lady macbeth ambition essay gcse

Macbeth – A* / L9 Full Mark Example Essay

This is an A* / L9 full mark example essay on Macbeth completed by a 15-year-old student in timed conditions (50 mins writing, 10 mins planning).

It contained a few minor spelling and grammatical errors – but the quality of analysis overall was very high so this didn’t affect the grade. It is extremely good on form and structure, and perhaps could do with more language analysis of poetic and grammatical devices; as the quality of thought and interpretation is so high this again did not impede the overall mark. 

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For more help with Macbeth and Tragedy, read our article here .

MACBETH EXAMPLE ESSAY:

Macbeth’s ambition for status and power grows throughout the play. Shakespeare uses Macbeth as an embodiment of greed and asks the audience to question their own actions through the use of his wrongful deeds.

In the extract, Macbeth is demonstrated to possess some ambition but with overriding morals, when writing to his wife about the prophecies, Lady Macbeth uses metaphors to describe his kind hearted nature: “yet I do fear thy nature, / It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness”. Here, Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a more gentle natured being who is loyal to his king and country. However, the very act of writing the letter demonstrates his inklings of desire, and ambition to take the throne. Perhaps, Shakespeare is aiming to ask the audience about their own thoughts, and whether they would be willing to commit heinous deeds for power and control. 

Furthermore, the extract presents Macbeth’s indecisive tone when thinking of the murder – he doesn’t want to kill Duncan but knows it’s the only way to the throne. Lady Macbeth says she might need to interfere in order to persuade him; his ambition isn’t strong enough yet: “That I may pour my spirits in  thine ear / And chastise with the valour of my tongue”. Here, Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a manipulative character, conveying she will seduce him in order to “sway “ his mind into killing Duncan. The very need for her persuasion insinuates Macbeth is still weighing up the consequences in his head, his ambition equal with his morality. It would be shocking for the audience to see a female character act in this authoritative way. Lady Macbeth not only holds control of her husband in a patriarchal society but the stage too, speaking in iambic pentameter to portray her status: “To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great”. It is interesting that Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth in this way; she has more ambition for power than her husband at this part of play. 

As the play progresses, in Act 3, Macbeth’s ambition has grown and now kills with ease. He sends three murders to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, as the witches predicted that he may have heirs to the throne which could end his reign. Macbeth is suspicious in this act, hiding his true intentions from his dearest companion and his wife: “I wish your horses swift and sure on foot” and “and make our faces vizards to our hearts”. There, we see, as an audience, Macbeth’s longing to remain King much stronger than his initial attitudes towards the throne He was toying with the idea of killing for the throne and now he is killing those that could interfere with his rule without a second thought. It is interesting that Shakespeare presents him this way, as though he is ignoring his morals or that they have been “numbed” by his ambition. Similarly to his wife in the first act, Macbeth also speaks in pentameter to illustrate his increase in power and dominance. 

In Act 4, his ambition and dependence on power has grown even more. When speaking with the witches about the three apparitions, he uses imperatives to portray his newly adopted controlling nature: “I conjure you” and “answer me”. Here, the use of his aggressive demanding demonstrates his reliance on the throne and his need for security. By the Witches showing him the apparitions and predicting his future, he gains a sense of superiority, believing he is safe and protected from everything. Shakespeare also lengthens Macbeth’s speech in front of the Witches in comparison to Act 1 to show his power and ambition has given him confidence, confidence to speak up to the “filthy nags” and expresses his desires. Although it would be easy to infer Macbeth’s greed and ambition has grown from his power-hungry nature, a more compassionate reading of Macbeth demonstrates the pressure he feels as a Jacobean man and soldier. Perhaps he feels he has to constantly strive for more to impress those around him or instead he may want to be king to feel more worthy and possibly less insecure. 

It would be unusual to see a Jacobean citizen approaching an “embodiment” of the supernatural as forming alliance with them was forbidden and frowned upon. Perhaps Shakespeare uses Macbeth to defy these stereotypical views to show that there is a supernatural, a more dark side in us all and it is up to our own decisions whereas we act on these impulses to do what is morally incorrect. 

