Comparison Of Lady Macbeth And Girl With The Louding Voice

Coming from male dominated societies, Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” and Big Madam from “Girl With the Louding Voice” By Abi Daré both play powerful female characters and use their wits to stay on top of everyone around them. Both Lady Macbeth and Big Madam are intimidating, manipulative, and greedy for power. Although they seem cruel and harsh, how strongly they are portrayed is inspiring.

One similarity between the two characters is how they use intimidation and fear to get what they want. Lady Macbeth urges her husband to kill King Duncan in order to fulfill their dream of becoming king and queen. She often criticizes her husband and looks down upon him. She feels that he is too weak to do what has to be done to

Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband into committing murder, while Big Madam manipulates Adunni into working for her and accepting her fate as a child bride. Both characters use their intelligence and cunning to obtain what they want. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth overrides all Macbeth's objections and gains more and more control over him. For example in this quote, “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man” (I.VII.49-51) Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband Macbeth by speaking of his manhood. She continues to do so until Macbeth proves himself. Like Lady Macbeth, Big Madam uses her power and privileges to exploit Adunni's vulnerability as a poor, uneducated girl from a rural village. She promises Adunni's father that she will pay for her education and take her to the city to work as a housemaid. However, in reality, she uses Adunni as a slave, and does not pay her anything. Big Madam also uses emotional manipulation, like Lady Macbeth, to make Adunni feel responsible for her fate. She tells Adunni that she has no other choice but to work for her, and that she should be grateful for the opportunity. She also makes Adunni believe that she is indebted to her because she paid for her education and took her in, even though Adunni did not ask for any of it. Adunni complains, “Every time I speak, Big Madam cut me off with her loud voice. She tell to me that I have no right to talk back to her, that I should be grateful for everything she do for me. She say that if I don't behave, she will send me back to the village and ruin my chances of ever making something of myself.” (Daré 133). This quote illustrates how Big Madam uses her power and privilege to manipulate and control Adunni, making her feel indebted and powerless to resist her