essay on lady macbeth character

Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

Lady Macbeth is possibly Shakespeare’s most famous and vivid female character. Everyone, whether they have read or seen the Macbeth play , has a view of her. She is generally depicted in the popular mind as the epitome of evil, and images of her appear over and over again in several cultures. She is usually portrayed in pictures as something like a Disney character, a cross between Cruella DeVille and the wicked stepmother in Snow White.

Although she has some of the most bloodthirsty lines in Shakespeare she is not quite Cruella De Ville or the wicked stepmother. The response she gets from the male characters suggests that she is a young, sexually attractive woman and, indeed, in her effort to influence Macbeth, she uses every method at her disposal, including the employment of her sexual charms.

She is usually depicted as a strong, tough woman and, in her drive to induce Macbeth to murder King Duncan, she appears to be that, but, having succeeded, it does not take long for her to crumble and break down, destroyed by guilt, and she ends up committing suicide.

Shakespeare does not have any evil characters. What he has are ordinary human beings, like you and me, placed in situations that challenge and test them. Some of them, like Iago in Othello , have personality defects, but that’s rare in Shakespeare and it’s not the case with Lady Mcbeth.

The challenges that Shakespeare presents his characters with generates different responses from different people. Lady Macbeth’s challenge is that she discovers that her husband has been tempted by an encounter with three witches to do something about their prediction that he will become king. She knows that the king would have to die for that to happen. When she gets a message that King Duncan plans to spend the night with them at Glamys Castle it seems to confirm the thought that they would have to kill him and that this was their once in a lifetime opportunity. That’s the situation into which she has been thrust.

She is as ambitious as Macbeth but she knows that for all his bravery in battle, all his soldierly and diplomatic qualities, he is basically much too soft –“too full of the milk of human kindness” – to take advantage of the opportunity. She makes up her mind to make him do it.

And she is right about his lack of resolve – they talk it over and he tells her that he just can’t do it. She goes into high gear and virtually holds his hand through it. One of her strongest qualities is persistence and she shows it here. Macbeth hesitates, equivocates and falters but she holds firm. She argues the case, she mocks him, bringing his manhood into question, she appeals to his sense of loyalty to her, she takes him to bed, and she finally prevails.

Macbeth kills Duncan in his sleep and from that moment their marriage begins to fall apart. They each fall into their own guilt-trip and hardly speak to each other. As king, Macbeth fears his political enemies and embarks on a reign of terror while Lady Macbeth stays in bed, unable to sleep, having nightmares when she does manage it. While walking and talking in her sleep she gives the game away about what they have done and sinks into a moral, physical and spiritual collapse. When Macbeth is on his last legs, with the rebels closing in, he gets the message that she’s dead. At that point, he says he doesn’t have time to think about it. “She should have died hereafter,” he says. Their partnership in this murderous enterprise has destroyed their marriage.

The promise of strength that we see in her at the beginning of the play is an illusion. What we are seeing is naked ambition and a willingness to act on it without having the resources to deal with the consequences. We see how guilt can eat up your soul and destroy you. We see how hollow ambition is, both in her journey and Macbeth’s. (Read the most significant Macbeth ambition quotes .)

Character attributes

Some significant character attributes of Lady Macbeth are:

Controlling – she understands that her husband doesn’t have the savageness required to murder the king of his own accord, so she manipulates him. She plans out the murder, then takes control of events when Macbeth loses his mind.
Cruel – she is a violent, cold-blooded character who is happy to scheme the murder. She ridicules Macbeth when he doesn’t agree to participate in her violent plans.
Two-faced – she welcomes King Duncan like a friend whilst at the same time planning his murder. She also advises Macbeth to be two-faced.

Erika Sunnegårdh playing Lady Macbeth stands on stage in a blue dress holding a large axe

Erika Sunnegårdh as Lady Macbeth

Top Lady Macbeth Quotes

“I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness

( act 1, scene 5 )

“To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue; look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.”

“ The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements”

“Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

“Would’st thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage? “

( act 1, scene 7 )

“I have given suck, and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.”

“ Out! damned spot! “

( act 5, scene 1 )

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Common Questions About Lady Macbeth

Is lady macbeth a true story.

