In the days of Shakespeare the divide between men and women was much more drastic, therefore, while male characters were created carefully and intricately, female characters were thrown together thoughtlessly to fit one of three categories; the seducers, the destroyers, or the victims. However, in this world of bland and boring women the audience finds one who stands out in William shakespeare's Macbeth. This woman has her own desires, plots and flaws rather than existing only to emphasise her husband's. Lady Macbeth is a breath of fresh air in the stale stagnant stereotype of women of the time, which is why Malcolm's assessment of the Scottish couple as “this dead butcher and his fiend like queen” (5.8.70) is so inaccurate. The statement attempts
…show more content…
She not only encourages Macbeth's ambition but plans the king’s murder herself, she by all accounts seems to hold the power in the relationship with her cold commanding demeanor and would appear to be the stereotypical destroyer, but this power begins to shift to macbeth's hands when she reveals the human side of herself by admitting she could not kill duncan because he resembled her father as he slept. (2.2.13-14) This allows the audience to see that Lady Macbeth never truly rid herself of her human kindness as she decided she must in the previous act, securing her in her humanity and making her feel more real and relatable to the audience. The dynamic of the relationship evolves giving full authority to macbeth to the point that he feels comfortable enough in his own plans that he does not feel the need to seek his wife's approval or even acknowledgement. This is made evident when Macbeth says “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed.”(3.2.45-46) the idea of referring to Lady Macbeth as a queen while Lord Macbeth is called butcher implies that she is above him in rank and therefore in control of her husband which she, as previously proven, is not, a fact that renders Malcolm's caricature like representation of the Scottish couple a completely inaccurate and ignorant
She not only encourages Macbeth's ambition but plans the king’s murder herself, she by all accounts seems to hold the power in the relationship with her cold commanding demeanor and would appear to be the stereotypical destroyer, but this power begins to shift to macbeth's hands when she reveals the human side of herself by admitting she could not kill duncan because he resembled her father as he slept. (2.2.13-14) This allows the audience to see that Lady Macbeth never truly rid herself of her human kindness as she decided she must in the previous act, securing her in her humanity and making her feel more real and relatable to the audience. The dynamic of the relationship evolves giving full authority to macbeth to the point that he feels comfortable enough in his own plans that he does not feel the need to seek his wife's approval or even acknowledgement. This is made evident when Macbeth says “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed.”(3.2.45-46) the idea of referring to Lady Macbeth as a queen while Lord Macbeth is called butcher implies that she is above him in rank and therefore in control of her husband which she, as previously proven, is not, a fact that renders Malcolm's caricature like representation of the Scottish couple a completely inaccurate and ignorant