Lady Macbeth and the Jacobean Society - 820 Words

Lady Macbeth’s atypical and complex character directly challenged the archetypal principles and beliefs of the Jacobean era which as a result, drew major fascination through the ages. Lady Macbeth was Shakespeare’s device to not only stimulate audience’s emotions, but to also provide historical context and elicit dominant themes which reflected Jacobean society. Her ambiguous character and remarkable influences in the play raised a lot of controversy and fascination amongst both modern and Jacobean audiences. She can either be seen as linked to the witches in a feminist bid to overthrow the balance of power, or as a representation of the evil side of Macbeth. Nevertheless, it was her distinct characteristics and actions which ultimately†¦show more content†¦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 au diences. It also shows explicitly her influence on the main character Macbeth and hence the state of the entire play. â€Å"What beast wast, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both: They have made themselves, and that their fitness now† Here she twists his words and takes the literal definition of man, reversing it. She aligns masculinity with cruelty and daring violence, claiming that he was more of a man then than now. This statement that he would be more of a man for going ahead with the murder is ironic in the fact that once he does kill Duncan, later becomes such a man in her eyes that he destroys their relationship as a consequence of her deception and manipulation of him. Manipulation The most fascinating and controversial trait of Lady Macbeth is of course her power with words. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband with remarkable effectiveness, overriding all his objections; when he hesitates to murder, she was able to change his righteous mindset with her deceitful and malicious words. As a dominant male,Show MoreRelatedGender Representations in Macbeth - William Shakespeare1623 Words   |  7 PagesThe play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, explores an abundant of encounters to the rigid gender representation demonstrated in the play. The play revolves around the questioning of femininity and masculinity, allowing us to explore how certain characters equivocate the definition of gender to please their favour and how each gender identities are created for persuasion of the natural order that corresponds to the traditional order - Lady Macbeth and Macbeth exploit and redefine gender ideologyRead Moreâ€Å"Virginitie, Mariage And Widowhood† (Mainer) . Stage One:1309 Words   |  6 Pagesmeets his end, she is now a widow and is looked down by society. At this juncture of her life again, she is sub-ordinate to men in her family circle. This was the typical life of a woman in the Jacobean era, the time of William Shakespeare. A woman is groomed to be dependent on her male relatives her entire life. In Macbeth, Shakespeare bends the common female stereotypes through conflicting characters in the Jacobean era. Jacobean society believed in witches. People believed that witches and witchcraftRead MoreAllegorical Elements In Macbeth Essay761 Words   |  4 PagesThe use of allegorical devices within Macbeth can also be used as a way of discussing internal political and ethical perspectives. Shakespeare condemns equivocation within the narrative, â€Å"Faith here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale who committed treason enough for Gods sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven† . This is probably in reference to the Jesuit, Henry Garnet a man who was tried and executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Garnet publishedRead MoreCentral Female Characters in An Inspector Call and Macbeth Essay2611 Words   |  11 Pagespower in society because of her father. Even though she fires Eva because of jealously, she is still shown as a positive character. Lady Macbeth is wife of Macbeth (Thane of Cawdor), because in the Jacobean era women d id not have power because men were in control in society. However, Lady Macbeth is in control of the relationship and she is shown to the audience as a negative character. This coursework will be about why Priestly shows Shelia as a positive character but Shakespeare shows Lady MacbethRead MoreExamples Of Villainy In Macbeth811 Words   |  4 PagesVillainy in Macbeth: (Unseen in-class Exam) Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy Macbeth explores the social mores of a Jacobean society by exploring ambition and villainy in the Scottish monarchy. Macbeth’s demise is perceived as inevitable and a direct consequence of being an iconoclast of the Jacobean attitudes, values and beliefs. Violating existing principles including the Divine Right of Kings and the Great Chain of Being – his transgressions cause the audience to deny Macbeth of sympathy, thusRead MoreIn the Play ‘Macbeth’, Lady Macbeth Is Presented as the Female Who Dominates Her Husband. Discuss This Statement and How Typical Lady Macbeth Is of a Woman of Her Time.2458 Words   |  10 PagesIn the play ‘Macbeth’, Lady Macbeth is presented as the female who dominates her husband. Discuss this statement and how typical Lady Macbeth is of a woman of her time. The play ‘Macbeth’ was written between 1603 and 1607 by the famous playwright William Shakespeare and it is considered to be one of his most famous darkest tragedies. It is about a regicide and its aftermath which would have been a topical issue in the period in which it was written in as it relates to the Gunpowder Plot. Since theRead MoreAnalysis Of My Last Duchess By Robert Browning And A Woman s Lover 1712 Words   |  7 Pagessupernatural, reality and appearance, played a role in the way events occurred and how they have affected the marriage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This analysis would also study how the author, William Shakespeare, portrayed these themes using language and historical context to affect the opinions of the audience’s perception of the two characters. As Shakespeare’s Macbeth had been written in the past, it would be of great contrast to the two modern poems that would also be analysed. This analysisRead MoreMacbeth and th e laboratory2068 Words   |  9 PagesShakespeare’s Lady Macbeth and Browning’s lady in lab share common characteristics of insanity as well as great ambition. The essay will explore dilemma faced by Lady Macbeth and the cruelty expressed in â€Å"The Laboratory†. Shakespeare’s play, was written in 1848, and set in the 11th century. The play was presented to King James I of England, and portrays one of his ancestors, Banquo. In contrast, â€Å"The Laboratory†, is set in pre-revolutionary France, portraying the main protagonist as a schizophrenicRead MoreCharacterization Of Macbeth1276 Words   |  6 Pages But with this answer comes another question: why would Shakespeare name the main character Macbeth when his monarchs were Elizabeth I and James I? What message was he trying to send by using the name of Macbeth, the king of Scotland in 1040? In Jonathan Goldberg’s essay â€Å"Speculations: Macbeth and source† in Jean E Howard†™s anthology on Shakespeare, Goldberg explains how the King Duncan in the play is a reflection of the real life Duncan I from Scotland in the 1030s when Scotland was going throughRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth 1925 Words   |  8 Pages‘Macbeth’ a Scottish play known as one of Shakespeare’s best plays was written in 1611 by William Shakespeare, during that time King James the 1st was the king of Scotland, the Jacobean times was a time where people had a fascination with witches and witchcraft, ‘Daemonolgie’ was a book written by King James the 1st himself, this was about ways to spot a witch, which intrigued people. Since ‘Macbeth’ has a Scottish theme Shakespeare may have written this play to please King James since there is references