Although Shakespeare used the names of real historical people in writing Hamlet, the events of the drama are mostly made up. So in that sense, Lady Macbeth is not a real character. There was an 11th-century Scottish king named Mac Bethad Mac Findlaich . Presumably, he had a wife but we know nothing about her.

What kind of character is Lady Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth is ambitious. She is manipulative and uses several techniques of a skilled manipulator to entice Macbeth into the murder of Duncan. Usually thought of as a hard, ruthless woman, she is, in reality, soft. Not long after the murder, unable to cope with her guilt, she falls apart and loses all sense of herself.

What happens to Lady Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth tries to prop her husband up as he descends into a guilt-ridden hell but she soon falls victim to the same condition. Her whole life literally becomes a nightmare, in which she relives the event that has brought her condition about. Her life becomes unbearable and she commits suicide.

Who does Lady Macbeth kill?

Lady Macbeth does not personally kill anyone. She conspires in the murder of the king, Duncan, though, and actively encourages Macbeth to kill him. It is Macbeth who does the actual killing. Lady Macbeth plays no part in the many further killings that Macbeth engineers. Soon after the killing of Duncan the two don’t even talk to each other.

What made Lady Macbeth go crazy?

Lady Macbeth is partly responsible for the kind of killing that was taboo in Mediaeval Scotland – murdering one’s king, murdering one’s relative and murdering a guest in one’s house. In killing Duncan the couple did all three. She begins to have nightmares about the murder and, in particular, the blood on her hands, which she can’t get rid of no matter how hard she scrubs. That drives her to suicide.

How does Lady Macbeth feel after the killing of Duncan?

Once Duncan is killed Lady Macbeth is pleased that her ambition to be the wife of a king has been achieved, but that feeling very soon turns sour as guilt begins to eat away at her. She then she has feelings that she can’t live with, and ends up killing herself (one of 13 suicides in Shakespeare’s plays ).

Is 2016 film Lady Macbeth based on Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth character?

No. Lady Macbeth is a 2016 British film based on Nikolai Leskov’s novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District , and starring Florence Pugh.

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Lady Macbeth Character Analysis Essay

This essay will provide a character analysis of Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” It will explore her role in the play, her manipulative and ambitious traits, her psychological progression, and her ultimate downfall, reflecting on her impact on the play’s events. Moreover, at PapersOwl, there are additional free essay samples connected to Lady Macbeth.

How it works

In the canon of English literature, “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare stands as a timeless exploration of ambition, morality, and the human psyche. Among the play’s memorable characters, Lady Macbeth captivates audiences with her powerful and complex personality. Her role is pivotal, influencing the narrative’s events and themes. This essay explores Lady Macbeth’s character, shedding light on her influence on the tragic plot of “Macbeth” and her significant contribution to the play’s universal themes.

1 Lady Macbeth as the Catalyst for Macbeth’s Ambition
2.1 Unsexing and the Desire for Power
2.2 Femininity as a Tool for Manipulation
3.1 Guilt-induced Madness
4.1 A Symbol of Regret and Destruction
4.2 Reflection on Lady Macbeth’s End
5.1 Conclusion

Lady Macbeth as the Catalyst for Macbeth’s Ambition

Lady Macbeth’s desire for power is unmistakable.

Her ruthless ambition is the spark that sets Macbeth’s actions into motion. Among the most iconic moments in “Macbeth” is Lady Macbeth’s chilling monologue, where she implores the “spirits that tend on mortal thoughts” to make her ruthless. She then employs this newly imbued ruthlessness to manipulate her hesitant husband into committing the unfathomable act of murdering King Duncan. Her words, “screw your courage to the sticking place,” are a chilling testimony to her unyielding influence over her husband’s actions. Through this, we see how Lady Macbeth’s ambition directly influences Macbeth’s actions and leads to both their downfalls. Her insatiable desire for power and control not only instigates the plot’s tragic turn but also contributes significantly to the destructive consequences that follow.