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Characters - AQA Lady Macbeth in Macbeth

Macbeth has a small cast of characters. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth have the main roles and their ambition and eventual downfall is key to the storyline.

Part of English Literature Macbeth

Lady Macbeth in Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is even more ambitious and ruthless than her husband. As soon as an opportunity to gain power presents itself, she has a plan in mind. She uses her influence to persuade Macbeth that they are taking the right course of action and even takes part in the crime herself.

For a while she is able to suppress her actions but eventually she becomes unable to deal with the guilt of what she has done. She becomes unable to sleep, and mentally unstable, eventually dying in tragic circumstances.

Social and historical context

In both Shakespeare's time and in the time when the play takes place, women had a much lower status than would be the case today. Wives were little more than the property of their husbands and had no legal rights. Their main purpose was to have children and support their menfolk. Lady Macbeth appears to be a much more feisty character with ambitions and desires of her own; these are characteristics that could imply a lack of femininity. It is worth remembering that in the original performances of the play the part of Lady Macbeth would have been played by a man and this would have helped to emphasise the character's masculine qualities.

Analysing the evidence

Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty: make thick my blood, Stop up th'access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th'effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature’s mischief.

What are we told here about Lady Macbeth's character?

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How to analyse the quote:

" Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty : make thick my blood. Stop up th'access and passage to remorse , That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th'effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers , Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief." (Act 1 Scene 5)

• 'Come, you spirits' / 'Come...you murd'ring ministers' - Lady Macbeth feels powerful enough to summon and command evil spirits
• 'unsex me' - she asks for her feminine qualities to be removed
• 'direst cruelty' / 'Stop up th'access and passage to remorse' - she wants any feelings for others she might have replaced with absolute wickedness and doesn’t wish to feel sympathy for others
• 'fell purpose' - the most important thing to her is achieving her ambition

How to use this in an essay:

Lady Macbeth has just learned her husband's news about the Witches' predictions and that King Duncan will be staying with them that very night. In a scene of shocking ambition she calls upon the powers of evil to assist her ( 'Come, you spirits' / 'Come ... you murd'ring ministers' ). In this respect she is very much like the Witches casting a spell to summon up evil spirits. She feels that the most important thing for her to achieve is her 'fell purpose' and will stop at nothing to accomplish this. She even wishes to remove her own feminine qualities ( 'unsex me' ) and trade 'remorse' for 'direst cruelty' . All of this would have been doubly shocking to Shakespeare's original audience because it was spoken by a woman.

More guides on this topic

• Plot summary - AQA
• Themes - AQA
• Form, structure and language - AQA
• Dramatisation - AQA
• Sample exam question - AQA

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William Shakespeare

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Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. When we first see her, she is already plotting Duncan’s murder, and she is stronger, more ruthless, and more ambitious than her husband. She seems fully aware of this and knows that she will have to push Macbeth into committing murder. At one point, she wishes that she were not a woman so that she could do it herself.

This theme of the relationship between gender and power is key to Lady Macbeth’s character: her husband implies that she is a masculine soul inhabiting a female body, which seems to link masculinity to ambition and violence. Shakespeare, however, seems to use her, and the witches, to undercut Macbeth’s idea that “undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males” (1.7.73–74). These crafty women use  female  methods of achieving power—that is, manipulation—to further their supposedly male ambitions. Women, the play implies, can be as ambitious and cruel as men, yet social constraints deny them the means to pursue these ambitions on their own.

Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband with remarkable effectiveness, overriding all his objections; when he hesitates to murder, she repeatedly questions his manhood until he feels that he must commit murder to prove himself. Lady Macbeth’s remarkable strength of will persists through the murder of the king—it is she who steadies her husband’s nerves immediately after the crime has been perpetrated.

