Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Xaver thesis_Redacted.pdf (1.33 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Blood and Milk: The Masculinity of Motherhood in Shakespeare's Tragedies

Xaver, Savannah
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450433405

Abstract Details

2016, Bachelor of Arts, University of Toledo, English.
Motherhood in Shakespeare’s tragedies consists of an unbalance between feminine and masculine forces. Lady Macbeth and Volumnia from Coriolanus strike readers and critics as intricate and aberrant characters. They stand out as women characters in their respective plays because they embrace masculinity rather than femininity. I argue that Shakespeare purposefully crafted Lady Macbeth and Volumnia to create conflict with the tragic heroes through their speeches and dialogue. Within the masculine filled, war-fueled worlds of Macbeth and Coriolanus, a woman must support her male relatives involved in war activities. Not only that, but it becomes a rite of passage for men to dominate women in order to succeed in life and perhaps become more masculine. Lady Macbeth and Volunmnia, however, utilize their strong wills to control and even overpower the men around them. By alluding to their feminine physicality, such as the act of breastfeeding, and combining it with masculine imagery of blood, Lady Macbeth and Volumnia establish dominance and attempt to mute gender. I claim Shakespeare composed the dialogues for each woman to focus on their physical attributes as a tactic to showcase personality and how it relates to gender. The challenging of gender within these tragedies appears dangerous for the men; however, critics argue that Lady Macbeth and Volumnia act out of love or, perhaps, an overindulgence of it. This paper will cite evidence from Macbeth and Coriolanus along with critics’ readings to determine why Shakespeare shaped his mother-figure characters this way. Ultimately, I believe the dominant nature of Lady Macbeth and Volumnia leads to their assisting in the demise of Macbeth and Coriolanus.
Andrew Mattison (Advisor)
Melissa Gregory (Advisor)
32 p.
Literature
William Shakespeare; Macbeth; Coriolanus; Lady Macbeth; Motherhood; Breastfeeding

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Xaver, S. (2016). Blood and Milk: The Masculinity of Motherhood in Shakespeare's Tragedies [Undergraduate thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450433405

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Xaver, Savannah. Blood and Milk: The Masculinity of Motherhood in Shakespeare's Tragedies . 2016. University of Toledo, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450433405.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Xaver, Savannah. "Blood and Milk: The Masculinity of Motherhood in Shakespeare's Tragedies ." Undergraduate thesis, University of Toledo, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450433405

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

uthonors1450433405
870
© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo Honors Theses and OhioLINK.