Lady Macbeth and Gender Roles

Lady Macbeth defies the gender norms of her time with her assertive and ambitious nature, traits typically associated with masculinity in the Elizabethan era. In contrast to the quiet, submissive ideal of womanhood, Lady Macbeth presents herself as a dominant and persuasive force capable of orchestrating regicide to achieve her ends.

Unsexing and the Desire for Power

Even more striking is Lady Macbeth’s expressed desire to abandon her feminine traits to achieve her ambitions. She implores spirits to “unsex” her, seeking to cast off what she perceives as the constraints of femininity. This defiance of gender norms underscores Lady Macbeth’s strength and determination, illustrating her character’s unique and complex nature.

Femininity as a Tool for Manipulation

Yet, despite her desire to shed her femininity, Lady Macbeth uses her gender to her advantage. She manipulates the expectations of her womanhood to control Macbeth, oscillating between a nurturing wife and a cunning instigator. This sophisticated use of her femininity adds further depth to her character, showcasing the complexity of gender roles and power dynamics in the play. Lady Macbeth’s character, therefore, stands as a powerful commentary on gender and power, resonating with audiences even today.

Lady Macbeth’s Psychological State

Lady Macbeth’s psychological journey is a captivating aspect of “Macbeth”. She begins as a figure of unyielding ambition, steeled and ruthless. Yet, as the play progresses, the guilt resulting from her actions seeps in, causing a dramatic transformation. The once-determined woman, driving her husband towards regicide, starts crumbling under her conscience’s weight.

Guilt-induced Madness

Her guilt manifests as a haunting madness that erodes her mental stability. A key scene that illustrates this shift is her infamous sleepwalking scene. Haunted by her actions, she imagines her hands stained with King Duncan’s blood and obsessively tries to wash it off, uttering, “Out, damned spot!” This vivid manifestation of her guilt shows how it eats away at her psyche, bringing her to a state of utter torment.

Lady Macbeth’s mental decline presents a poignant exploration of guilt and the human mind. Her tragic downfall isn’t just physical but psychological as well. The character who was once the embodiment of ambition and ruthlessness becomes a symbol of guilt-induced madness, offering a compelling narrative of psychological deterioration. This tragic transformation is a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked ambition and guilt.

The Tragic End of Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth’s demise is one of the most poignant elements of the narrative. It encapsulates the tragedy of a character who once wielded immense power and influence but succumbs to guilt and madness. Her end contrasts starkly with her initial stature, highlighting the devastating consequences of unchecked ambition.

The tragic irony of Lady Macbeth’s death is profound. The same woman who had the audacity to push her husband to commit regicide, driven by an insatiable thirst for power, is reduced to a state of utter desolation. The power she once desired becomes the very cause of her downfall, highlighting the cautionary message of the play.

A Symbol of Regret and Destruction

Lady Macbeth’s death is more than just the conclusion of her life. It symbolizes the dire consequences of moral corruption and boundless ambition. Her guilt, symbolized by the imaginary bloodstains on her hands, never ceases to torment her until her last breath, turning her life into a cautionary tale of regret and destruction.

Reflection on Lady Macbeth’s End

Reflecting on Lady Macbeth’s tragic end, one can’t help but perceive it as a poignant testament to the perils of unchecked ambition and moral degradation. The once fierce and ambitious Lady Macbeth exits the narrative as a shattered version of her former self, a stark reminder of the destructive power of guilt and ambition. Her demise not only adds a layer of tragedy to the play’s plot but also reinforces the themes that define this Shakespearean masterpiece.

Influence on Popular Culture

Lady Macbeth’s legacy extends beyond the pages of the play. Her character has influenced numerous adaptations and reinterpretations in popular culture, contributing to the ongoing relevance and popularity of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” She continues to symbolize unchecked ambition and the tragic consequences it can lead to, ensuring her enduring presence in literary discussions and cultural references.

Lady Macbeth’s character is a captivating study of ambition, power, gender norms, and psychological struggle. From her initial assertiveness and control to her eventual guilt-induced madness, her character remains a crucial driver of the play’s tragic narrative. Her downfall underlines the inherent dangers of unchecked ambition and the lasting psychological impact of guilt. By understanding Lady Macbeth’s character, we can gain a deeper insight into the play’s universal themes, teaching us valuable lessons about ambition, guilt, and the human psyche.

