Lady Macbeth Manipulation Essay

It is well known that for a large portion of history, society viewed women as inferior creatures, their only value found in housework and child-rearing. It is almost ironic that in a time when only men and boys were allowed to participate in theater, Shakespeare wrote one of the most influential and powerful female characters of all time. In contrast to his society’s view of a woman as submissive, quiet, and subservient, Shakespeare’s Macbeth features a headstrong, power-hungry, cunning wife who serves as the driving force behind the story. There would be no Macbeth without the pivotal character of Lady Macbeth. Without her drive for power, her crafty manipulation, and her confident demeanor, it is quite possible that Macbeth would not have

This saying has gained popularity in the last several years, used to describe women who break the traditional gender role stereotypes in a toxic way. Lady Macbeth certainly does this, using manipulation and abuse to climb her way to the top of the food chain, ever seeking to fulfill her megalomanic desires, stopping at nothing to get what she wants. Lady Macbeth is quite literally the original definition of gaslight, girlboss, gatekeep.

Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth is shown to be a master at manipulation. Quite honestly she had no other choice. For a woman to gain so much power in a time where women were powerless had to have required some foul play. Lady Macbeth knew this and used it against those closest to her in order to climb the hierarchy. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gaslighting as, “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to

Here Lady Macbeth is using what is commonly know as the “warm-cold behavior”, characterized by moments of positive reinforcement and love within spans of abusive and cold behavior (Petric). While in this moment, Lady Macbeth is acting incredibly cruel towards her husband, a few scenes earlier she was showering him in affection at his return. (Shakespeare 1.5.45-49) Of course, this was only when she found out Macbeth would be titled the Thane of Cawdor, putting the possibility of being queen into motion for Lady Macbeth. She only shows her husband affection when she will benefit from it. She then proceeds to call Macbeth a coward for not following through with the plan, further belittling him. Macbeth defends himself here, begging Lady Macbeth to stop and claiming he is doing what is right for a man to do (1.7.45-47). At the time, the ideal man was someone who had integrity and honesty, their personal honor being of great importance (Mohammed). Macbeth while following his own moral code, was also going along with the social norms of the time, which perhaps makes what Lady Macbeth says next so jarring. Lady Macbeth infamously takes on a more masculine role, but here she goes to the extent of discrediting her husband’s manhood. “What beast was ‘t then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do