Thinking Activity : Macbeth

This Blog-post as a response of Thinking Activity on Macbeth, given by Dilip Barad Sir. 

• Feminist Reading of  Lady Macbeth:

Lady Macbeth is the historical character in English Literature which is highly appears in the controversy of critics or society. She is very strong and high speech character. Although, apart from all main characters, Lady Macbeth is completely Imaginary Character by William Shakespeare. 

• Her Education:

In Act-I, Scene-V she appear with reading a letter of her husband. This is high significant thing that on that time, during Elizabethan Age, perhaps there was woman education under the region.So we can appreciate this educational thing from Lady Macbeth.Because of her educational personality she argues for her rights and it is not in bad perspective. 

•  Her Character for Planning and Structure.  

Lady Macbeth observes King Duncan (Lady Macbeth by George Cattermole(British Painter), 19th century)

After reading a letter, she appear to be very influential in planning and deciding when and how they should kill King Duncan – and chiding her husband for not acting more like a man,despite this capabilities she continuously become a bad character in front of the reader. Because of she is the main reason to the murder of Duncan.But above all this things we have to notice about her quality to planning or structure making, despite of her bad thinking about murder.  

• Iron-willed Character:

“[pluck] my nipple from [my child’s] boneless gums, And [dash] the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this” (Act-I,scene-VII)

According to materialist feminism theory, despite her earlier show of strength, Lady Macbeth’s eventual weakness is a result of a patriarchal portrayal of her gender.This how as a reader we must noticed about patriarchy society. 

Despite of this character, typically, the most highly regarded literary works focus on male protagonists - Oedipus, Ulysses, Hamlet,Jones,Faust,the Three Musketeers,Captain Ahab,Huck Finn,Leopold Bloom– who embody masculine traits and ways of feeling and pursue masculine interest in masculine field of action.

But in the play, Macbeth's character is not completely in masculine action. So Shakespeare perhaps makes her as a masculine heroine of action.  

• Patriarchy :

Women themselves are taught, in the process of being socialized, to internalized the reigning patriarchal ideology (that is conscious and unconscious presuppositions about male superiority). Patriarchal society encourages Lady Macbeth to invest herself in the role of mother. Lady Macbeth is seen as selfish and abnormal when she confesses that there is a situation in which she would “[dash] [her child’s] brains out” (Act-I.scene-vii), a very unnatural statement according to patriarchy’s belief that women’s desire to have and protect children is a part of “their natural biological makeup.” Though intelligent and strong at the beginning of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is reduced to an insignificant person haunted by nightmares and guilt as a result of a patriarchal portrayal of her gender.Patriarchy defines Lady Macbeth’s intelligence as a flaw and as an indicator that she is unnatural and “unfulfilled” as a woman.So this is not fault of Lady Macbeth but actually is fault of Patriarchal Society or patriarchal ideology. Also noticed that Lady Macbeth, she not as bound to domestic duties as Lady Macduff,but her sharpness and intellectual capabilities she uses for her own self. 

In today's time, we as a audience or readers we can see that how Lady Macbeth appear as a strong woman with highly ambitious and educationally. 

Sources:

A Glossary of Literary Terms Page.no,124-125

Feminist Reading Journal Marion A. Davis

Words:574