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Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

Shakespeare's most treacherous female villain fascinates readers

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Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most infamous female characters. Cunning and ambitious, she is one of the protagonists of the play, encouraging and helping Macbeth carry out his bloody quest to become king. Without Lady Macbeth, the titular character might never venture down the murderous path that leads to their mutual downfall.

In many respects, Lady Macbeth is more ambitious and power-hungry than her husband, going so far as to call his manhood into question when he has second thoughts about committing murder.

Masculinity and Femininity

Along with being Shakespeare's bloodiest play, " Macbeth " is also the one with the greatest number of outright evil female characters . Chief among them are the three witches who predict that Macbeth will be king and set the play's action into motion.

Then, there's Lady Macbeth herself. It was unusual in Shakespeare's day for a female character to be so boldly ambitious and manipulative as Lady Macbeth is. She's unable to take action herself, likely because of social constraints and power hierarchies, so she must persuade her husband to go along with her evil plans.

When Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to kill King Duncan by questioning his manhood, Shakespeare equates masculinity with ambition and power. However, those are two qualities that Lady Macbeth possesses in abundance. By constructing her character in this way (with "masculine" characteristics), Shakespeare challenges our preconceived views of masculinity and femininity.

Lady Macbeth's Guilt

Lady Macbeth’s sense of remorse soon overwhelms her, however. She has nightmares, and in one famous scene (Act Five, Scene One), she tries to wash her hands of the blood she imagines has been left behind by the murders.

Doctor: "What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands." Gentlewoman: "It is an accustom'd action with her, to seem thus washing her hands. I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour." Lady Macbeth: "Yet here's a spot." Doctor: "Hark, she speaks. I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly." Lady Macbeth: "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say! — One; two: why, then 'tis time to do't. — Hell is murky. — Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our pow'r to accompt? — Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?"

By the end of Lady Macbeth's life, guilt has replaced her incredible ambition in equal measure. We are led to believe that her guilt ultimately leads to her suicide.

Lady Macbeth is, therefore, a victim of her own ambition, which complicates her role in the play. She both defies and defines what it means to be a female villain, particularly in Shakespeare's time.

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An Interesting Character Study: Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is widely regarded as one of the most villainous female characters in all of English literature, and perhaps Shakespeare’s most cold-hearted female character. Not only does she urge her husband to murder their King for no other reason than heartless ambition, she also states that she would dash out her own baby’s brains rather than lose her courage for such a regicidal act.

‘How many children had Lady Macbeth?’ was the title of a long essay by the critic L. C. Knights, published in 1933, mocking the school of criticism (ultimately influenced by the critic A. C. Bradley) which seeks to ask, and answer, such questions about details hinted at, but not confirmed, in the play concerning characters’ lives. Although the play doesn’t tell us, Lady Macbeth does declare that she has ‘given suck’ to a baby, although whether this was her child with Macbeth, or a child by a previous marriage (in keeping with the source material in Holinshed), the play never reveals.

Does the question matter? In one sense, no. Even if Macbeth has no heir to succeed him (so the crown might end up passing to Banquo’s descendants anyway), he may hope to get one. So the motivation for keeping the crown and getting rid of Banquo and Fleance remains the same. The most important thing, perhaps, is Lady Macbeth’s shocking revelation that she would be prepared to murder her own baby that she had suckled (whether her child with Macbeth or not is beside the point) in order to fulfil her ambition for power.

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3 thoughts on “An Interesting Character Study: Lady Macbeth”

For me, Lady Macbeth is the ultimate supportive spouse: ready to do everything it takes to help her husband to achieve his ultimate goal, no matter if this will cause her madness first, and then her death. Macbeth is quite the ungrateful sod: when he is told about his queen’s death, he simply shrugs. Poor Gruoch (the real Lady Macbeth’s name), what kind of fame was she undeservedly given.

