Lady Macbeth's Defiance
What does Lady Macbeth ask the spirits (The 3 Witches) to do so she can commit murder?
“Unsex me here” – remove her femininity to make her ruthless.
What does Macbeth fear that Lady Macbeth calls “unmanly”?
Hesitating to kill Duncan.
What qualities were women expected to have in Shakespeare’s time?
Obedience, gentleness, nurturing.
“When you durst do it, then you were a ___.”
"Man"
What happens to Lady Macbeth after rejecting femininity?
She breaks down, sleepwalks, and goes mad.
Why does Lady Macbeth call Macbeth a coward?
To shame him into killing King Duncan.
How does Macbeth show insecurity about Banquo’s prophecy?
He fears Banquo’s heirs will inherit the crown.
How does Lady Macbeth gain power over Macbeth early in the play?
By questioning his manhood and manipulating him.
“Come to my woman’s breasts / And take my milk for gall.” What does this mean?
She rejects nurturing femininity for cruelty.
How does Macbeth’s guilt show after Duncan’s murder?
He says he will “sleep no more.”
How does Lady Macbeth’s dominance over Macbeth challenge traditional gender expectations?
She takes control, manipulates him, and acts “manly.”
How does Macbeth’s idea of masculinity shift after Duncan’s murder?
He equates manhood with violence and brutality.
What title does Lady Macbeth say she would trade her femininity for?
To be filled “from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.”
“I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none.” Who says this?
Macbeth, about balancing ambition and manhood
Why does Lady Macbeth say it is better to be dead than to live as they do?
The crown brought them no peace or joy.
What violent image does Lady Macbeth use to show her commitment to ambition?
She would dash her own baby’s brains out.
Who challenges Macbeth’s idea of masculinity in Act IV?
Macduff, who says real manhood includes grieving
How does Lady Macbeth’s dominance over Macbeth highlight role reversal?
She becomes the “man” in the relationship while he hesitates.
“Are you a man?” Who says this and why?
Lady Macbeth, mocking Macbeth’s fear after Banquo’s ghost.
How does Macbeth’s obsession with “being a man” make him tyrannical?
He kills Banquo, Fleance (attempt), and Macduff’s family.
How does Lady Macbeth’s defiance of gender roles ultimately fail her?
Her guilt consumes her, and she becomes weak and unstable.
By the end, how does Macbeth’s obsession with masculinity contribute to his downfall?
His need to prove his manhood drives reckless violence and his death.
How does the witches’ gender ambiguity (beards, strange appearance) connect to this theme?
They blur gender norms, symbolizing chaos and challenging expectations.
“Dispute it like a man.” “I shall do so; But I must also feel it as a man.” What does this exchange mean?
Macduff argues true masculinity includes both grief and revenge.
How does Shakespeare’s theme of gender roles connect to the tragedy’s outcome?
Their attempts to defy natural gender roles (Lady Macbeth seizing power, Macbeth equating manhood with violence) destroy them both.