Lady Macbeth's Dominance

Possibly one of the most influential characters of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth takes the definition of female dominance to an entirely new level with her ability to manipulate, yet love her husband, and her ability to accuse, yet reassure him of his actions. Though Lady Macbeth is not well described anterior to her introduction, it is immediately apparent that she holds her dominance using her cunning skills, fuelled by ambition, which makes her one of the cruellest characters in Macbeth. Her portrayal of cunningness, upon Duncan’s arrival to Macbeth’s castle, is shown when she allows the king to “Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt, / To make their audit at [his] pleasure” (1.6.31–32), in order to give him a false sense of security, when in reality, she wants to ensure that “[her] keen knife see not the wound it makes” (1.5.55) on Duncan. As a result, Lady Macbeth is able to let the king into their castle without hesitation, just like a serpent underneath an innocent flower. While her cunningness is a character trait to fear, it is what fuels it that gives Lady Macbeth her power; ambition. Her determination to achieve her goals is heavily emphasized in Macbeth, and it is obvious that nothing can get between her and her

Immediately after reading Macbeth’s letter, she recognizes that Macbeth “[should] be / what [he is] promised” (1.5.13–14), and she will do everything it takes for him to become “Greater than both [Glamis and Cawdor], by the all-hail hereafter” (1.5.59). Evidently, Lady Macbeth has a large influence on the plot of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, greatly affecting the mindset of Macbeth and manipulating him against his true desires through the use of her cunning abilities and her ambitious attitude towards her goals. Without doubt, Lady Macbeth is surely one of the cruellest characters that Macbeth has to