Gender

• Traditional gender roles 


  > defined by societal norms in Jacobean times

  > Mean are expected to be ambitious, assertive and dominant

  > Women are supposed to be submissive, nurturing, and obedient

  > Lady Macbeth challenged these norms by displaying masculine characteristics

  " Pour my spirit in thine ear" " Unsex me here" "Placed a fruitless crown"
• Lady Macbeth's ambition 


  > Driving force behind Macbeth's initial actions

  " Pour my spirit in thine ear"

  > Ambition is fuelled by her desire for power and status

  " Unsex me"

  > Leads to her downfall as she is consumed by guilt and madness "Out, damed spot! Out, I say!"
• The witches


  > Supernatural powers and ambiguous gender presentation

  > Blurring the lines between gender binaries

  > Their prophecies disrupted the natural order and therefore possess superior powers
• Consequences of gender 


  > Both Lady M and M suffer dire consequences for their attempts to transgress gender norms