"Unsex me here". Explore the way gender roles are presented throughout Macbeth.
Undeniably, Macduff challenges the traditional stereotype of masculinity being restricted to physical traits such as strength and power. In Act 4, scene 3, Macduff is told to “dispute it like a man” upon the pivotal discovery of the murder of his family. The adroit use of the imperative verb “dispute” suggests the best approach to this tragedy is physical conflict, reflecting on how society expected men to exert their masculinity and dominance. However, Macduff challenges this command with the symbolic response “I must also feel it as a man.” The use of “feel” shows that his manhood consists of more than just aggression and violence; allowing oneself to be sensitive and process grief is also vital. This alludes to his stereotypically-feminine traits, amelioratively connoting rationality and emotional intelligence. The emphatic contrast between “dispute” and “feel”, as well as the embedment of the adverb “also”, establishes that gender stereotypes are nonsensical as everybody processes tragedy using different approaches.
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