank than women, it was their duty to protect

them. However, there are many instances throughout Macbeth in which Shakespeare confronts

these gender roles and as a result, creates a controversial topic up for discussion.

The main and most obvious account in which Shakespeare challenges gender roles is the

plotting and carrying out of King Duncan’s murder, which would’ve been the first plotted

murder of the whole play between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. This occurrence represents the

first domino knocking over leading up to Macbeth’s downfall. As a man and leader of war, it is

assumed that Macbeth would be the one to initiate the plan to murder King Duncan as well as

being capable of executing King Duncan himself, both physically and emotionally. Ironically,

Shakespeare seems to reverse these presumptions amongst the couple. Strangely enough, Lady

Macbeth was the leading influence in the homicide even though it is expected of her to try to

stop Macbeth from trying to kill anyone since she, as a woman, would think innocently and care

about her husband’s reputation. Unfortunately for Lady Macbeth, you can’t stop what you’ve

begun, especially if it’s murder. The plan seems to be initiated after many insults were thrown at

Macbeth questioning his manhood. This is shocking to many readers because they are finally

able to see a change in their nature: Macbeth, being afraid to kill, and Lady Macbeth, having the

urge to kill. Through Lady Macbeth’s change in character, we can see Shakespeare’s purpose in

having Macbeth seem weak and Lady Macbeth seem strong. He sends a message of defying

these gender roles. Many seem to spot this adaptation and it has been criticized by many.

“The obdurate inflexibility of purpose with which she drives on Macbeth to the execution of

their project, and her masculine indifference to blood and death, would inspire unmitigated

disgust and horror, but for the involuntary consciousness that it is produced rather by the exertion

of a strong power over herself than by absolute depravity of disposition and ferocity of temper”
 4

(Jameson) Through this statement, Jameson explains that Lady Macbeth is shameless and

nonchalant towards blood and death in which many people may find horrifying but Jameson

clarifies that it should not be the case. Lady Macbeth’s ambiguous nature humiliates Macbeth for

being the man. Ultimately, this drives Macbeth to initiate the plan to murder King Duncan. It is

known that Lady Macbeth now possesses authority and control over Macbeth.

Another element that Shakespeare conceals in Macbeth is the fact that Lady Macbeth

assumes control and power over her husband. This is highly unusual because a woman would not

be allowed to do so. It is assumed that as a man as noble as Macbeth, he would be the one to

control himself, if not, everyone who is inferior to him. As his wife, Lady Macbeth wouldn’t

have a say in his actions. Yet while planning King Duncan’s murder, it seems as if Lady

Macbeth presents the plan from her own imagination. Macbeth never chose to kill Duncan, but

with strong persuasion from his wife, we can see how gullible and trusting Macbeth is to her.

This asserts dominance of Lady Macbeth over Macbeth. “For Lady Macbeth expresses here not

only the hardness she imagines to be male, not only her willingness to unmake the most essential

maternal relationship; she expresses also a deep fantasy of Macbeth's utter vulnerability to her”

(Adelman) She explains that Lady Macbeth is aware that Macbeth is a coward. She even calls

him a coward herself. Lady Macbeth’s womanly side sympathizes for Macbeth as she can’t

imagine what it’s like to be a man, yet she displays manly attributes more notably than Macbeth

when it comes to murdering Duncan. The fact that Macbeth follows Lady Macbeth’s instructions

with no question also affirms her dominance. Shakespeare is saying something with this. He

most likely did so to highlight male dominance and therefore challenges gender roles through

Lady Macbeth’s superiority to Macbeth.

 5

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are not the only characters in the play that appear in

Shakespeare’s defying of gender roles. Through the three witches, or “weird sisters”,

Shakespeare hides a certain message that many readers might not identify right away. The

gender of the witches is unknown. This causes major confusion because the witches are essential

to the plot of the play. They drive Macbeth to other acts that harm the life of others. It seems as if

the witches are controlling him, similarly to how Lady Macbeth controls him. As for their

genders, the most common answer would be female, hence the “weird sisters”, but there is

simply more to their appearance that alters this idea. When Banquo encounters them, he

mentions that they have beards which forbids him from truly believing that they are women.