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Lady Macbeth

Though macbeth is the focus of the play, his wife steals every scene she's in. she suggests, plans and ensures the success of their assassination of duncan, which then sets the action of the play in motion. also, since macbeth was against the idea of killing duncan it seems quite clear that he wouldn't have done it without her intervention, so you could reasonably argue that she is the driving force behind the narrative., my reading of macbeth is that it's quite a misogynist play - which means it's essentially focused on a very negative portrayal of women. the argument is that macbeth was a good man who was led astray by his involvement with his wife and the witches, and that the message of the play is not to listen to women this is quite well supported by the text, and i think it's certainly true that a jacobean audience would have seen lady macbeth as a straight up villain., modern readings of the play tend to celebrate her, however, and she's become a kind of feminist pin-up: she's an ambitious and intelligent woman, during a period of history when women were supposed to be neither. this is also true, and doesn't contradict my interpretation at all., lady macbeth was driven, intelligent and a fundamentally evil influence on her husband: all these things can be true., what is definitely true is that lady macbeth was the driving force behind killing duncan, an act she carried out with ruthless abandon; that throughout the play she continued to be driven, motivated and without regret; and then, at the end, in one scene, she is suddenly so consumed by regret that she (allegedly) kills herself., lady macbeth's opening scene, in lady macbeth's opening scene her character is very clearly villainous. she comes on stage reading a letter from her husband - which i'll come back to in the next section - and then she goes into a speech in which she basically just insults him., he's too " full o' the milk of human kindness, " which connects him to femininity and childhood. and because she's describing a man who's just cut someone's head off and mounted it on the battlements as being too full of " kindness " this quote says a lot about lady macbeth's understanding of what it is to be kind, she says he's " not without ambition " - which suggests that he probably doesn't have that much ambition. but, again, this is a man who's just been promoted to one of the highest positions in the scottish nobility - the highest position he could reasonably attain without being in line to the throne - and yet that isn't enough for this woman., she asks him to come to her so she can " pour her spirits in his ear ," which suggests that she wants to change him and make him more like her. again, this would have been quite uncomfortable for an audience to hear, not just because it was a woman influencing her husband, but because we already know that macbeth was a good man who's already being led astray by the witches. we know now that macbeth is in trouble., immediately after this speech, a servant announces that duncan is coming to the castle and lady macbeth responds by casting a magic spell in which she demands that spirits do certain things for her:, she asks them to " unsex me here ," which, contrary to popular belief, doesn't mean she wants to become more masculine - as this would have meant she was tied to the kind of masculine codes of conduct which meant she should have remained loyal to duncan - it means she wants to have all the codes of gender removed from her completely, meaning she is essentially free to act without constraints., and she asks that the spirits " stop up the access and passage to remorse ," which means that the spell will stop her from feeling any regret for what she's doing. this is possibly important as it might explain why she has such a sudden change of heart later on., lady macbeth persuades her husband, at the end of her opening scene macbeth arrives and they discuss duncan's arrival. macbeth says that duncan is coming that evening; lady macbeth asks when he's leaving; macbeth says "tomorrow, as he purposes;" and then lady macbeth says that he'll never see the morning. this is really important as it proves that at this point, macbeth has no intention of killing duncan that night; and, most importantly: it is lady macbeth who suggests killing him ., by act 1 scene 7, macbeth has decided that he definitely doesn't want to kill duncan and says so to his wife. in a relatively short sequence, lady macbeth talks him around. it is interesting that she does this in a number of ways, but primarily through attacking his masculinity - "when you durst do