Afterward, however, Lady Macbeth begins a slow slide into madness—just as ambition affects her more strongly than Macbeth before the crime, so does guilt plague her more strongly afterward. By the close of the play, she has been reduced to sleepwalking through the castle, desperately trying to wash away an invisible bloodstain. Once the sense of guilt comes home to roost, Lady Macbeth’s sensitivity becomes a weakness, and she is unable to cope. Significantly, she (apparently) kills herself, signaling her total inability to deal with the legacy of their crimes.

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Notes || Exam Prep || Character Profiles || Themes

This topic is included in  Paper 1 . You can find notes and guides for it below.

• Brief Overview
• Glossary of Key Terms
• Key Terms Flashcards
• Guide to Paper 1 - AQA English Literature GCSE
• Guide to Paper 1
• How to plan and write a top mark essay - English Literature GCSE
• How to plan and write a top mark essay

Character Profiles

• Lady Macbeth (Brief)
• Macbeth (Brief)
• The Witches
• Abuse of Power and Kingship
• Appearance vs Reality
• Guilt, Innocence and Paranoia

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Power & Ambition

Unambitious macbeth.

At the start of the play, Macbeth does not seem to be very ambitious. His wife, Lady Macbeth, is much more ambitious for him than he is for himself.

Macbeth's perspective

• At the start of the play, Macbeth does not seem to be ambitious.
• He is already a thane, so he has some social status. He does not seem to want more.
• When he is given the title, ‘Thane of Cawdor’ , he is surprised.

Lady Macbeth's perspective

• Lady Macbeth is more ambitious for her husband.
• She believes he deserves more than he has, but that he is too nice for his own good. She thinks he won’t go after power: ‘Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promis’d; yet do I fear thy nature, / It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way’ (1,5).
• Lady Macbeth thinks Macbeth does have ambition, but he is too good, gentle and kind to go after what he wants: ‘Thou wouldst be great, / Art not without ambition, but without / The illness should attend it’ (1,5).

Significance of ambition

• Shakespeare links having ambition with evil and committing evil deeds.
• Some people think that Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to murder King Duncan because of her own ambition.

Significance of Macbeth's Ambition

Macbeth's growing ambition eventually causes his downfall. He becomes paranoid as a result of his ambition.

Significance of damnation

• At the time the play was set, people believed in heaven and hell.
• If someone went against God’s will, they would be damned (condemned) in the afterlife and punished in hell for all eternity.
• This was often seen as more frightening than allowing harm to happen to you while you were alive.
• Once Macbeth has damned (condemned) himself by killing King Duncan, nothing he can do will save his mortal soul.
• He might as well pursue all his ambitions and kill anyone who gets in his way because his punishment by God has already been decided!

• After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth cannot cope with what he has done (perhaps his religious guilt comes into play here).
• He becomes more and more paranoid. The price of fulfilling his ambition was not worth it: ‘I have liv’d long enough. My way of life / Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, / And that which should accompany old age, / As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have’ (5,3).
• Macbeth lists all of the things he should have had in later life, like an honourable reputation and many friends. He has lost everything by going after the crown.

Causes downfall

• You could argue that ambition causes Macbeth's downfall.
• Macbeth’s ambition changes his life from good to horrific and causes his death.
• It is caused by the outside force of the witches’ prophecies.
• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth make huge errors in judgement as they allow their greedy desire for power to overtake them.
• The audience can see their bad choices building up throughout the play, and they know that it cannot end well for either character.
• Therefore, the tragic mood of the play starts as soon as Macbeth meets the witches in Act 1 and gets worse until he eventually dies in Act 5.

