Lady Macbeth's Power

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Power is a theme used by Shakespeare throughout the play Macbeth. The plot involves Macbeth trying to gain more power. At the beginning of the play she enters the stage reading a letter from Macbeth where he makes inquiries that lady Macbeth may rejoice in the greatness that is promised to her as the future queen. The quote ‘My dearest partner of greatness’ is meant that she will become his partner in crime. Her mood at this stage displays a dominant aura therefore she shows a real power over Macbeth throughout the play.

Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth’s power over Macbeth throughout act 1 scene 5 and act 1 scene 7 in which it is proved that she is the real power behind the throne because she persuades macbeth to achieve his goal of being king.

As she continues to read the letter, her mood changes and she starts thinking that Macbeth is "too full of the milk of human kindness" she means that he is too gentle and weak to murder Duncan and in this stage, it proves that she is the most powerful woman by the fact that she enters the stage alone and her thoughts turn to possible failings in her husband as well as filled with death and distractions. As she finishes reading the letter it's as if she has decided that Macbeth will be the King. She does not hesitate for a moment and she knows that the only way is by killing Duncan.

Lady Macbeth’s thoughts turn into murder as she wants to be crowned by ‘the nearest way’, that of speedy and violent action of killing Duncan. As soon as Macbeth enters the stage, Lady Macbeth tells him that King Duncan is spending the night but he won't be waking up the next morning said by ‘O never shall sun that morrow see’, which gives the impression that she wants him dead that night and does not want him to see sun anymore.

In act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth’s dominance is a lot more forth coming as her power over Macbeth
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