Lady Macduff Character Analysis

Women compose a fundamental component of society that is equally significant in comparison to men, as both genders depend on each other in order to achieve certain aspects in life. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, women are not equally present as men, since their presence exemplifies either extreme wickedness or moral decency. Thus, Shakespeare uses female characters such as Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff in the play to represent the struggle between good and evil by examining elements like gender archetypes, gender identity, and marriage partners. This use of female characters identifies morally different sides within the play and allows the audience to distinguish between every side’s decisions. Through female characters Shakespeare highlights the presence of good and evil within contrasting archetypes. For instance, Lady Macbeth conveys extreme wickedness and manipulation in the play as she says; “I would, while it was smiling in my face / . . . / And dashed the brains out” (Mac. 1.7.61-63). Although Lady Macbeth cares about her husband’s status and success, she employs her seducing skills to influence his judgement about …show more content…
Lady Macduff exemplifies the typical dependant housewife as she complains about her husbands’ absence, “What had he done, / . . . / His flight was madness” (Mac.4.2.1-4). Despite being furious about her husband’s absence, Lady Macduff remains the maternal figure by caring and watching over her children. Moreover, Lady Macduff’s accusations about her husband, proves her total dependence in contrast to Lady Macbeth. Her reliance on Macduff demonstrates the damsel in distress archetype, as she notably cannot tolerate her husband’s absence despite Ross’s attempts to calm her. Thus, Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff represent similar archetypes that embody contrasting purposes in order to reveal each character’s true