1 Literary & Cultural Context

1.1 Context

1.1.1 Tragedy

1.1.2 The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3 Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Context

2 Plot Summary

2.1.1 Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2 Scene 3

2.1.3 Scenes 4-5

2.1.4 Scenes 6-7

2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2 Acts 2-4

2.2.1 Act 2

2.2.2 Act 3

2.2.3 Act 4

2.3.1 Scenes 1-3

2.3.2 Scenes 4-9

2.3.3 End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3 Characters

3.1 Macbeth

3.1.1 Hero vs Villain

3.1.2 Ambition & Fate

3.1.3 Relationship

3.1.4 Unstable

3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2 Lady Macbeth

3.2.1 Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2 Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3 Other Characters

3.3.1 Banquo

3.3.2 The Witches

3.3.3 Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4 King Duncan

3.3.5 Macduff

3.3.6 End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7 End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4 Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1 Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4.1.1 Power & Ambition

4.1.2 Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3 Violence

4.1.4 The Supernatural

4.1.5 Masculinity

4.1.6 Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7 Appearances & Deception

4.1.8 Madness & Blood

4.1.9 Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10 End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11 End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2 Extract Analysis

5 Writer's Techniques

5.1 Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1 Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2 Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3 End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

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Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

Power & Ambition HyperLearning

Essays on Power of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Play "Macbeth."

A short summary of lady macbeth character in shakespeare play macbeth, attachments.

Lady Macbeth is a complex and fascinating character in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. She is the wife of the play's protagonist, Macbeth, and plays a significant role in the events that unfold throughout the play.

At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a powerful and ambitious woman who is not afraid to take control of a situation. She is the driving force behind Macbeth's decision to murder King Duncan in order to fulfill the witches' prophecy and become king himself. She is portrayed as cunning and manipulative, as she uses her persuasive skills to convince Macbeth to commit the murder, even when he is hesitant.

Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth's character undergoes a significant transformation. As the guilt of their actions begins to weigh on her, she becomes increasingly tormented and unstable. She experiences vivid hallucinations and becomes consumed with guilt and remorse for her role in Duncan's murder. Her descent into madness culminates in her tragic suicide, which is a pivotal moment in the play's dramatic climax.

Lady Macbeth's character is also interesting for her gendered role in the play. As a woman in a patriarchal society, Lady Macbeth must navigate the constraints of her gender in order to achieve her ambitions. She is  aware of the societal expectations placed upon her and uses her femininity as a tool to manipulate and control Macbeth. However, her ambition ultimately leads to her downfall, and she is punished for crossing her boundaries.

In conclusion, Lady Macbeth is a complex and compelling character whose actions drive the plot of the play. Her transformation from a powerful and manipulative figure to a tormented and guilt-ridden woman is a tragic  exploration of the human psyche. Additionally, her gendered role in the play highlights the societal expectations placed upon women during Shakespeare's time, and the consequences of challenging those expectations.

Here, you can find downloadable resources which contain essays written by GCSE students on lady Macbeth's characters.

• GCSE Essay about Lady Macbeth
• A pack of 6 sample essays written by GCSE students on character of Lady Macbeth

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Revision Essay Titles

For your revision you should plan an essay based around each of the following questions., remember that you can use quotes - or even entire paragraphs - in multiple questions, so be wise when you prepare. also, bear in mind that you will have an extract on the day but for revision purposes you're best to plan without one and then incorporate it where you see fit., for each essay, try to plan in the following way:, write your opening paragraph, know what each of your 2 or 3 paragraphs will be about, revise the quotes and key moments that you’ll use in them, ten key questions:, how is macbeth presented as a powerful man, how is lady macbeth presented as a powerful woman, how is ambition presented in this play, how is the supernatural presented in this play, how is guilt presented in this play, in macbeth, how does shakespeare present the idea that things are not what they seem, what role do the witches play in macbeth, how does shakespeare explore betrayal in this play, how does shakespeare present the natural order in this play, how does shakespeare present ideas of good and evil in this play, an example plan:, essay question: how is lady macbeth presented as a powerful woman, opening paragraph:, right from her first moment on-stage lady macbeth dominates the stage - she insults her husband, calls on spirits, and then suggests, plans and ensures the success of the murder. in fact, throughout almost the entire play she dominates those around her. in this respect, she is presented as being the most powerful force on-stage. by the end, however, she discovers that the only person she cannot dominate is herself and her own sense of guilt and eventually she (probably) kills herself. taken as a whole, she has to be seen as a powerful woman, though shakespeare invests so little time in the latter part of her character arc that it's impossible not to feel a little like she is quite underdeveloped., paragraph 1: lm as powerful: come you spirits / my battlements / look like th’ innocent flower / but be the serpent under it also, was she a witch & planning the murder & talking macbeth around in a1 s7, paragraph 2: lm as queen noughts had... etc. / shame itself / go at once lack of real motive for wanting to be queen & macbeth not explaining death of banquo, paragraph 3: lm's death o ut out damn spot was it suicide - sudden change of heart; her being asleep while feeling guilty; realising that they'd lost and not wanting to fall into enemy hands was she killed by seyton - some audience members would have wondered, paragraph 4: powerful women in jacobean times mention of elizabeth and bloody mary and that they both broke the traditional mould of passive women, note : there were loads of different ways i could have approached this essay and this is only one of them. you should look around and find an answer that you're confident with as this will make it much easier to learn and plan for..