it you were a man," she says. however, here, lady macbeth is showing a lack of understanding for masculine codes of conduct, which would have said that macbeth should remain loyal to duncan., alongside this, lady macbeth starts gaslighting macbeth when she says things like "what beast was't that made you break this enterprise to me" which suggests that killing duncan was macbeth's idea, even though it was her who suggested it. gaslighting is when you make someone doubt the reliability of their own memory, and is a form of abuse. really, a lot of this scene - and the relationship between the macbeths - is a portrait of an abusive relationship where the wife 'henpecks' the husband into doing as he's told - and although the history of gender is complex the image of the 'henpecked husband' - which is a man whose wife has told him off so regularly that he eventually loses the ability to make decisions for himself - is one that goes back hundreds of years., the final thing that talks him round, however, is the moment she talks about killing their baby. though this has led to discussions as to whether the macbeths had a child previously, there is another suggestion for it outline if you click here ., anyway, in the end macbeth is talked around and by the end of the scene he agrees to kill duncan. in the background, however, we can't ignore the idea that lady macbeth could be a witch, and have access to some of their powers. there are two key pieces of evidence for it:, the first is simply the fact that she performs a magic spell almost as soon as she's onstage, and i can't help but think that if you've got a play about witches and you have someone who enters and performs a magic spell an audience can be forgiven for thinking that she's probably a witch., the second is a little more subtle: when macbeth writes to his wife, he says that the witches told him he would be "king that shalt be," though the witches actually called him "king hereafter." this misquote wouldn't be important except that when lady macbeth meets macbeth she calls him "king hereafter." so lady macbeth gets the quote right even though macbeth got the quote wrong. this, again, is a small point but i can't help but think that someone with shakespeare's linguistic skill wouldn't have overlooked this., so: was she a witch i don't know, but there is some evidence that suggests she was., lady macbeth as a queen, despite her being the driving force behind the murder of duncan, lady macbeth doesn't seem to enjoy being queen very much. the only real commentary we get on it comes from four lines in act 3 scene 2 - at around the time when macbeth is planing on killing banquo. in a short speech lady macbeth says:, nought's had, all's spent,, where our desire is got without content:, 'tis safer to be that which we destroy, than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy., what she's saying here is: we've spent everything but have got nothing if we're not happy with what we thought we wanted. this basically means that although they're royals now, they're not happy. she goes on to say that it is "safer" to be those who they killed than it is to be in their position where they're constantly doubting what they've got., these four lines are crucial though as they're the only lines in the play, prior to the sleepwalking scene, where lady macbeth expresses any kind of regret for what they've done - and even this isn't exactly "regret," it's more that she's angry because they're not happy and feels insecure in her new position., one final and quite important reflection on the position that both macbeths find themselves in is that neither of them ever expressed any real reason to want to become royalty; both of them are just driven by this abstract idea of "ambition" as though that itself is a reason. in many ways i find this quite troubling. if i'm ambitious for something there's normally a reason for it - i want the money, the fame, the chance to do something i love - or whatever - but it's not just "ambition" for something for no other reason than "ambition." i find this omission a little difficult to swallow., one of the first things that a good writer thinks about is motivation - what is driving characters to act in the way they act here we have "ambition" drove lady macbeth, but beyond that there doesn't seem to be very much., the sudden death of lady macbeth, the traditional reading of this play is simple: lady macbeth was ambitious for the throne, so she arranged to have duncan killed so that she could seize the throne, but in the end she is consumed by regret and kills herself - in the end she discovers that although she can order the rest of the world