THE THREE WITCHES: DECIPHERING AUTONOMOUS VIABILITY WHERE UNSEXING NECESSITATES A THICK BEARD RATHER THAN MASCULINITY 0 0

Abstract

In the syntax of early society of England, women unsexing themselves necessitate a thick beard rather than masculinity. In the age where the beard advertised the completion of apprenticeships and the acquisition of freeman status, I argue that witches with their beards were sexually independent beings belonging to the natural world. At the same time, they are comparable to women and a consequence of being neglected by society and pure patriarchy. Lady Macbeth’s choice of opting for non-masculinity in the act of unsexing herself is thus a social and economic choice that is in keeping with the societal status of the beard found in a hegemonic and all-pervasive gender discourse. Particularly in the Elizabethan theatres, male apprentices who performed as women exhibited the blatant gender ambiguity through cross-dressing. These effeminate men received criticism for being less manly and unethical in light of the Bible. It emphasized men as the dominant and opinionated sex over women, in keeping with the beard's status as a symbol of masculinity. In the end, the beard stands for autonomous viability outside of a gendered societal discourse.