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth Ambition — Lady Macbeth: From Ambition To Madness

Lady Macbeth: from Ambition to Madness

• Categories: Macbeth Macbeth Ambition William Shakespeare

About this sample

Words: 1147 |

Published: Nov 8, 2021

Words: 1147 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Works Cited

• Shakespeare, W. (2003). Macbeth. Washington Square Press.
• Bloom, H. (2004). Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. Riverhead Books.
• Hazlitt, W. (2018). Characters of Shakespear's Plays. Franklin Classics.
• Kliman, B. (2014). Macbeth. John Wiley & Sons.
• Pearson, E. J. (2010). Lady Macbeth: A Psychological Analysis. JSTOR, 20(1), 69-84.
• Rosenberg, M. (2010). Lady Macbeth as the Fourth Witch. In Macbeth: New Critical Essays (pp. 143-165). Routledge.
• McEachern, C. (2018). Lady Macbeth: A Critical History. Cambridge University Press.
• Seaton, R. (2007). Macbeth: A Guide to the Play. Greenwood Publishing Group.
• Crawford, A. (2005). Lady Macbeth's "Unsex Me" Speech: Shakespeare's Source Material. Shakespeare Quarterly, 56(3), 375-383.
• Jankowski, T. (2017). Lady Macbeth: An Icon of the Early Modern Period. Polish Journal for American Studies, 11(1), 69-82.

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The notion of ambition as Macbeth’s theme is discussed in this essay. In the story of Macbeth, it is clear that ambition is the major key to success. Ambition is the reason for Macbeth’s downfall. He is offered the determination [...]

The theme of blind ambition plays a central role in the downfall of the protagonist, Macbeth. Throughout the play, Macbeth's ambition drives him to commit heinous acts in his quest for power and control. This blind ambition [...]

Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most complex and intriguing characters. Her ambition drives much of the action in Macbeth, as she pushes her husband to commit murder in order to attain the crown. However, as the play [...]

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As Yoshida Kenko said “Ambition never comes to an end.” In the famous play Macbeth by Shakespeare, ambition is an imperative factor to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's sinful behaviors. Macbeth's ambition was provoked by the three [...]

As the wise philosopher, Xun Kuang once said, “Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.” This is perfectly exemplified in The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It thoroughly examines [...]

