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Women In Macbeth And Of Mice And Men

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How are women presented in Macbeth & Of Mice & Men?

Shakespeare and Steinbeck present their female characters in a misogynistic light. To compare the respective pieces we must consider several factors, which acted as a driving force towards the portrayal of the female characters in their respective texts.

Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a character who steers away from the stereotypical characteristics of women derived by the societal norms of an Elizabethan society. These three characteristics include: being a faithful and practicing Christian, being submissive to one’s husband, and a good caretaker. In Macbeth, the stereotypical roles are reversed, so Lady Macbeth performs the dominating role in the relationship. To “take her nurturing milk for gall”, Shakespeare makes her sex ambiguous and this is clearly highlighted when she screams “unsex me here” and calls upon the “evil spirits to fill me from crown to the toe top full with direst cruelty”. This shows that she believes that a conventional Elizabethan society woman and Macbeth are not capable to commit murder. She is a blasphemous Christian, as murder that is a heinous deed in all cultures is absolutely unacceptable. Her willingness and lack of morality to commit this murder classifies her as a ‘false Christian’, and she believes she is as capable of the immoral and cruel actions of the opposite sex. It also shows her devotion and unconditional support for her husband for him to achieve success. However this

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