To what extent is Lady Macbeth a “fiend-like queen?”
First performed in 1606, Macbeth is a tragedy in which ambition and desire for power will only corrupt and lead to one’s downfall. One important character, Lady Macbeth, acts as a fiend like queen as she uses any method to achieve her goals including speaking to the supernatural world and subverting the gender norms at the time. Furthermore, she does not seem affected by severe guilt and trauma caused by her actions at first.
In the beginning of Act 1, Lady Macbeth has a strong ambition to achieve her goal of becoming Queen of Scotland. She manipulates Macbeth to fulfil his prophecy as King by tying into his masculinity and honour. In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth orders, “Come you
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Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth that "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." The repetition of “man” ties into Macbeth’s role as a Scottish Warrior. She suggests that Macbeth is too much of a coward to go with the plot to kill King Duncan and could be more of one if he did. The roles switch as Lady Macbeth takes control of the situation rather than Macbeth. Macbeth would be seen as embarrassing to the Jacobean audience as he lets a woman push him around to do things. Men were seen as the head of the family while women could not own any property. This demonstrates the roles switch as Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth and her newly gained strength and authority coming into …show more content…
Lady Macbeth reassures the Thanes to "Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus, / And hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat." The adjective “worthy” demonstrates Lady Macbeth’s kind and generous façade to serve the Thanes. The quote “Hath been from his youth” suggests Macbeth’s “condition” has occurred since his childhood and dismisses his insanity as common and that he will be well again soon. Lady Macbeth must reassure the Thanes, or they will threaten the couple's power as King and