Gender
Theme Profile – At a Glance
- The Core Concept: The subversion of traditional gender roles, specifically the dangerous equation of masculinity with remorseless violence, and the rejection of feminine compassion in the pursuit of power.
- Key Characters: Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Macduff, and The Witches.
- Related Themes: Ambition, The Supernatural, and Guilt.
- Famous Quote:
"Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,"
(Act 1, Scene 5)
The Weaponisation of Masculinity
In the militaristic society of Macbeth, masculinity is synonymous with courage, physical strength, and the capacity for violence. Lady Macbeth masters this cultural definition and actively weaponises it against her husband. When Macbeth decides to abandon the plot to assassinate King Duncan, she does not argue the logistical merits of the murder; instead, she relentlessly attacks his manhood, equating his moral hesitation with cowardice and effeminacy.
Original
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.
(Act 1, Scene 7)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
If you dared do it, then you'd be a man;
And if you did it, you'd be more a man
Than you have ever been.
By framing regicide as the ultimate proof of masculinity, Lady Macbeth corners him. To prove his worth to his wife and assert his dominance, Macbeth internalises this toxic ideology. He adopts the belief that true men act without conscience or pity, a philosophy that fuels his later descent into unfeeling tyranny and the slaughter of innocent families.
The Rejection of Femininity and the "Unnatural" Woman
Conversely, femininity in the play is associated with nurturing, maternal love, and the "milk of human kindness." For the ambitious women of the play, these natural traits are viewed as debilitating obstacles. To seize power, Lady Macbeth explicitly prays to demonic forces to strip away her biological and psychological womanhood, replacing her life-giving milk with poisonous "gall."
Original
Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers...
(Act 1, Scene 5)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
Come to my woman's breasts
And turn my milk to bile, murderous forces...
This subversion of gender is mirrored in The Witches. As the architects of chaos, they are entirely unmoored from the natural order, possessing an aggressive, androgynous appearance. Their very existence suggests that women who step outside their traditional boundaries and seek power become grotesque and unnatural. However, the play ultimately demonstrates that rejecting one's natural humanity leads to destruction; Lady Macbeth's suppressed feminine conscience violently resurfaces, fracturing her mind through insurmountable guilt.
Redefining True Manhood
If the Macbeths represent a corrupted, toxic version of gender, Macduff offers the play's profound corrective. In Act 4, upon hearing the devastating news that his family has been slaughtered, Malcolm urges Macduff to "dispute it like a man"—implying he should instantly channel his grief into bloody revenge.
Original
I shall do so;
But I must also feel it as a man:
(Act 4, Scene 3)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
I will do so;
But I must also feel it like a man.
Macduff's response fundamentally redefines masculinity. He insists that experiencing profound emotional vulnerability, weeping, and openly loving one's family are not signs of weakness, but essential components of true manhood. This crucial moment proves that physical courage and deep emotional compassion are not mutually exclusive, directly countering the sterile, violent ideology that destroyed the Macbeths.
"Shakespeare uses the Macbeths to demonstrate the destructive nature of divorcing masculine action from feminine compassion. By completely rejecting their natural gendered qualities in the pursuit of power, they orchestrate their own psychological and political ruin."
— Marilyn French, Shakespeare's Division of Experience (1981)
Key Quotes
Quote 1
You should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.
(Act 1, Scene 3)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
You look like you are women,
But yet your beards prevent me from concluding
That you are.
Quote Analysis: Spoken by Banquo upon first meeting The Witches. The visual blurring of genders—women possessing facial hair—immediately marks them as agents of the unnatural. It foreshadows the broader thematic disruption of the play, where the boundaries of natural behaviour will be violently dismantled.
Quote 2
I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this.
(Act 1, Scene 7)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
When a baby sucked my milk,
I know the tender love that feeling brought me;
But I know, as the baby smiled back at me,
I'd pluck my nipple from its toothless mouth
And smash its brains out, had I sworn as you have
To do it.
Quote Analysis: Lady Macbeth uses the ultimate symbol of female compassion and maternal duty—nursing an infant—and twists it into an image of horrifying brutality. This demonstrates her absolute commitment to suppressing her femininity to achieve her ambition, challenging her husband's courage by proving her own ruthless dedication.
Quote 3
Bring forth men-children only;
For thy undaunted mettle should compose
Nothing but males.
(Act 1, Scene 7)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
Give birth to males,
For your undaunted temperament should make
Nothing but males.
Quote Analysis: Uttered by Macbeth in awe of his wife's ruthless plan. He views her as so stripped of traditional female softness that she is biologically unfit to raise daughters. He entirely accepts her premise that cruelty and strength are exclusively masculine traits.
Key Takeaways
- Toxic Masculinity: The play explores the danger of defining manhood exclusively through violence, aggression, and the suppression of empathy.
- The "Unsexed" Woman: To achieve political agency, Lady Macbeth must reject her femininity, suggesting that the Jacobean world viewed female ambition as inherently unnatural.
- Emotional Integrity: Macduff provides the thematic cure by demonstrating that true strength requires emotional openness and love, not just martial prowess.
- Psychological Ruin: The attempt to completely divorce oneself from one's natural gender and human compassion leads directly to the mental collapse and destruction of the Macbeths.
Study Questions and Analysis
Q1: How does Lady Macbeth use the concept of manhood to manipulate her husband? +
When Macbeth hesitates to commit murder, she challenges his masculinity, essentially calling him a coward. She frames the act of regicide not as a moral failing, but as the ultimate test of his bravery and manhood, knowing his pride will force him to act.
Q2: Why does Lady Macbeth pray to the spirits to "unsex" her? +
She equates her biological sex with compassion, nurturing, and moral hesitation—traits she believes will prevent her from seizing power. She asks the spirits to remove her femininity so she can be filled with the cold, ruthless cruelty typically associated with men.
Q3: How do the Witches physically represent the subversion of gender? +
The Witches are described as having "chappy fingers," "skinny lips," and beards, despite identifying as women. Their androgynous, grotesque appearance mirrors their unnatural role in the universe, defying both gender norms and the laws of nature.
Q4: What does Macbeth mean when he tells his wife to "Bring forth men-children only"? +
He is expressing dark admiration for her ruthless, unyielding nature. He implies that she has become so completely devoid of female softness that she is only biologically capable of producing hard, violent men.
Q5: How does Macduff redefine masculinity in Act 4? +
When told to face his family's murder "like a man" (meaning with anger and violence), Macduff replies that he "must also feel it as a man." He argues that genuine grief, love, and emotional vulnerability are central to true masculinity, not just the capacity to kill.
Q6: How does Malcolm's initial view of grief contrast with Macduff's? +
Malcolm initially holds a more traditional, militaristic view. He views prolonged weeping as unmanly and encourages Macduff to immediately convert his sorrow into righteous anger and revenge, using it as a "whetstone" for his sword.
Q7: Does the play ultimately reinforce or subvert traditional gender roles? +
It ultimately reinforces the idea that defying natural roles leads to chaos. The Macbeths' attempt to subvert their humanity by embracing hyper-masculinity and rejecting femininity destroys their minds and Scotland. Order is only restored by men like Macduff, who balances martial courage with emotional depth.