around, she cannot order away her inevitable feelings of guilt., that reading is broadly fine, except that when we write about characters we often talk about a character arc , which is the journey at a character goes on. they might start the play feeling one way, but by the end they feel something different and the play explores how they change. this isn't really true for lady macbeth, her character arc goes:, act 1 - tough and without regret, act 2 - tough and without regret, act 3 - tough and without regret, act 4 - she doesn't appear, act 5 - suicidal regret, so there's no real arc for her - there's no period in between her feeling no regret and her feeling regret; she just goes from one space to the other and her change is entirely off-stage. this is a perfectly reasonable criticism of the play, and you can find out more about it by clicking here and looking in the section about guilt ., note: there is a clearer explanation for her death, and although it's not really mentioned in the play it dos make sense: lady macbeth was presented as a powerful, independent woman who would bow to no-one at the end of the play, with the english army approaching the castle, it seems clear that her husband is going to lose the throne and she will, inevitably, be arrested - though in 11th century scotland her treatment would have been significantly worse that just being stuck in a cell as a result, it makes a lot of sense that she took her own life to avoid this fate. it wasn't uncommon for, lady macbeth as a powerful woman, one of the reasons that lady macbeth is so celebrated these days is that she was a powerful woman in a society that tried hard to oppress powerful women. to understand her role, though, it's important to understand the difference between the patriarchy and misogyny:, the patriarchy is a political and social system that seeks to repress women and empower men., misogyny is a hatred of, or a fear of, women., jacobean england was a patriarchal society because it sought to keep women away from positions of power. men were awarded legal and social power by virtue of their genders. in this respect, lady macbeth certainly fights against the expected social norm - she wants power and is prepared to do anything she can do to get it., but jacobean england was also a very misogynistic period of history, as shown through the increased obsession they had with witchcraft. the fear of witches is a great example of misogyny: it's about the fear of powerful women, it's about the fear of women who can influence men, and the misogyny at the heart of this wasn't the fear of women who had no power, it was the fear of women who wanted power; and it is the kind of women who wanted power that macbeth warns us against, which is why this can be considered a misogynistic play., since jacobean england was a patriarchal society, would they have recognised powerful women, it's often argued that lady macbeth would have been seen as a radical and unusual character because she was an aggressive woman who desired power, but this doesn't really stand up to the test of history., bear in mind that just prior to macbeth queen elizabeth i had been on the throne for 45 years - which was an unheard of length of time for a single monarch. some of the audience would have only known a woman on the throne, and so would their parents and their grandparents. so it's really isn't true that powerful women would have been seen as surprising., nor is it true that aggression wouldn't have been recognised: elizabeth was one of the most brutal rulers england has known: at one point she ordered the deaths of 450 catholics after an uprising in northern england; on another occasion she ordered the execution of 130 catholic priests, simply because they were catholic*. and despite this, it was her sister - mary - who went down in history as bloody mary, because during her short reign she killed almost as many, so it's really not fair to say that this society wouldn't have recognised powerful women, but it is fair to say that this society didn't encourage them a misogynistic society like this was afraid of powerful women and wanted to oppress them; and when you consider this lady macbeth's character makes a lot more sense., so, in short: people in jacobean england would have recognised the existence of powerful women, but this play encourages them to root out and oppress the kind of women who desire power - whether they be witches or over-ambitious wives, * also, don't forget that this play was written for king james, and, amongst others, elizabeth ordered the execution of her sister, mary queen of scots, who was king james's mum., lady macbeth's key quotes:.

