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Ashanti Huye
April 14, 2019
5th period
Literary Analysis

Scapegoats of Society

Feminist criticism is concerned with "...the ways in which literature (and other cultural

productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological

oppression of women" Lois Tyson writes in Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. This

theory takes a deeper look into misogyny and the oppression of women in literature. Shakespeare

plays a role in enforcing the standards for women in writing. In his critically acclaimed play, The

Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses characters like Lady Macbeth, the three witches and

Lady MAcduff to reinstate the commonality of portraying women as conniving and

untrustworthy, the origin of sin, some would say.

The blaming of women in literature and in society as a whole started from a source of

literature that everyone is familiar with, the bible. In the Bible, Eve is seen as the origin of sin

and death in the world. Shakespeare relies heavily on this when writing his female leads in

Macbeth. Whether this was done unintentionally or not is unknown, but it is shown throughout

the play that the females are often the scapegoat for the unethical behaviors of men in the story.

Some might say that Lady Macbeth was the ringleader in the whole fiasco Macbeth

caused, but in fact it was the opposite, she is being used as a scapegoat. Macbeth, being the

strong, determined male that he was, would not simply let a woman tell him what to do. During

this time period women were not considered equals, they were simply there to just exist. It makes

no sense for anyone to believe that Lady MAcbeth pushed her husband to do anything that he

was not already going to do. As his wife, I believe she was playing her role and assisting him in
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his thoughts and encouraging him to do more. In no way did she make him do anything. The fact

that many blame her for the tragedy is sexist in itself. Even though it is known that she had no

real power, in the modern, male dominated world, it is a common thought to blame women for

the wrongdoings of a man. Take rape victims for example, often they are blamed for what they

are wearing, how much they had to drink, or even their number of past sexual partners, things

that shouldn’t even be considered a reason as to why a man would force himself onto a woman,

but it is because we live in a society where “boys will be boys” so they are never held

accountable. These same standards can be set for Macbeth, instead of critiques seeing Macbeth

as the one at fault for his mistakes they blame Lady Macbeth. Although this could be seen as a

compliment, they might refer to her as a mastermind, it is really just a ploy for another woman in

literature to be seen as manipulative and conniving. It is unknown if this was the intended

response that Shakespeare wanted

Lady Macbeth was not the only female character who stood out, in act 1 readers are

introduced to three witches who prophesied Macbeth’s future. By the end of the play it is

revealed that there is a loophole within the apparitions that are shown to him in act 4. Macbeth is

told by the Second Apparition that no man born of woman could harm him. The prophecy

essentially promises Macbeth safety and he lets this get to his head. He believes he is immortal

so when it comes to the war between Macbeth, Macduff and Malcolm, he goes in wholeheartedly

believing no harm would be done. During his final fight with Macduff, Macbeth gloats about not

being able to be killed to which Macduff reveals he was not born from woman but instead born

from cesarean section, being cut from the stomach and pulled out, this is the loophole in the

prophecy which leads to the death of Macbeth. The demise of Macbeth could be credited to the

“false” prophecy from the witches, it could even be argued that the witches had been setting
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Macbeth up for failure from the beginning, but this is simple not true. Everything that the

witches prophesied had come true, Macbeth became king, it is his fault for not thinking of all the

possibilities and going into a battle thinking he was invincible. Just like Lady Macbeth the

witches are being blamed for something that is not their faults.

Lady Macduff is the last female to have an important role with feminism within the world

of Macbeth. She is left deserted with her son after Macduff flees the land to go to England with

Malcolm and other rebels to Macbeth. Macduff leaves essentially leaving his wife and son to

face the immoral wrath of king Macbeth and they are soon met with death as murderers are sent

to execute them. Lady Macduff and her son were left to fend for themselves against a mad king

even though they really had nothing to do with anything that was going on. Macduff and

Macbeth were the ones having the dispute, yet Lady Macduff had to suffer with her life. This just

proves that no matter if they had any association with the problems and wrongdoings they are

still ultimately to blame. Although Lady Macduff wasn’t directly blamed, the fact that she was

murdered due to her husbands disloyalty to the corrupt king shows that she was not seen as her

own person. She was seen as a part of him so his faults were also her own.

“For some high-profile men in trouble, women, especially feminist women, became the

all-purpose scapegoats-charged with crimes that often descended into the absurd.” - Susan

Faludi

Women are used and have been used as scapegoats for as long as literature has been

around. Starting from the Bible all the way up until modern works today like ‘Divergent’ or ‘The

Hunger Games’ women have always and will probably always take the downfall for the

corruptness of the male species. ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare is no

different when it comes to the standard of using women as whipping boy in literature. This sexist
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agenda is pushed throughout the story using female leads such as Lady Macbeth, Lady Macduff,

and the three witches as an excuse for the failures of males in power such as Macbeth and

Macduff.

Works Cited
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Purdue Writing Lab. “Feminist Criticism // Purdue Writing Lab.” Purdue Writing Lab,
owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and_s
chools_of_criticism/feminist_criticism.html.

“Susan Faludi Quote.” A, www.azquotes.com/quote/960310.

Tyson, Lois. “Critical Theory Today.” 2012, doi:10.4324/9780203479698.