How Is Lady Macbeth Sociopathic

The classic play by William Shakespeare, “Macbeth,” very clearly indicates the sociopathic tendencies of Lady Macbeth. While it is certainly clear that her husband is a ruthless and largely amoral that is driven mostly by ambition, it is Lady Macbeth that most clearly lacks a conscience when the two individual characters are compared. When the witches issue their prophecy that Macbeth will someday become King of Scotland, he and his wife begin plotting to make this prophecy into a reality. While Macbeth seems to have certain qualms about violating particular social and moral norms, such as the deeply ingrained moral taboo against murder, it is clear that Lady Macbeth has no such ambitions. She is perfectly willing to instigate murder in order to ensure that her husband ascends to the throne. …show more content…
Shakespeare very cleverly works an analogy to the biblical …show more content…
The disrespectful treatment that Lady Macbeth inflicts upon her is clearly indicated by her mockery of him. Lady Macbeth says “O, proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear. This is the air- drawn dagger which you said Led you to Duncan. O, these flaw and starts, Impostors to true fear, would well become A woman’s story at a winter’s fire, Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself! Why do you make such faces? When all’s done, You look but on a stool” (Shakespeare 3.4.73-81). One gets the impression that Lady Macbeth does not actually love her husband but only regards him as a means of furthering her own ambition (Zagorin