Gender

Though not as commonly studied as the themes of ambition, power, and destiny, the role gender has on Macbeth’s overall messages and narrative is no less important. Contextually, Shakespeare wrote during and about a time where men and women had strict and expected roles, with men especially in high positions of political power being expected to be strong and warriors, with their lady wives raising a family. Yet Shakespeare subverts these traditional roles and instead portrays a much more complex gender landscape in which the men and women of Macbeth act outside of their typical contextual stereotypes, giving the text an enduring legacy in our modern world.