What Is Lady Macbeth's Identity

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth go through different phases of identity as they become more ambitious and strive for power. They both demonstrate a drastic change in mentality over the course of their ambition. At first, Lady Macbeth is a very strong, dominant, and manipulative woman who has a strong influence on her husband's decisions. She illustrates a rare character that is hard to find during the Elizabethan time because men were expected to be the more powerful, manipulative, and dominant ones. Lady Macbeth portrays the character of a ruthless woman without a conscious. Her desired words and actions have an strong effect on Macbeth. However, as Lady Macbeth drives for power and commits immoral actions, she loses this dominant character and

He is first presented as a conscious, thoughtful, and kind-hearted person. Macbeth fears the consequences of his immoral actions, which also lead him to double thinking his execution plan for Duncan. However, as he driver for the crown, he adapts a different character and becomes a brave, ruthless, and unconscious person. Macbeth becomes a determined individual as he says, "I'll fight, till from my bones my flesh he hack'd" (5.3.32). At first, Macbeth is not sure about betraying King Duncan and his desires for power, but once he does commit himself to the crown he does not hold back. He is willing to take on any obstacles that might threat his power, such as fighting against Malcolm and Macduff. He would rather die as a king, than hand over his power to someone else willingly and live at a lower status. Another aspect of identity that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both pursue is act of manhood. Whenever, it comes to the time where one of the two has to show courage and execute an evil plan, they refer to the capabilities as a

Lady Macbeth is not a man herself, but over the course of her desire for power she demonstrates a manly figure, both emotionally and physically. She decides to get rid of her motherhood, "Come you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here / And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top full / Of direst cruelty/ Stop up the access and passage to remorse" (1.5.41-44). The desire for power is the main reason of her dwindling femininity that makes her threatening and forceful. Lady Macbeth believes that it is her motherhood that is preventing her from gaining power. She thinks getting rid of her womanly feelings and becoming emotionally and physically equal to a man— strong and cold-hearted will help her obtain power and fulfill her desires as a Queen. Whereas, Macbeth is a man himself, but he does not with stand when someone questions his manhood, "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" (1.7.49-51). Macbeth is forced to do what others say whether if it is moral or not— in this case kill Duncan to prove his manhood. The capability of a man was a huge thing during the Elizabethan era. There was no in between of manhood, either you were very manly or you were not manly at