Women in Macbeth Essay

In society today, men are considered more dominant than women. They are viewed as more physically capable, head of a households and the breadwinner of their family. But in the story of Macbeth, men are portrayed in a different way. Macbeth is shown as a weak man who is unable to take control of a situation and is easily manipulated. Although women are equal and just as capable as men, in the story of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is seen as the more dominant person. She can easily demand, and has self control.

In Act 1, Scene 6, Macbeth had already been visited by the witches and was told that he would be the next thane of Cawdor and that all would hail him. Right after, the witches went to Lady Macbeth and told her that Macbeth would be the next king. When Lady Macbeth heard this she got excited and completely agreed with the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth had no sense of morals or truth, instead she was being selfish. She didnt care at all about what would happen to Duncan, or the consequences that would lead up to it, all she cared about was the position and title her husband would hold. This part of the play make the readers assume that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are characters who feel that position is more important than values.

In Act 2, scene 2, when the murder of Duncan had already taken place, Macbeth feared for his soul and wasnt able to finish his job. As he entered his room where Lady Macbeth was waiting for him, his role as a character changed dramatically. He went from a determined man trying to become someone greater, to a man who was the complete opposite. The plan was for everyone to think the drunk guards accidentally killed Duncan while he was sleeping. They would know this because the guards would be covered in blood and have bloody daggers in their room. But Macbeth couldnt continue with the plan. After he killed Duncan he left, leaving the daggers in his room. Lady Macbeth then took charge of the situation; she finished the murder by putting the weapons in the guards room. Even though Lady Macbeth wasnt capable of doing the actual murder herself, she still had a significant role in it. Without her, Macbeth would have sooner or later been accused to the murder, but since the proof was in the guards room, it was automatically assumed that they had nothing to do with it.

Lady Macbeth was also always straightening out Macbeth by reminding him to forget about what hes done, and to look on the brighter side. She always told him that everything was going to be okay and in the end all of this would be worth it. In a way she tried to keep Macbeth positive about all the bad things that hes done. But no matter how much Lady Macbeth tried to convince him that it was okay, he didnt feel it at all. The Ghost of Duncan was haunting him.

Even though Lady Macbeth and Macbeth went through a lot, I think they lasted a lot longer than most would. In a way Lady Macbeth can be admired for her attitude and goals to strive forward, but for bad reasons. Macbeth seemed to have lost his mind near the end of the play because of everything that was haunting him, but I think it took a lot of courage to be able to even get to the murder itself. This shows that men and women are both equal even if theyre not all in the exact same ways.