gender roles

These quotes showcase Lady Macbeth's desire to be free from the limitations imposed by her gender and her ambition to take on a masculine role, questioning the traditional notions of masculinity and femininity in the play

"Are you a man?":

This phrase, often used by Lady Macbeth to challenge Macbeth, suggests a reversal of the traditional power dynamic where men are expected to be dominant and assertive

“unsex me here”

LM wants power and at the time men were considered powerful while women were considered 2nd class citizens. LM doesnt want to be associated with the perceived weakness of the female gender

“too full o’th;milk of human kindness”

LM thinks that macbeth is too kind to the extent that it makes him week like societies view of women at the time

“O gentle lady, ‘tis not for you to hear what i can speak. the repetition in a woman’s ear would murder as it fell”

suggests women are weaker than men and wouldn’t be able to handle hearing the terrible news of duncans death

“you would be so much more the man”

masculinity associated with cruelty and dominance