Lady Macbeth and the Jacobean Society Essay Sample

Within Jacobean society, men are expected to be dominant, strong-willed and unemotional; the opposite of any of these traits would show apparent weakness. It is also useful to add that the patriarchal hierarchy painted men to be superior to women. Macbeth presents all of these traits, showing his compliance in conforming to his Jacobean social standing. Although Macbeth can also be seen as overly violent; “he unseam’d him from the naves to th’chaps,” The verb, “unseam’d” implies that he attacked brutally with ease. The violent imagery foreshadows Macbeth’s behaviour (which proves to be excessively violent). This can be proven further by the words King Duncan provides on behalf of Macbeth and Banquo: “Sparrows, eagles, or the hare.”

The zoomorphism shows that Macbeth acts like an animal, his movements and killings are in no way humane, and he favours brutal killings as it provides him with a sense of joy. Furthermore, the predator versus prey concept is an extended metaphor for the victims that died at Macbeth’s hand; the deaths could also, however, exemplify the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo: whilst Macbeth is inordinately violent, Banquo is humane. This concept also foreshadows the death of Banquo, which shows the brutality in Macbeth once again. The “lion” is symbolic as it appears on the royal coat of arm at the Kings of Scotland. To be compared to a lion shows a level of trust between King Duncan and Macbeth. This could be seen as dramatic irony as we know Macbeth will inevitably commit regicide, also aiding to his violent nature. Further backing this up, Macbeth seems to comment excessively on how King Duncan’s body was left after the murder: “His gash’d stabs looked like a breach in nature for ruins wasteful entrance.” The metaphor shows that Macbeth’s trademark excessive force has destroyed the fabric of nature. The Elizabethan and Jacobean conception of nature was bound to the idea of order. They had said it was natural that things had their place and purpose, and to disturb said order was unnatural. This phrase implies that Duncan’s murder is akin to a “gash” in the border of the ordered cosmos, allowing chaos to escape into the realm of God’s creation. This could potentially link to going against the chain of being; when Macbeth kills King Duncan, he disrupts the great chain.

Macbeth being the Thane of Cawdor means he must be subservient to King Duncan as he is under him in terms of hierarchy and command. By committing regicide, Macbeth is acting out of his allotted place in nature in attempts to surpass his place on the Chain of being, therefore effectively breaking the confines he was bound to. In some manner, Macbeth’s excessive force allowed him to overcome his standing within society due to his gender, and the weaknesses that once weighed on him no longer matter because by breaking the chain of being, he is irrevocably ensuing chaos onto a world that doesn’t know how to live without it. Macbeth’s immoderate force to tasks will be his inevitable downfall as the tragic hero, therefore presenting his character as violent in the way he goes about things.