![]() Lady Macbeth is introduced to the play in act 1, scene 5. 3 Female characters in Macbeth 3.1 Lady Macbeth I will go into the aspect of ambiguity about gender roles and the violation of the natural order in more detail later in this paper. Die biologische Begründung »natürlicher« männlicher Überlegenheit übersetzt sich allmählich in ein Modell »vernünftiger« sozialer Kontrolle durch den Mann, demzufolge das Geschlechterverhältnis immer dann in Ordnung ist, wenn zugestandenes weibliches Subjektbegehren sich auf den privaten Innenraum des Hauses beschränken lässt. Due to this fact Lady Macbeth has to die in the course of the tragedy.ĭie Tragödie konzeptualisiert einen solchen auf der latenten Annahme von Zweigeschlechtlichkeit basierenden eigenen weiblichen Subjektwillen als ernsthafte Bedrohung und nimmt die Ansätze hierzu sofort in Schach (D. Her unfeminine attitudes as well as the murder of Duncan were considered as a violation of the existing order in the Elizabethan time. We will see later that Lady Macbeth is at variance with the social or natural order. Women were regarded as inferior and held therefore a lower rank. It is quite obvious that the hierarchy here represents the rank in the “real“ society in the Elizabethan time. Lady Macbeth on the other hand side is at the bottom of the “list“ even though she is one of the main characters! The king’s sons have a relatively small part (they appear in only a few scenes) in contrast to Macbeth’s wife. He is followed by his successors, Malcolm and Donalbain. Duncan, the king of Scotland, is of course on top. When we have a look at the dramatis personæ of the play we see a hierarchy amony the characters. makes an ironic reference to her own sex 5 and the witches wear beards. Various critics pointed out the irony that the actors in Macbeth play women who are at the same time very masculine. Female characters were only a part of a play if really necessary. This number corresponds with the assumption that there have been about four boy actors in a company (consisting of about 15 actors in all) in the 16th and 17th century. In Macbeth there are for example only two actual female parts. Due to this fact the number of female characters was relative small. All parts were played by men young boys usually played the parts of women. 3 By the time Macbeth was performed the first time there were not even actresses on the stages. 2 Since women were not allowed to hold certain offices or to go to university, they were practically excluded from public life. They depended on their husbands and had to submit to them just like the whole nation had to submit to the ruler. The position women held in Shakespeare’s time was very poor. 2 Women in 16th century England and female characters on the Elizabethan stage I will also try to point out some of the positive features of the female characters. Further I will concentrate on the description of the witches and their “line of action“. In connection with Lady Macbeth’s character I will focus on her functions within the play and for Macbeth and on how her evil nature is presented. ![]() In this paper I would like to pay attention especially to these questions as well as to the female characters in general. Is Lady Macbeth the actual culprit or Macbeth? Has he to bear responsibility alone? However, it is also clear that without the “help“ of the witches or Lady Macbeth he probably would not have committed the murder of Duncan. ![]() Critics discussed if it were really the witches who corrupted Macbeth or if he himself brought his demise about. Macbeth’s own wife, Lady Macbeth, contributes to the actions of Macbeth and as a result from that to his and her own (rise and) fall. But it is not only the witches who represent the evil. Macbeth was actually the first play to introduce witchcraft to the stage 1 however, witchcraft was not considered as pure fiction since the belief in the existence of witches was widely spread in Shakespeare’s time. The tragedy starts with three witches who plan to “ meet with Macbeth.“ (1.1.7) It is evident that this will lead to devastation and grief. Macbeth, the central character, is drawn to sinister forces right from the beginning. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play where the evil is of high importance.
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