FREE ESSAY ON MACBETH

MACBETH

Banquo is very direct with these witches with his confusion, as he bluntly states that he
is confused by them because he is unsure on whether they are in fact women or men. The
fact of these characters being witches foreshadows the idea of this play containing other
supernatural things, which we the reader come across later on in the play. 
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship is a different kind of relationship. In the
beginning, Lady Macbeth is introduced to the reader as this evil woman plotting to murder
the present king Duncan and anyone else who might come in her husband's way to become
king. Upon Macbeth's arrival Lady Macbeth tells him that she will take charge of the
preparations for Duncan's visit and murder. She takes their relationship into her hands,
telling her husband to Leave all the rest to me ( I, vi,86.) Lady Macbeth could be viewed
as possessing manly qualities, for she does seem to take control of their relationship.
Yet, after Macbeth commits this sin of murdering his own king, his personality and train
of thought is obvious and drastically changed. Though he does manifest guilt, he soon
begins planning his next victim. Also, when Ross and Lennox find their King murdered in
his bed, Macbeth proceeds to kill the guards whom he had framed, in an act of rage. This
rage never seen to the reader until now, after he murders Duncan. After this unfortunate
assassination of a great king, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's role in their relationship
seems to switch. It is now Macbeth who takes charge of the present situation, and does
not inform Lady Macbeth of his intended plans of killing Banquo. He regards her as dear
chuck and tells her to pretend that she does not know anything that he is planning on
doing. Macbeth's referral to Lady Macbeth as Dear chuck, is a phrase which reveals that
Macbeth now has control of their relationship. Lady Macbeth is no longer viewed as
possessing those manly qualities after the murder of Duncan.
The last referral to the subject of gender role confusion is in Macbeth's conversation
with the three murderers chosen to fulfil this dreadful task of murdering not only
Banquo, but Fleance as well. Their apparent apprehension to take on such a task fills
Macbeth with a sort of anger, and he questions them, areWilliam Shakespeare's play,
Macbeth, reveals the abnormal subject of confused gender roles within the first of the
act play. The three Weird Sisters -- who Macbeth and Banquo comes across on their journey
home from fighting a war against Scotland - are the start of this gender confusion which
is seen throughout the play with Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, as well as in Macbeth's speech
to the three murderers as he tries to convince them to agree to his plan and kill Banquo.
As Banquo approaches these witches, he cannot determine whether they are men or women.
They possess all of the qualities women can be attributed for, yet this confusion comes
from the fact that they have beards upon their faces. Having this scene be the very first
of act Shakespeare's Macbeth, foreshadows to the reader that gender roles will be
confused through out the play. At the start of this play, Lady Macbeth is obviously the
person in charge of their family. Upon hearing the news of Macbeth's prophecy told by the
three Weird Sisters, -- that he will replace the present king, Duncan, when the time
comes -- she immediately begins planning King Duncan's downfall. Macbeth is viewed as
inferior and meek compared to his manly wife. Yet, it seems as though their positions in
their relationship are switched after the murder of Duncan takes place. Lastly, King
Macbeth's conversation with the three murderers he chose to fulfill the task of getting
rid of Banquo and Fleance strongly shows the suggestion of confused gender roles. Macbeth
clearly asks them if they are indeed men. All of these examples clearly prove the
suggestion of confused gender roles that will be seen throughout this play. All of these
gender role confusions show the reader
Within the first act of the play, the reader is introduced to the three Weird Sisters.
Having this meeting being one of the first events in the play foreshadows not only this
confusion of gender roles, but the idea of the supernatural world as well. 
-what are these,
So withered, and so wild in their attire,
That look not like th' in habitants o' th' earth
And yet are on 't? Or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand 
Me
By each at once her choppy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips. You should be women, 
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so. (I, iii 40-49)
you man?. This obviously would want to make three tough men, as these, want to take on
such a task to prove to their king their manhood . . . and they do agree to it.