Art not without ambition & Too full o’ the milk of human kindness : This comes from Lady Macbeth's first speech when she appears on-stage. In it, she describes her husband as being "not without ambition" which is like saying he's not THAT ambitious; and she says he's just too kind. Bearing in mind that this is a man who's just cut someone in half and been promoted to the highest position he can be, aside from being king, this seems pretty unfair really - to most people, he wouldn't seem very kind at all, and he's just won a big promotion. She's certainly not showing support for her husband. The reference to milk also has associations of femininity and childhood, which could have been seen as being quite insulting.

My battlements when she hears that duncan is visiting her family home she refers to them as "my" battlements, showing just how she sees the power dynamic in their home., come you spirits here, lady macbeth is ordering the spirits to come to her help. does this confirm she's a witch perhaps not - though it's definitely being implied what we can take from this though is that the way she uses imperatives - come you spirits - shows just how demanding and powerful she sees herself., stop up the access and passage to remorse here, lady macbeth is asking the spirits to stop her from feeling any regret. is this a spell that lasts for most of the play but is cancelled by the end, when she finally kills herself, unsex me here important not e: she is not asking to be made more masculine, as masculine codes of loyalty would have stopped her from being able to kill duncan. here, she asks to be without gender, so she has all gender expectations removed entirely., witches: thou shalt be king hereafter / macbeth: king that shalt be / lady macbeth: greater than both by the all hail hereafter the witches say that macbeth will be king "hereafter" but macbeth gets the quote wrong when he writes to his wife. then, when she greets him, she quotes the witches correctly. does this suggest she's a witch quite possibly, though shakespeare doesn't really do much with it if she is one, so it's a bit of a misdirect., o, never / shall sun that morrow see macbeth says that duncan will be lea ving in the morning, lady macbeth says that he'll never see the morning this line is proof that macbeth had no intention of murdering duncan that night - and that it was lady macbeth's idea., look like th’ innocent flower / but be the serpent under it here, she's teaching her husband how to lie - which was considered to be a more feminine and less masculine act; men were supposed to be tied to their words while women were capable of manipulation. but this line also references the story of adam and eve which is a story with a number of key parallels to macbeth., what beast was't, then, / that made you break this enterprise to me t his is just a clear piece of gaslighting - macbeth didn't break this enterprise to her, she had the idea of killing duncan. she's putting words into his mouth as a way of applying pressure on him., these deeds must not be thought / after these ways; so, it will make us mad. really nice piece of foresight here from lady macbeth, though she didn't take into account the fact that some deeds are so horrific they will be thought of whether you like it or not., my hands are of your colour; but i shame / to wear a heart so white. one of many references to blood on hands here, though here lady macbeth is making it clear that although she has blood on her hands she won't pretend that he heart is white. this is basically her saying that she'll accept what they've done; her heart is no longer white and pure, and she will accept it., nought's had, all's spent, / where our desire is got without content: / 'tis safer to be that which we destroy / than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. the only four lines in play that come prior to her sleepwalking scene where she expresses any dissatisfaction at what they've done. here, however, she doesn't regret it so much as she's angry that they're not happy and doesn't feel safe., this is the very painting of your fear: / this is the air-drawn dagger which, you said, led you to duncan. / shame itself here she's angrily telling off macbeth for saying he sees banquo's ghost. she compares it to the dagger he says he saw before he killed duncan and claims they're all a part of macbeth's unstable mental state. she's basically telling him he should be ashamed to be so weak-minded., i pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse; / stand not upon the order of your going, / but go at once. at the end of the banquet scene, where banquo's ghost visits macbeth, she tells all the other lords to go home. "go at once," she says, which confirms that she feels no discomfort ordering anyone around - so far she's ordered spirits around, macbeth around, and now the rest of the scottish nobility as well., out, damned spot out, i say however, d es pite being able to order everyone else around, lady macbeth discovers that she can't order away her own guilt - she can control the rest of the world, but not herself. her blood stained hands will remain regardless of how much she demands that they be clean., what, will these hands ne'er be clean / here's the smell of the blood still: all the / perfumes of arabia will not sweeten this little hand. these images con tinue the theme of blood-stained hands and highlight that lady macbeth cannot order away her own guilt. it is important to note, however, that the only scene in which we see lady macbeth feeling guilt comes while she is asleep. perhaps this is a reference to her subconscious dreamworld where she is forced to face that which her conscious self cannot., a cry of women within / seyton: the queen, my lord, is dead. a lot of people claim that the fact seyton sounds a lot like satan is a coincidence, but that seems a stretch for a writer as skilled as shakespeare. macbeth says his name three times before he comes on stage, and he's the only servant who gets given a name... and his name sounds a lot like satan it is also satan - sorry seyton - who discovers lady macbeth's body. though this isn't proof of anything, there would have been audience members who left wondering whether seyton himself was involved in lady mabeth's death., malcolm : ...(macbeth's) fiend-like queen, / who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands / took off her life the proof of lady macbeth's suicide is saved until the final speech in the play where malcolm mentions it in passing. the reference to the "violent hands" makes it pretty clear that she didn't throw herself off any castle battlements, however, and it's definitely the case that he wouldn't be launching an enquiry into how she really died. the truth is that shakespeare leaves the real cause of lady macbeth's death a little bit open - she could have killed herself, either as a result of finally feeling guilt or simply because she knew that macbeth would lose and she wasn't prepared to be captured by the english; or she could have been killed by seyton and his minions... either way, and her death wasn't very well covered in the play. she goes from ordering the other scottish nobility to go home at the end of act 3 to so anxious she's ready for suicide in act 5 with no character arc at all. why did shakespeare leave one of literature's biggest turnarounds to happen off-stage who knows....

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Manipulation in Lady Macbeth

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Sample Gcse Essay About Lady Macbeth As A Powerful Character

Date : 03/10/2017

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Uploaded by : Rahul Uploaded on : 03/10/2017 Subject : English

This article contains a mock essay written by one of my students. When I met him, he was scoring a 3 to 4 in his mock GSCE English language and literature exams.

This resource was uploaded by: Rahul