"Unsex Me Here": The Animus Possession of Lady Macbeth
Session Title
Literature in Society
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Abstract
Most previous Jungian studies of Lady Macbeth’s psyche overlook her position as an autonomous character, viewing her, for example, as a mere projection of Macbeth’s anima. Feminist critics analyze both characters equally, but their argument lacks C. G. Jung's helpful terminology. This essay uses her words and actions to argue that individuation eludes her because she has been possessed by the animus archetype (women’s inner masculine principle and a bridge to the unconscious). By attempting to compensate for her husband’s feminine nature, Lady Macbeth is possessed by what she thinks a man should bebrutal, unemotional, fierce. Her hardened concept of masculinity and her openness to the demonic masculine ultimately lead to her death. While her animus possession helps Lady Macbeth put Macbeth on the throne, the suppression of her true self is the hamartia in her personal tragedy.
Start Date
15-4-2022 12:00 PM
"Unsex Me Here": The Animus Possession of Lady Macbeth
Most previous Jungian studies of Lady Macbeth’s psyche overlook her position as an autonomous character, viewing her, for example, as a mere projection of Macbeth’s anima. Feminist critics analyze both characters equally, but their argument lacks C. G. Jung's helpful terminology. This essay uses her words and actions to argue that individuation eludes her because she has been possessed by the animus archetype (women’s inner masculine principle and a bridge to the unconscious). By attempting to compensate for her husband’s feminine nature, Lady Macbeth is possessed by what she thinks a man should bebrutal, unemotional, fierce. Her hardened concept of masculinity and her openness to the demonic masculine ultimately lead to her death. While her animus possession helps Lady Macbeth put Macbeth on the throne, the suppression of her true self is the hamartia in her personal tragedy.
