Comparison Between Macbeth And Romeo And Juliet

Another aspect of gender in this play that intensifies and drives the storyline is the reversal and confusion of gender roles that lead to conflicts among characters. This “confusion” can be interpreted in different ways based on the character to whom it applies but there are clear examples of this within the text. During an interaction with the Weird Sisters, Banqo states, “You should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so” (I.iii.45-47). This quote could certainly be interpreted as a comedic remark regarding the ugliness of the witches, but it presents a key point in the context of gender reversal. The weird sisters are traditionally identified as women, but possess powerful traits, more common to men at this time. Their beards symbolize their non-traditional behavior for women and thus give their prophecy more legitimacy in the notion that it can be fulfilled, prompting Macbeth to act. Lady Macbeth also experiences a reversal in gender role when she calls on the spirits to “Unsex her” (I.v.42-45). Lady Macbeth, to take on her husband’s endeavors, calls for this to

A prominent and permeating theme in Macbeth is the roles and characteristics of masculinity and femininity. Throughout the play Shakespeare presents the audience with strong and sometimes conflicting views of these gender roles. What exactly defines being a man or a woman? How does an individual’s grasp of these roles effect their actions? Shakespeare shows that a clear and accurate understanding of the concept of masculinity is of critical importance in the success of a ruler. In particular, he illustrates how Macbeth’s acceptance of a perverted, violent view of masculinity leads his kingdom into chaos and turmoil, and leads Macbeth to his inevitable demise. Moral order can only be restored

Although written long ago, Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth still has themes relevant for contemporary society.  Murderous ambition, political intrigue, crafty social alliances, the disintegration of marriage – these could be headlines from any daily news program.  It comes as no surprise, then, that we also find a significant number of moments in the play where gender seems to be an issue. More specifically, we might say that Shakespeare's dramatic investigation into proper uses of power consists, in part, of a rigorous critique of the disparities between the respective roles assigned to men and women. Shakespeare seems especially interested in the moral and ethical implications of such

This whole idea of female dominance directly challenges the Chain of Beings and as a result, exemplified Lady Macbeth’s importance as Shakespeare’s device to cause fascination amongst audiences. It also shows explicitly her influence on the main character Macbeth and hence the state of the entire play.

In ‘Macbeth’, masculinity is presented as a driving force to Macbeth’s crimes, making it a vital theme. The essay’s focus is masculinity’s presentation through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Primarily, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as “valiant”: a prized masculine quality which was respected in their society. However, this trait becomes warped along the play. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth yearns for masculinity but she fails to acquire it. Shakespeare thus displays masculinity in two different lights.

Shakespeare downplays Macbeth’s masculinity to highlight the lack of dominance over Lady Macbeth. The poet counteracts patriarchy and subjective social status by stripping women of labelled inferiority. In addition, Shakespeare examines the effect of gender in terms of power, greed, and sovereignty. 1.7.31-58 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth destroys

The light voice the actress speaks with in Lady Macbeth’s  bold soliloquies create a feeling that she is more curious of the possibility of success than craving for power. Lady Macbeth uses her feminine qualities to gain Macbeths trust and sympathy. In the banquet from act one, she is nearly in tears when Macbeth tells her he will not kill the king. By wielding her most feminine qualities she can successfully get Macbeth to do as she pleases. She becomes pitiful as her strength and sanity crumble at an alarming rate leaving her extremely vulnerable and sensitive. While working within the same text, Polanski and Goold each effectively express different ideas of Lady Macbeth’s femininity.

This is apparent when she deals with Macbeth leaving the gory daggers at the site of the murder, “Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/ Are but as pictures; ‘tis the eye of childhood/ That fears a painted devil.”(scene 2 act 2 56-58). Macbeth is portrayed as emotionally unstable and soft as he is afraid to even go back into the room where the murder took place, “I’ll go no more/ I am afraid to think what I have done”(scene 2 act 2 54-55). This interaction between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth really shows the unusual roles one another play in there relationship because in a situation where someone is murdered or their is a serious crime, women aren’t usually the ones who are brave and strong minded about it, men are.

Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, begins with the protagonist, Macbeth, being faced with a supernatural prophecy. The temptation of power further corrupts Macbeth as the play progresses, until his murders catch up to him. Despite the time in which a man lives, he is surrounded by opportunity and the constant battle between the loss and acquisition of power. For those deep in search for power often experience the blurring of the lines between right and wrong. In the 17th century, gender roles were strict and unmoving. Men symbolized the power and strength, while the women represented the caring and submissive traits of human nature. Shakespeare utilizes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s marriage to further toy with the audience’s minds and inverts the gender roles.Throughout the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s marriage demonstrates inverted gender roles; but as Lady Macbeth utilizes her influence over Macbeth, her driven attitude leads him down the path of corruption.

In the modern 21sr century, the roles and behaviors expected of individuals remains analogous despite gender. This ideology stems from the preceding movement in equality, which preaches that differences of sex appear insignificant. Despite this notion, there remains distinct differences in the physical and psychological makeups of both men and women. In most cultures, certain duties remain associated with specific genders. With this in mind, Shakespeare’s Macbeth heightens the supernatural evil possessing Lady Macbeth as she condones murder for her own selfish ambition, while in Shakespeare’s time women were regarded as peaceful and full of feminine sympathies. This anachronism with the reality of Shakespeare’s day, illustrates the immense sense of wickedness and abnormality emphasizing her character’s influence on her husband and the plot of the play. In contrast, Macbeth appears to some extent a more acceptable evil due to a greater compliance with the gender standards and moral transition during the Shakespearean era. Shakespeare utilizes numerous literary intentions in order to express these diverse levels of evil to provide an element of depth behind the mental reactions and deteriorations of the characters until their final decease into the complete darkness of death.

In Medieval times women were viewed as innocent beings who must be controlled by the men in their family; however, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth a woman is the mastermind behind the start of several horrendous deeds. Lady Macbeth was a woman with determination. When it was prophesized that Macbeth would be king, Lady Macbeth wished that her husband would immediately be at her side so she “may pour [her] spirits in [his] ear” (1. 5. 25). Lady Macbeth wanted nothing less that Macbeth to be king. In order for Macbeth to ascend to the throne, it needed to be emptied of King Duncan. Macbeth was an ambitious man but he was not evil, he would not commit murder to gain the throne; therefore, Lady Macbeth took it upon herself to see her husband crowned king. By making Lady Macbeth the mastermind behind a murder, Shakespeare disputed the typical role of women which labeled them as innocent and harmless beings.

It is interesting to note the importance of gender in the personifications of evil in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is as obsessed with her gender as her evil. When she implores evil to "unsex" her, to take her "woman's breasts for gall" she reveals the sense of powerlessness and weakness she feels. Being a woman makes her dependant on her husband for her social

Some people say that a person’s fate is pre-determined. That nothing they do in life is by accident and everything that one does has been decided by a higher power. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare explores the theme of fate by allowing the audience to be party to his characters’ destiny. In the opening lines of the play the audience is told what is going to happen to the lovers, “a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life.” Throughout the story, the audience is put in an omnipotent, god-like position from the start encouraging them to think about fate and to what extent our actions are free. In Macbeth, the idea of one character becoming both victim and villain is introduced. Macbeth falls prey to others' deception, and is supplanted

The literature genius William Shakespeare concocted two great stories which are very much different stories, but have intertwined themes and personalities. These two stories are the romantic play of Romeo and Juliet and the story about the descent to madness, Macbeth. Both of these fantastic plays have overlying arches about loyalty, love, and power. Furthermore, both of these plays have glaring differences such as the wildly different character dynamics.

On the other hand, William Shakespeare illuminates Othello’s tragic flaw for comparison. Iago begins the play and states that he hates Othello, but he deceives Othello into the belief that he thinks highly of him and wants to tell him the truth. Therefore, Othello thinks Iago “is of honesty and trust” (Shakespeare Othello, the Moor of Venice 1.3.281). Othello trusts Iago, and Iago adopts his trust to take advantage of him. Furthermore, Iago exploits Othello’s overly trusting nature to raise his reputation and gain a title as Lieutenant. Othello and Macbeth put their faith in people and believe that their future seems secure; thus, they attain what they want. After Othello demotes Cassio, Iago tells Cassio to ask for Desdemona’s help to gain