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Lady Macbeth's Power Essay

576 Words3 Pages

Unfortunately, society often perceives women as weak and inferior. They are frequently treated as ignorant and objectified. This issue is evident in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Despite being the most powerful female character in any of Shakespeare's plays and the Queen of Scotland, Lady Macbeth's power is vastly different from Macbeth's power.

Macbeth's power is political as he is a king and holds authority over the churches. He also holds economic power as he is wealthy due to his position as a king. Additionally, he holds social power because of his reputation as a fierce and powerful soldier before becoming king. For instance, when King Duncan and Ross discuss Macbeth, they highly praise him as a noble warrior even though he was …show more content…

What hath he lost noble Macbeth hath won. (Mac.1.2.73-77)

Lady Macbeth's power lies in her wealth and social status. Although she has no direct control over anything, she holds some influence over Macbeth's decisions. For example, she advised him on the assassination of King Duncan, manipulating him to carry out the task for their benefit.
LADY MACBETH. Your hand, your tongue; look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t. He that coming must be provided for; and you shall put this nights great business into my dispatch, which shall to all our nights and days to come give solely sovereign sway and masterdom (Mac. 1.7.77-81). During their conversation, Lady Macbeth urged Macbeth to appear innocent on the surface but be ruthless underneath. She also took charge of the plan for the murder that would give them power and control over their future. This discussion took place while they waited for Duncan's arrival, and Lady Macbeth used it as an opportunity to plant the idea of murder in Macbeth's mind.

It's apparent that Lady Macbeth has a great deal of influence over Macbeth considering as he stopped taking her advice he began to spiral. Unfortunately, his actions after this point ultimately led to his demise. Lady Macbeth was the voice of reason, ensuring their plans were thought out and wouldn't ruin their

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