The women in Macbeth are presented by Shakespeare to be powerful and ambitious which was unlike the typical views during Jacobean times. The playwright portrays Lady Macbeth and the witches to be highly influential to male characters in the play, which again contrasts the contemporary views to that time. Their ambition and power are demonstrated through the perversion of nature. This highlights the evil and immoral side, they possess. Shakespeare, however, presented Lady Macbeth and the witches to be manipulative and cunning, rather than violent like Macbeth was during the play. Finally, even though the women were shown to be strong throughout most of the play, Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff both have unfortunate outcomes.
The women in Macbeth’s …show more content…
At the very beginning of the play, in Act 1 Scene 3, the witches are shown to be the starting point of Macbeth’s power hunger. They spark his huge ambition by telling a prophecy that he “shalt be King”. This causes Macbeth to outwardly display his desire for more power by calling Malcolm, “a step” that “in my way lies”. Therefore, the witches prophecy did have a substantial impact on Macbeth, making them very influential to the outcome of Macbeth in the play. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is presented as an equal to Macbeth, at a time where wives were seen to be greatly inferior to their husbands. Macbeth calls her “my dearest partner of greatness”. This shows how he views Lady Macbeth to be of an equal to himself. Therefore, as it was not common at the time it shows Lady Macbeth’s importance and stature. Moreover, Macbeth sends Lady Macbeth a letter telling her about the prophecy, which suggests that Macbeth values his wife's views and thoughts, which add to Lady Macbeth’s dominance and significance. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth is able to convince her husband to commit regicide. She is able to manipulate Macbeth into committing a crime which he is clearly not comfortable with, as he said he would “proceed no further in this business”. However, Lady Macbeth is able to change his position on the matter, as he asks “if we should fail?”. This question suggests a change in attitude as no …show more content…
At the end of the play, Lady Macbeth no longer has an influence on Macbeth. Lady Macbeth tries to control him at the banquet, in Act 3 Scene 4, by asking “are you a man?”. However, Macbeth answers her with “a bold one” rather than calming down, which is a very different reaction to those in Act 1 Scene 5. Further, Macbeth no longer views his wife as an equal. He demonstrates his change in attitude as he calls her “dearest chuck” apposed “partner of greatness”. This is a drastic change, as “chuck” is associated with a chick, which shows he now sees her like an innocent child. Additionally, he tells her “be innocent of the knowledge” when she asks “what is to be done”. This shows the shift from Act 1 when he said “we will speak further”, as then he was wanting to talk to Lady Macbeth about Ducan, whereas now he does not. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth goes on to become mad from her guilty conscience. In Act 2 Scene 2 Lady Macbeth says “a little water clears us” from killing Duncan. Here Lady Macbeth is assured and seemly remorseless to committing regicide whereas, in Act 5 Scene 1 she is overcome with guilt making her think her hands “smell of the blood still”. This huge change in mental demonstrates Lady Macbeth’s decline which eventually results in “the Queen…is dead”. In the latter part of the play, the women are portrayed as more typical Jacobean women. Lady Macduff has a son, who she
The women in Macbeth’s …show more content…
At the very beginning of the play, in Act 1 Scene 3, the witches are shown to be the starting point of Macbeth’s power hunger. They spark his huge ambition by telling a prophecy that he “shalt be King”. This causes Macbeth to outwardly display his desire for more power by calling Malcolm, “a step” that “in my way lies”. Therefore, the witches prophecy did have a substantial impact on Macbeth, making them very influential to the outcome of Macbeth in the play. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is presented as an equal to Macbeth, at a time where wives were seen to be greatly inferior to their husbands. Macbeth calls her “my dearest partner of greatness”. This shows how he views Lady Macbeth to be of an equal to himself. Therefore, as it was not common at the time it shows Lady Macbeth’s importance and stature. Moreover, Macbeth sends Lady Macbeth a letter telling her about the prophecy, which suggests that Macbeth values his wife's views and thoughts, which add to Lady Macbeth’s dominance and significance. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth is able to convince her husband to commit regicide. She is able to manipulate Macbeth into committing a crime which he is clearly not comfortable with, as he said he would “proceed no further in this business”. However, Lady Macbeth is able to change his position on the matter, as he asks “if we should fail?”. This question suggests a change in attitude as no …show more content…
At the end of the play, Lady Macbeth no longer has an influence on Macbeth. Lady Macbeth tries to control him at the banquet, in Act 3 Scene 4, by asking “are you a man?”. However, Macbeth answers her with “a bold one” rather than calming down, which is a very different reaction to those in Act 1 Scene 5. Further, Macbeth no longer views his wife as an equal. He demonstrates his change in attitude as he calls her “dearest chuck” apposed “partner of greatness”. This is a drastic change, as “chuck” is associated with a chick, which shows he now sees her like an innocent child. Additionally, he tells her “be innocent of the knowledge” when she asks “what is to be done”. This shows the shift from Act 1 when he said “we will speak further”, as then he was wanting to talk to Lady Macbeth about Ducan, whereas now he does not. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth goes on to become mad from her guilty conscience. In Act 2 Scene 2 Lady Macbeth says “a little water clears us” from killing Duncan. Here Lady Macbeth is assured and seemly remorseless to committing regicide whereas, in Act 5 Scene 1 she is overcome with guilt making her think her hands “smell of the blood still”. This huge change in mental demonstrates Lady Macbeth’s decline which eventually results in “the Queen…is dead”. In the latter part of the play, the women are portrayed as more typical Jacobean women. Lady Macduff has a son, who she