In this essay I will be comparing two female characters from different texts and different time periods. We will be looking in depth at Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare 's play 'Macbeth ', and Sheila from J.B. Priestley 's 'An Inspector Calls '. We will be looking at their roles in their respective plays, and how their characters develop over time. It is clear that both ladies are in strong relationships, but how they act within these relationships is vastly different. In Lady Macbeth 's relationship it seems that she manipulates Macbeth through emotional blackmail to get what she wants. This is best shown in the quote 'When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more the man. [...] They have made them selve, and that their …show more content…
In conclusion we learn that the two lead female characters are almost completely different; their journeys overlap and the two women end up transforming into their counterparts. Lady Macbeth, a power-hungry tyrant with nothing to lose, becomes a weak-willed and nervous wreck who loses everything, including her power and status. On the other hand Sheila starts with no true will of her own and very little power, but as she develops she gains control and becomes a force to be reckoned with; as she becomes more enlightened she learns to wield her intelligence and emotional strength to become a powerful atypical Edwardian girl who is in control of her situation and her role in society. It can be observed that the women’s attitudes to the ‘chain of events’ in each play are in stark contrast to each other; As William Cowper states, ‘Glory built on selfish principles, is shame and guilt’, and there can be no disputing that Lady Macbeth’s guilt was a result of her glory and subsequent corruption while Sheila’s glory was built by acknowledging her guilt and shame. Sheila accepted her guilt and as such mastered it; Lady Macbeth refused to accept any guilt for killing King Duncan, and succumbed to it. The only similarity between the two is that a great wrong is done by each, yet how each character chooses to handle these wrongs is a testament to their character,