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Lady Macbeth Ambition Essay

Show More In the play Shakespeare brings Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together through their ambition. However, throughout the play they are brought apart by their personality. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband and afterwards Macbeth regrets killing Duncan, but is told by Lady Macbeth to not think about such things. During the play, Lady Macbeth is highlighted as ambitious. After reading the letter, Lady Macbeth says, “Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” Her thoughts immediately turn to murder and she is able to see through her ‘womanliness’ and conjure up evil thoughts. Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as an ambitious character, but with vile and vicious qualities. Lady Macbeth’s use of the adjective: “illness” to …show more content… Macbeth has ambitions to become King just as the witches promised: “but only vaulting ambition, which o 'erleaps itself and falls on the other.” However Macbeth does not directly think about the act of treason, he just waives it away. Later on Macbeth is again tempted by Lady Macbeth’s ambition, as shown when he mentions his “black and deep desires (to be king).” Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a greedy but humane character. Macbeth’s use of the adjective “black” shows that he knows that what he is planning to do is wrong. Black has connotations of evil and concealment so Shakespeare may also be trying to present Macbeth as cunning and crafty as well as being …show more content… He cannot say “Amen” after the murder. Macbeth cannot face God because he knows that what he has done is wrong and God will never forgive him for his actions. On the other hand Lady Macbeth shows no heavy feeling of remorse or sympathy. Once Macbeth has “done the deed”, Lady Macbeth automatically says “give me the daggers” so that she can dispose of them. She shows no mourning after what has just happened. In this way, Shakespeare is underlining Lady Macbeth’s inhumane personality. This sort of personality can be connected to the witches who played a big part in ‘Macbeth’. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, witchcraft was a topic of considerable interest. The new king of England, James I, had written a book called Demonology, which was published in 1597. Witches were supposed to be capable of doing all the things that the three weird sisters are said to perform in Macbeth. They were thought to be able to see into the future; dry up springs; change whether and make themselves invisible. For Lady Macbeth to almost have the same personality as the witches and for Macbeth to have dealing with the witches, it was a grave sin to a Shakespearean

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Macbeth: as & a2 york notes, william shakespeare, study focus: lady macbeth's ambition.

Lady Macbeth's ambition appears unchecked and she is the driving force behind the murder of Duncan. She pursues her ambition with a great determination. She willingly seeks evil to aid her in her objective and asks evil to fill her from the crown to the top-full / Of direst cruelty (I.5.40–1). She asks that no feelings of womanly humanity will upset her ruthless intention of making sure that her husband becomes king – and she becomes queen. The fact that evil spirits have now entered her body allows her to almost force her husband to kill Duncan. The same self-determination, driven by ambition, helps her to keep strong just after the murder of Duncan. At this point, she is Macbeth's crutch, holding him up and urging him on.

For the remainder of the play, she is passive in watching Macbeth commit more atrocities while she is driven into madness and despair. It is their tragic fate that both Macbeth and his wife regret the fruit of their unbridled ambition.

Examples Of Mental Illness In Macbeth

Olivia Zerno Mr. Belluscio ELA IV 3 April 2024 The Effect of Mental Disorders in Macbeth William Shakespeare was a very talented artist and has made very historical writings. In one of his most famous plays, “Macbeth”, the main character becomes consumed by ambition. This ambition came from three witches who told him he would become king in the near future. Influenced by his wife, he resorts to murdering the current king to fulfill the witches' prophecies. As the play goes on, you can tell Macbeth’s ambition overpowers him and it gets out of control. Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, is a significant character in this play and this paper. As the play progresses, readers can see that her personality changes drastically. Lady Macbeth is the one character who is significantly …show more content…

For example, Catherine E. Thomas mentions it in an article, “On the darker side, throughout the 1800s, Lady Macbeth is compared with witches, demons, viragos, snake-women, and iconic "evil women" like Medea.” “(Un)sexing Lady Macbeth: gender, power, and visual rhetoric in her graphic afterlife.” (Un)sexing Lady Macbeth. In this article, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a dark and eerie person. Starting from the beginning of the play she has a very interesting monologue, “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.” (Shakespeare 1.5.39-42). This quote is much longer, but this is showing that she was not mentally okay from the beginning of this play. Catherine E. Thomas backs this up in the same article saying, “She is powerful, clearly, but that power is dangerous and otherworldly. She is even more threatening because she is able to mask her true nature from the court until the end of the play when she drifts into madness.” With this unusual behavior, others view her as a threat already from the start of the

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