Edna Pontellier/Lady Macbeth Comparison

             First Lady Johnson once commented that the 1960's was the first period in American history to offer women the same opportunities as men in utilizing their "abilities and intelligence." It is a time in which women may become independent and self-sufficient. They no longer are bound solely to the roles of housewife and mother, but may explore the world of occupation and earn careers that were once only available to men. Certainly there is more equality amongst the sexes now than at previous times when women were forced to be subservient to their husbands and obey his every whim. Yet, exceptions did exist throughout history where women were somewhat separate from their spouses or the relationship between them was balanced to some degree. Literature holds two fictitious accounts where women did not fully comply with the orthodox standards between man and wife. The Awakening by Kate Chopin describes the quest of Edna Pontellier to be liberated from her marriage and from the expectations of women in nineteenth-century American society. Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells of Lady Macbeth's desire to become Queen of Scotland and how she manipulates her husband into assassinating the current king so that they both may ascend to the throne. These women share a common trait in their bold repudiation of their husbands' wishes and their pursuit for authority, yet the one who exhibits the qualities referred to in Johnson's statement the most is Lady Macbeth.
             The most common attribute of both of these characters is their lack of total subservience towards their husbands. Edna Pontellier refuses to adequately perform the duties of a mother as seen in the following excerpt, "It would have been a difficult matter for Mr. Pontellier to define to his own satisfaction or any one else's wherein his wife failed in her duty toward their children" (50). Mr. Pontellier expects his wife to have great co...

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Edna Pontellier/Lady Macbeth Comparison. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 01:12, July 02, 2025, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/92831.html