Gender

• What concept is explored throughout the play regarding characters?

  Gender roles and expectations
• How is masculinity portrayed in the play?

  As a desired trait linked to manhood
• What does Macduff mean when he says he must feel his grief "as a man"?

  He acknowledges emotional expression is part of manhood
• What was the gender expectation for women in the Jacobean era?

  To be loyal and respectful daughters, wives, and mothers
• How were women restricted in the Jacobean era?

  Limited education and financial independence
• What roles did men typically hold in Jacobean society?

  Householders, politicians, landlords
• What was considered an honorable way for a man to die in the Medieval Era?

  In battle
• What does Lady Macbeth imply about masculinity when she accuses Macbeth of being a "coward"?

  That violence is necessary to prove manhood
• What does Macbeth's response to Lady Macbeth's taunts reveal about his character?

  His insecurity regarding his masculinity
• How does Macbeth's view of manhood differ from Lady Macbeth's?

  He ties manhood to honor, not violence
• What does Macbeth's final battle signify about his masculinity?

  His courage and honor are restored
• How does Shakespeare contrast Malcolm and Macduff's masculinity with that of Macbeth?

  They represent a deeper, emotional manhood
• What does Malcolm's warning to Macduff about his desires suggest about masculinity?

  It associates masculinity with uncontrollable lust
• How does Macduff react to the news of his family's slaughter?

  He expresses extreme emotional distress
• What does Macduff's statement about feeling grief as a man imply?

  Repressing grief denies love and memory
• How does Lady Macbeth's character challenge traditional gender roles?

  She is manipulative and dominant
• What is Lady Macbeth's character significance in Shakespeare's presentation of gender?

  She rejects the traditional subservient wife role
• How does Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth's manhood?

  She attacks his masculinity to achieve her goals
• Who does Lady Macbeth resemble in her manipulation of Macbeth?

  Eve convincing Adam to eat the Forbidden Fruit
• How can Lady Macbeth be viewed in terms of femininity?

  As a femme fatale archetype
• What does Shakespeare imply about women having power over men?

  It is unnatural for women to dominate
• What does Lady Macbeth's manipulation reveal about her own power?

  It is tied to Macbeth's status
• What does Lady Macbeth's soliloquy suggest about her character?

  She summons evil spirits for power
• What does Shakespeare suggest about powerful women through Lady Macbeth?

  They may be associated with evil
• How does Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth's masculinity?

  By questioning his bravery and manhood
• What does Lady Macbeth imply when she accuses Macbeth of breaking their vows?

  He is a bad husband and unmanly
• How does Lady Macbeth dehumanize Macbeth in her manipulation?

  By calling him a "beast" for betrayal
• What is the historical association of witches in the play?

  They are typically linked to femininity
• How do the Witches represent 'ugly' femininity?

  They embody the old hag trope
• What do the Witches symbolize in relation to societal expectations?

  Women who defy femininity are punished
• What does the presentation of gender in the play reveal?

  Gender cannot be avoided and defines characters
• How does 'Macbeth' rank in terms of Shakespeare's misogynistic plays?

  It is arguably his most misogynistic play
• What happens to the female characters by the end of 'Macbeth'?

  All except the witches are dead
• What does Lady Macbeth's death signify in the play?

  Her feminine kindness overcomes wickedness
• How does Macduff's sensitivity affect Malcolm?

  It encourages compassion in Malcolm
• What do the deaths of Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff suggest?

  Women suffer from men's sinful deeds
• What does Lady Macbeth do to pursue her ambition?

  She rejects her femininity
• What does Lady Macbeth's desire for cruelty imply about her character?

  She is willing to sacrifice her humanity
• How does the belief in humors relate to Lady Macbeth's character?

  It reflects her desire to change her emotional state
• What does Lady Macbeth's rejection of motherhood signify?

  Her denial of traditional female roles