Lady macbeth

• There are multiple ways of interpreting the character of Lady Macbeth
• Lady Macbeth is seen as subverting feminine stereotypes of the Jacobean era but also conforming to them in a contradictory way
• There is no definitive answer to how to interpret Lady Macbeth
• In Shakespeare's time, women belonged to their fathers and then their husbands when they married
• Women could not attend school or university, purchase property, vote, or appear on stage in plays in Shakespeare's time
• Wives were expected to be obedient and subservient to their husbands, serving as hostess and helpmate
• In Act 2 Scene 3, Macduff doesn't want to inform Lady Macbeth about the murder of King Duncan, saying it would "murder as it fell"
• In Act 4 Scene 3, Macduff says he "could play the woman with mine eyes", and Ross says Macduff's return would make "our women fight"
• Lady Macbeth calls on evil spirits to "fill her" in Act 1 Scene 5, which would have been shocking to the Jacobean audience as witchcraft was a crime punishable by death
• In Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth destroys Macbeth's resolve to not kill King Duncan in less than 50 lines of dialogue
• In the banquet scene in Act 3 Scene 4, Lady Macbeth takes control, challenging Macbeth and directing the guests
• Some argue that Shakespeare was proto-feminist, with his strong female characters
• Another view is that Lady Macbeth conforms to feminine stereotypes of the era, needing the support of dark forces and acting as a helpmate to her husband
• Lady Macbeth's power and influence diminish after King Duncan's murder, as there is no room for her in the male world of treason and revenge
• After Macbeth becomes king, he fully commands Lady Macbeth, no longer allowing her a share in his new business
• Lady Macbeth's suicide takes place off stage, perhaps so the audience doesn't focus too much on her character