Macbeth

How does Shakespeare present male/female relationships in Macbeth?

Macduff -Loyal, puts his wife before his children “how does my wife?” act4scene3

Guilty – “sinful Macduff” he see’s it as his fault they died, because he left..

Loving – “I cannot but remember such things were, that were most precious to me” –he calls them precious. Proves he cared.

Respectful – “give sorrow words” and “merciful heaven” he asked for sorrow words to be spoke and for heaven to have mercy.

Lady Macbeth – “fie my lord,fie, a soldier, and afeard” – remembering her words to Macbeth. Feels guilty that she forced him. Blaming herself.

Remembering, feels guilty, takes responsibility – “the thane of fife had a wife. Where is she now. What will these hands ne’er be clean” she will always have blood on her hands for murdering.

Blaming herself, says that she’s ruined everything by forcing Macbeth to murder in the first place. – “you mar all with this starting”

“Yet I fear thine nature” + “it is too full o’ the milk of kindness” + “that I may pour my spirits in thine ear” – she knows she can make him do whatever she wants him to do. – She thinks he’s too weak. Added to manipulating him into it.

Makes a woman say that men are more powerful, which is a really strong message as if a women thinks men are more powerful than a women, then women really must be nothing - “come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall” + “ unsex me here; and fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty” as she is already a woman, if she is unsexed, she will be a man.

She changes in a second as soon as Macbeth comes in. “ great glamis! Worthy cawdor!” She’s two-faced and hid what she was just talking about from Macbeth, which makes her two faced. Presenting their relationship as secretive.

She’s very confident –“ we fail!” she’s shocked that he would think they would actually fail at something, thinks her plan is perfect. Macbeth is just her puppet.

Macbeth - he’s a nice guy. Only...