Macbeth Murder Powerful Shakespeare Lady Power Order Woman

{{c1::Lady Macbeth describes Duncan's entrance as 'fatal' straight after hearing he will be coming to her castle, which shows power because she is capable of making instant decisions}}

{{c2::Lady Macbeth's language in this extract suggests that she is calling for power from evil spirits to help give her strength to carry out the murder of Duncan. She wants to get rid of her feminine side: 'unsex me here' - which suggests that she sees being a woman as weak, also shown with 'come to my woman's breasts and take my milk for gall'. It is as if she thinks that she will only be able to carry out the act if her female side is replaced with 'gall' (poison)}}

{{c3::On the one hand Shakespeare might be showing her to be a powerful woman, capable of selling her soul to the 'dunnest smoke of hell' in order to get what she wants}}

{{c4::However it could also suggest that she isn't powerful at all and knows that her female weakness has to be destroyed in order to give her the strength to do what needs to be done}}

{{c5::The fact that Lady Macbeth is destroyed by guilt and remorse shows that this second interpretation of this speech is closer to the truth. Straight after the murder she is nervous and jumpy: 'hark/peace', and has to drink the wine meant for the guards to keep herself strong. She gets angry with Macbeth when he is too shocked and frightened to act, and takes the daggers back to Duncan's room herself. However, she also says that she couldn't murder Duncan herself because he reminded her of her father, which might suggest that she isn't as cruel and heartless as she thinks she needs to be}}

{{c6::By Act 3 she has already been pushed aside by her husband, who tells her to be 'innocent of the knowledge' of Banquo's murder rather than his 'partner in greatness'. Her power in her relationship has started to disappear}}

{{c7::. She is finally tormented so much by the murder of Duncan that she goes mad and kills herself. Perhaps Shakespeare is suggesting that Lady Macbeth is powerful in some ways but not others; she is determined and strong when she needs to be, but also feels that she has to completely get rid of her femaleness in order to be able to be strong in a man's world}}