In one of theaters most dramatic and well-known plays, "Macbeth," William Shakespeare uses reversed gender roles as a significant part of the drama's explicitly violent content. Throughout the play, the roles of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are confused as to who is masculine and who is feminine. The confused gender in this play dictates what they are going to do. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth play the role of the man and woman in the plot and eventually the murderer of King Duncan. .
In the first act of the play, Macbeth is awarded a new title from King Duncan. Macbeth's aspiration to be the king catches up to him. He will do anything it takes to get the crown on his head. He goes so far as to say, "Stars, hide your fires, / Let not light see my black and deep desires"" (1.4.50-51). Here, Macbeth is taking the role of the man and saying that he is going to murder the king so he can take the crown. He wants to murder the king so bad, but he thinks about what King Duncan has done for him and sees no reason or motive to commit this heinous act. Macbeth says in the play, "He hath honored me of late"" (1.7.32). Macbeth is saying that he has no problems with King Duncan given him a new title, Thames of Cawdor. Eventually, his ambition for the crown catches up with him. In Millicent Bell's article, it is explained why Macbeth's ambition for the crown grows, "By this accounting, Macbeth's leap to the idea of murder when Duncan appoints Malcolm his heir is the outrage of the displaced son against the father who has favored a younger sibling"" (17). Macbeth gets very mad when he hears that he is not the heir to the throne. He wants it so bad now but he still cannot bring himself to the thought of murdering Duncan. .
While Macbeth is showing his feminine side and saying he does not want to do it because King Duncan has been good to him, Lady Macbeth starts to show her ambition for the title of queen and shows her masculine side.