Victorian Women in Dracula by Bram Stroker and Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay Sample

is overwhelmed with Scorpios. My dear wife, you know that Banquo and his son Fleance are still alive (93). Macbeth confesses to Lady Macbeth that he needs to reassure himself that he will have the Crown. While Lady Macbeth has her own issues, Macbeth gives the impression that his problems are just beginning.

During the Elizabethan era, it was expected that men would improve the status of their entire household. Thus, it is debatable whether Lady Macbeth's aspiration for more power is wrong. Lady Macbeth displays a state of madness due to her desire for power, causing her to fear that her actions may be condemned. This madness or fear manifests in various forms, ranging from sleepwalking to her ultimate suicide. The women of her time were primarily homemakers, and were expected to conceive a child every two years. However, due to frequent illness, many children died and families remained small.

Lady Macbeth never bore children or fulfilled the traditional duties of a homemaker. During her time, she was considered ambiguous and displaced from society due to her unconventional role and behavior. Her failure to conform to societal norms may have contributed to her descent into madness. The desire for power that consumed her ultimately drove her to insanity.

Despite gaining the most extreme power available, the protagonist still suffered from the repercussions of her actions. Seeking counsel, Macbeth consults with an enchantress regarding Lady Macbeth's inability to address his circumstances. Within an underground cavern, Macbeth approaches the three hovering over a bubbling cauldron, requesting predictions for his uncertain future. The enchantresses reply with advice to closely monitor Macduff and the reassurance that "none of woman born

shall harm Macbeth," vanishing before providing further insight.

Macbeth expresses his concern regarding any ambiguous commentaries that may affect his future. The statement, "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth," is open to various interpretations, which makes it uncertain. The witches lead Macbeth to believe that he is invincible and manipulate him through their methods, revealing how women bring out his negative traits and prompt him to become someone he is not. The witches' initial encounter with Macbeth sets the plot in motion.

Macbeth's tragic trajectory is significantly shaped by the female characters in William Shakespeare's play. Throughout the story, women play a pivotal role in altering Macbeth's perspectives and eventual fate. Lady Macbeth's influence is paramount as she pushes Macbeth towards the murder of King Duncan, an event that likely would not have occurred without her intervention. The witches' prophecy also guides Macbeth toward becoming king, a trajectory that would not have been possible without their foretelling. Overall, Macbeth's transformation and ultimate demise can be attributed to the presence and influence of women in the play.

Both Lady Macbeth and the enchantress have a role in influencing all of Macbeth's actions. In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, the Victorian era women are portrayed with a variety of characteristics. Mina reveals her weaknesses, but also demonstrates exceptional qualities when driven to eliminate Dracula.

Lucy embodies Victorian values in a distinct manner, as displayed through her ostentatious behavior which often results in being condescending towards men. Meanwhile, Dracula is a complex character with Bram Stoker initially portraying him as a benevolent figure at the start of the novel.

In a warm and friendly manner, Dracula treats Jonathan Harker at his home. He

welcomes Jonathan with the words, "Enter freely and of your own will" (22) and consistently refers to him as a good friend and comrade. Although their conversations mostly occur during the nighttime, Jonathan notices certain actions of the Count which lead him to develop superstitious beliefs.

Upon witnessing my countenance, the Count's eyes ignited with a frenzied anger. He swiftly lunged towards my throat, but I evaded his grasp. In the process, his hand accidentally brushed against the string of beads that secured the holy cross.

Jonathan is surprised by how quickly the Count's rage dissipates, causing an immediate change in him. This confirms that the Count has ulterior motives for keeping Jonathan in the palace, as he originally allowed him to come and go as he pleased but now makes him stay for an extra month, making Jonathan feel like a captive. The story brings in Mina Harker when she receives a letter from the hospital about her husband's illness. (31)

Mina visits the infirmary to see Jonathan, who had contracted encephalon fever during his stay at Count Dracula's palace. Though Jonathan has no memory of his time there, Mina stays by his side until he recovers. Eventually, the two leave and get married.

Mina fulfills her role as a Victorian woman by attending to her sick husband and making a special trip to visit Jonathan in a Transylvanian hospital. Stoker employs Lucy to depict the fear of sexual expression and its consequences for women.

At the beginning, Lucy conforms to the Victorian societal norms of a proper female. However, this changes when she is presented with marriage proposals from Dr. Seward and Quincy Morris.

Stoker depicts Lucy

as a sought-after object, leading to discussions about gender roles. Lucy herself questions why society does not allow a woman to marry multiple men.

So how can we fix all of this? Not only does Lucy's involvement with three men make her desirable, but her questioning of women's ability to marry multiple men also suggests her own desires. This desire is a key vulnerability that the other female lead, Mina, does not possess.

Lucy's susceptibility to Dracula's transmutation procedure is due to her transition from an ideal Victorian female to a sexual creature, and then back to perfection through her ultimate death via a stake driven through her heart. This method is used by Stoker to portray the terror of sexual expression. The depiction of her demise highlights that she has crossed over to the supernatural realm, with her neck wounds vanishing and her beauty restored in death, proving that she has transformed into a vampire.

In Stoker's narrative, the predatory attacks of Dracula have corrupted a model representation of the Victorian woman, Mina. As the embodiment of the societal prejudices and virtues of her time, Mina embodies the anti-sexual ideals that were held for women. Despite this portrayal, Mina is hailed as a true Victorian heroine by all the male characters in the story.

Van Helsing assists in unraveling the mystery of Jonathan's peculiar stories and Lucy's death. The text emphasizes that women were expected to be honest, pure, and noble, while Van Helsing commends Mina and advises other characters who do not meet these ideal standards.

Stoker portrays Mina as the ideal woman in Victorian society, suggesting that without embodying this perfection, a woman has no

place. However, he also presents Mina as a dynamic character who longs for freedom from societal repression and expresses not only gender but also ideas of female equality.

Despite starting off as an unusual character, Mina transforms into a typical Victorian housewife with a spouse and children. However, throughout the novel, she demonstrates audacity and intelligence, earning immense respect from the doctors.

The individual appears to possess complex ideas pertaining to the Victorian era, as evidenced by their sources listed in the bibliography: Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and William Shakespeare's "Macbeth."