Even though the witches have the power to see the future, they are still subject to male characters in the play. They speak to Banquo and MacBeth in a very humble manner. During their first meeting, all the witches do is praise both of the men and tell them they have great things waiting for them in the future. They do not ever have a real dialogue with the male characters;

The feminized other is defeated in the end when MacBeth enters into battle and gets killed. MacBeth, taken over by this feminine power, is conquered by a stronger power. MacDuff represents the masculine power that destroys MacBeth, who has become the product of the feminine other. MacDuff embodies male power and rationality; once he gets past the thought of his slain family, he becomes very calculating and thinks about nothing other than revenge. It is important to note that MacDuff has not been tainted be the feminine other, as he was not born of a woman; thus, it is appropriate that he is the instrument of MacBeth's desctructin. In contrast to MacDuff, MacBeth becomes increasingly reckless and irrational after the other takes over. Shakespeare utilizes the notion that these characteristics are typically gendered female. Thus, the play ends with the masculine power, characterized by sensibility and logic, triumphing over the feminine other, marked by irrational behavior.

Shakespeare clearly sets up a patriarchal structure in MacBeth. The women in the play are portrayed as evil influences and mechanisms of the other. The other is feminized in the characters of the witches and Lady MacBeth. It is easier to see the connection betw

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