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Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth . Character Analysis by Bailey Hughes. Characters . What are characters? . Characters are the people responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem or literature. Characters are the medium through which we are able to interact with a piece of literature.

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Lady Macbeth

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  1. Lady Macbeth Character Analysis by Bailey Hughes

  2. Characters What are characters? • Characters are the people responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem or literature. • Characters are the medium through which we are able to interact with a piece of literature. • It is the work of an author, to create a persona that assists us in forming a plot or creating a mood. What role do characters play in literature?

  3. Gender Stereotypes Women • Females are stereotyped to be very nurturing, gentle and caring. • Women are stereotyped as the inferior race, being more weak and cowardly. • Common feminine traits include dependent, emotional, sensitive and passive. • Males are stereotyped as very independent and strong. • Typically, men are meant to be very logical, aggressive and courageous, conveyed as much more stable than females. Men

  4. Shakespeare's subversions of Stereotypes Lady Macbeth • Shakespeare conveys Lady Macbeth in contrast to Macbeth. • Lady Macbeth is primarily conveyed as; • Insensitive, unemotional, aggressive and strong. • Finally, Lady Macbeth is conveyed as an emotional, sensitive and passive character. • “I would while it smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gum, and dashed the brains out.” →“Nought’s had, all’s spent, Where our desires is got without content; ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”

  5. Relationships with Macbeth Primarily • Lady Macbeth is the dominant partner. • She is very insensitive, aggressive and questions Macbeths manhood. • Lady Macbeth pressures Macbeth into being more courageous, she contrasts the stereotypical female. • Lady Macbeth is very passive. She is guilt stricken and represents female stereotypes. • Macbeth is aggressive and insensitive, he dominates Lady Macbeth. • Macbeth conveys the normal male stereotypes. • “But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail.” Ultimately

  6. Relationships with herself Primarily • Lady Macbeth challenges her stereotypes. She is very aggressive and insensitive. • Lady Macbeth becomes driven by her need for power. She manipulates herself into becoming an unemotional female, being courageous and being insensitive. • “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty”

  7. Relationships with herself Ultimately • Lady Macbeth returns to being conveyed as a stereotypical woman. • Her guilt of organizing Duncan's murder influences her. • Lady Macbeth gets paranoid and sees blood on her hands, she is overwhelmed by guilt and becomes emotional and very sensitive. • Commits suicide. • “Nought'shad, all's spent, • Where our desire is got without content; • 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy • Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”

  8. Potential Essay Questions • This presentation would be useful in understanding the character of Lady Macbeth and Shakespeare’s subversions of gender stereotypes. • Discourses  discuss a gendered discourse • Analysis of a character within a text  discuss Lady Macbeth • Character construction within a text • Feminist Discourses

  9. References and Quotes .

  10. References • http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_96.html • http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_180.html • http://www.shakespeare-navigators.com/macbeth/quotesmacbeth.html • http://www2.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/general/glossary.htm#c

  11. Quotes • “I would while it smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gum, and dashed the brains out.” (Act 1, Scene 7, Line 56) • “Nought’shad, all’s spent, • Where our desires is got without content; ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 4) • “But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail.” (Act 1, Scene 7) • “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 38)

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