Have you heard of the Scottish Play? A common euphemism used by actors on the stage for Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. Macbeth continues to remain relevant in contemporary society, through its many thematic concerns. Shakespeare’s portrayal and contrast of pressures of gender roles in Jacobean misogynistic society and his context, challenges modern-day audiences to reflect on the presence of these stereotypes in our community.. Shakespeare’s lady Macbeth emulates the notion that she doesn’t conform to the social constructs of the time. “ The effect and it? Come to my woman’s breast, And take my milks gal, murdering ministers wherever in your slightest substance. “ conveys to the audience how Lady Macbeth wishes to remove society’s expectations of her conduct. Notions and ideas around nurture are associated symbolized through the term ‘milk’ which reiterates the extent of Lady Macbeth embodying masculine traits. The disruption of gender roles is further explored with Lady Macbeth presence in the play, taking a more dominant stance in a relationship. Women in Shakespeare’s context were responsible only to protect and conceive to be lesser than men. Gender stereotyping can still be reflected and present in our communities in today’s contemporary society. Shakespeare subverts traditional gender roles and conveys a more diverse landscape where men and women conduct outside their contextual stereotype. Even though many gender roles have been reduced, more places than others, there is still a daunting presence still felt in our communities. Similarly how Macbeth’s manhood was mocked and shamed by Lady Macbeth due to his lack of ambition and strength, in relation to men in our modern day, many take their own lives due to growing mental health problems, which is the result of the stigma that men are supposed to be a symbol of strength. Illustrating how Macbeth continually remains relevant in our modern society.
Betrayal in Macbeth is considered a major thematic concern in the play. The entire plot of the play revolves around a noble’s treacherous plan to usurp the king and the consequences which follow. There are two types of betrayal that the play conveys: microcosmic betrayal and macrocosmic betrayal. Microcosmic betrayal is on a personal scale, likely with family or friends, a form of betrayal which would seem insignificant to those outside of a family or friend group. An example of microcosmic betrayal is the fate of Banquo, who was murdered by Macbeth, a well-trusted friend, and companion, a form of betrayal which would seem insignificant to others. Macrocosmic betrayal is a much wider scaled form of betrayal, such as in a political sense. The most obvious example of this is when Macbeth murders King Duncan at Macbeth’s castle, the king oblivious to the idea that at night the beginning of the end (of Scotland) ensues. These two types of betrayal are shown to be relevant in a modern context as, despite the differences in time periods, the idea of breaking trust still runs deep into humans. On a macrocosmic scale, betrayal occurs often due to humans envying and striving for power, leading to committing illegitimate acts to attain a higher status, which is similar to Macbeth’s plot. On a microcosmic scale, betrayal is almost always social, an outlying difference compared to older times, where physically harming another would be a form of revenge, leaving you physically scarred, whereas today a friend you trust plans to leave you in the dust, leaving you emotionally scarred. The play, Macbeth, is still relevant in today’s society because although we are in a different era, it is evident in contemporary society and still influenced by ambition much like in the Jacobean era. The corruptive power of vaulting Ambition has a great influence on the characters, especially that of the tragic hero that is followed through the play, Macbeth. This remains relevant as people will still do things for power or money, or anything that will give them an advantage over others. Throughout the story of Macbeth, I have been able to understand and empathise with the character Macbeth, who after discovering things about his future self, becomes too ambitious for his own well being. I can understand this as there have been times when I have been too ambitious and not thought of the consequences of my actions. We can see Macbeth having a relevant connection to the 21st Century as through the consequences that Macbeth made because of his vaulting ambition. Macbeth’s ambition not only led him to achieve higher power, but it leads to his downfall. This was a fatal flaw that can be seen in Macbeth’s personality as it is the reason for his death. To conclude, the play Macbeth is still relevant in modern society and still will be for quite some time. The play has greatly shown themes of betrayal, ambition and gender roles. These thematic concerns of Macbeth prove to be relevant in modern society due to the staticity of human nature, and how little it has changed over such an extensive period of time. The play Macbeth Is something of a life lesson as the play teaches us how we, ourselves, can go over our ambitions. Macbeth, as a character, is a great example of how a character overwhelmed by the obsession of power will swiftly lose followers, loved ones, and eventually, himself.
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