Let’s say that they are women. The masking of the witches as men is symbolic because as they

control and manipulate Macbeth as a person, it shows the perception of the witches as women

asserting power over Macbeth as if they were men, but in reality, they truly are women. Once

again, this validates Shakespeare’s purpose in challenging gender roles. Including the witches in

the play was a choice that further defies the gender roles present. When witchcraft first began to

rise in relevance, most of the people accused of witchcraft were women. This is controversial on

many levels since women were not suspected of performing dangerous and strange acts. Women

were targeted to an overwhelming degree of barbarity. The question presented by this

observation is, why was this accepted and established as a norm when women do not fit the

emotional profile? Shakespeare includes this to criticize the male-dominated culture of society.

According to Sadowski:

“As I noted elsewhere, femininity is stereotypically associated with exodynamic forms of

behavior, as explored for example in Shakespeare's romantic comedies with their exuberant,

playful, and assertive female heroines, but in Macbeth the exodynamic behavior first signaled by
 6

the witches' female sex is instantly obliterated by the dark powers of the masculine,

endodynamic magic of violence, of moral ambivalence, of confusion and chaos, where "fair is

foul, and foul is fair," and things "hover through the fog and filthy air" (1.1.11–12).” (2)

From Sadowski’s observations, he notices the same points that Shakespeare tries to make when

making the witches the bearer of bad news. He explains that compared to Shakespeare’s

romantic comedies, women had the cheerful, playful, and angelic aura. In spite of Shakespeare

conforming to the normal and stereotypical perception of femininity, Shakespeare takes the

opportunity to use the witches of the female sex to represent the darkness, strongness, and

eeriness that don’t reflect off women. Notice how Sadowski describes the “dark powers” as

“masculine”. He does not characterize the dark magic presented by the witches to be “feminine”.

It therefore creates the contradicting understanding that women can be capable of these dark

powers as expressed by Lady Macbeth and now, the witches. Highlighting this recurring

viewpoint of Shakespeare that a woman can be manly and that a man can be womanly was the

sole purpose of writing Macbeth.

Ultimately, Shakespeare has succeeded in pointing out that the acceptance of normal

gender roles should be disregarded as the common concept of masculinity and femininity are

reversed in the characters in his play Macbeth. There are many elements that can expose

Shakespeare’s insight on the topic of gender roles. Firstly, in regard to Macbeth and his wife,

Lady Macbeth, she seems to carry on the manly characteristics when planning King Duncan’s

murder. She is not afraid of blood nor death which counteracts the idea that women are innocent

and incapable of murder. Macbeth, on the other hand, seems timid which someone would

classify as a womanly characteristic. She is not afraid to point out the fact that he is a coward and

that even she, a woman, has more bravery than he does. This contradicts Macbeth’s whole
 7

persona since he is the leader of war in Scotland. Throughout the whole process of killing King

Duncan, the slow rise of Lady Macbeth’s dominance and power over Macbeth is fulfilled. He

listens to Lady Macbeth’s orders as if she was another man of higher authority. This statement

not only solidifies her superiority but also highlights Shakespeare’s reasoning in doing so:

defying gender roles. The three witches have also allowed Shakespeare to discreetly discuss a

woman’s impact over a man. In this context, it would be the witches’ impact over Macbeth.

Although they appear to look like men, their image shouldn’t take away from the fact that they

are female witches. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is truly a revolutionary work of literature that

successfully challenges gender roles and expectations of women and men.

 8

Works Cited

Adelman, Janet. “‘Born of Woman’: Fantasies of Maternal Power in Macbeth.” Macbeth -

William Shakespeare, New Edition, Chelsea House, 2010. Bloom's Literature,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18766&itemid=WE54&articleId=46621. Accessed

23 Apr. 2020.

Jameson, Anna Brownell. “Lady Macbeth.” Macbeth, Chelsea House, 2008. Bloom's Literature,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18766&itemid=WE54&articleId=48636. Accessed

23 Apr. 2020.

Sadowski, Piotr. “Macbeth.” Macbeth - William Shakespeare, New Edition, Chelsea House,

2010. Bloom's Literature,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18766&itemid=WE54&articleId=46655. Accessed

23 Apr. 2020.

Shakespeare, William, and Eugene M. Waith. The Tragedy of Macbeth. New Haven: Yale

UP, 1954. Print.