Lady Macbeth: Power, Strength, and Insight

The mettle of a woman is often times weighed down by societal expectations. Women in literature are repeatedly boxed into roles describing them as weak and without power. In the case of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the character is wrought with intelligence, ambition, and fortitude, which are qualities that are typically ascribed to male characters. Lady Macbeth is a woman who is not afraid to take control of a crowded dinner party full of powerful statesmen. She exhibits a compelling drive that moves her forward as a character and moves her husband’s actions in order to achieve greatness at whatever costs. Lady Macbeth actively embodies the ideals and characteristics ascribed to other male characters throughout the play. By analyzing the letter Macbeth sends Lady Macbeth, after being proclaimed thane of Cawdor, and her consequent reaction, we will better understand how Shakespeare’s gender-bending of Lady Macbeth dislodges and challenges Macbeth’s power while also adding depth and complexity to Lady Macbeth’s character.

The effects of Lady Macbeth’s atypical masculine characterization unhinge the power dynamic between her and her husband. Although the three witches address Macbeth directly it is Lady Macbeth who immediately displays her ambition without hesitation. Macbeth hesitates in believing the prophecy, Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, upon…