Character Analysis: Lady Macbeth

Summary

This video delves into the complex character of Lady Macbeth, examining her as both a subverter and conformist of Jacobean era feminine stereotypes. It explores her role as a powerful manipulator, compelling her husband Macbeth to murder, and as a traditional wife, assisting her husband's ambitions. The analysis considers her use of supernatural forces and her ultimate decline post-murder, questioning if Shakespeare's portrayal was proto-feminist or reinforcing traditional gender roles.

Takeaways

• 📜 The character of Lady Macbeth can be interpreted in multiple ways, challenging the traditional Jacobean era stereotypes of femininity.
• 🏛 Historical context: Women in Shakespeare's time had limited rights, including no education, property ownership, voting rights, and were not allowed on stage.
• 👑 Lady Macbeth is seen by some as a powerful figure who manipulates Macbeth into committing murder, going against the expected obedience of women.
• 🔮 Shakespeare uses supernatural imagery with Lady Macbeth, which would have been shocking to the audience during the Jacobean era.
• 🗡️ Lady Macbeth's assertiveness is highlighted when she persuades Macbeth to kill King Duncan, contradicting the stereotype of women as weak.
• 🍷 In the banquet scene, Lady Macbeth takes control while Macbeth falls apart, showcasing her dominance and leadership.
• 🌙 Some argue that Shakespeare was a proto-feminist, suggesting his female characters, like Lady Macbeth, display strength and eloquence.
• 🌑 Alternatively, Lady Macbeth could be seen as conforming to feminine stereotypes, using dark forces to support her husband's ambitions.
• 📜 Lady Macbeth's power diminishes after Duncan's murder, suggesting her role was to assist Macbeth, not to lead.
• 💔 Lady Macbeth's ultimate breakdown and suicide occur off-stage, possibly indicating that her character was not meant to distract from Macbeth's story.

Q & A

What are the two contrasting interpretations of Lady Macbeth's character presented in the script?

The script presents Lady Macbeth as both subverting and conforming to the feminine stereotypes of the Jacobean era.

How did women's roles in society during Shakespeare's time influence the portrayal of Lady Macbeth?

Women during Shakespeare's time were expected to be obedient and subservient to their husbands, and this societal expectation is reflected in Lady Macbeth's character.

What is the historical context provided for understanding Lady Macbeth's character?

The historical context includes women's lack of education, property rights, voting rights, and their exclusion from stage roles, which were played by young men.

How does Lady Macbeth's use of supernatural imagery in Act 1 Scene 5 challenge the feminine stereotypes of her time?

Lady Macbeth's invocation of evil spirits to fill her with cruelty was shocking for the Jacobean era, as it was a time when witchcraft was punishable by death.

What techniques does Lady Macbeth use to persuade Macbeth to kill King Duncan in Act 1 Scene 7?

Lady Macbeth uses accusations of inconsistency, questioning his love for her, comparing him to a drunkard, and challenging his manhood to persuade Macbeth.

In what ways does Lady Macbeth display power and dominance over Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth is portrayed as powerful and dominant through her verbal manipulation and coercion of Macbeth, especially in Act 1 Scene 7 and the banquet scene in Act 3 Scene 4.

What is the argument for Lady Macbeth conforming to feminine stereotypes rather than subverting them?

The argument suggests that Lady Macbeth's need for supernatural support and rejection of her femininity indicate her adherence to the role of a supportive wife, as expected in the Jacobean era.

How does Lady Macbeth's role change after the murder of King Duncan?

After Duncan's murder, Lady Macbeth begins to lose her influence, as she is no longer an accomplice in Macbeth's plans and her role as housekeeper diminishes.

What is the significance of Lady Macbeth's suicide taking place off-stage?

The off-stage suicide might suggest that Shakespeare wanted to prevent her character from distracting from the main action, emphasizing her diminished role.

What is the role of Lady Macbeth in the murder of King Duncan according to the script?

Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in the murder, from planning to execution, but the script explores whether she instigated the murder or simply assisted Macbeth.

How does the script suggest that Shakespeare might have been a proto-feminist in his portrayal of Lady Macbeth?

The script suggests that Shakespeare might have been a proto-feminist by highlighting Lady Macbeth's eloquence and strength of character, which were not typically associated with women during his time.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Lady Macbeth's Character Analysis

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on the character of Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. It presents two contrasting interpretations of her character: as both subverting and conforming to the feminine stereotypes of the Jacobean era. The paragraph provides historical context about women's roles during Shakespeare's time, highlighting their lack of rights and representation. It also discusses how women were perceived as weak in the play, particularly through the dialogue of other characters. The analysis then explores Lady Macbeth's portrayal as powerful and manipulative, especially in Act 1 Scene 5, where she is seen using supernatural forces and persuasive tactics to influence Macbeth to murder King Duncan.

05:05

🔮 Lady Macbeth's Power and Dominance

This paragraph delves into Lady Macbeth's display of power and dominance, particularly in contrast to Macbeth's hesitance. It discusses key scenes such as Act 1 Scene 7, where Lady Macbeth undermines Macbeth's resolve not to kill King Duncan, using various tactics including questioning his consistency, his love for her, and his manhood. The paragraph also highlights Lady Macbeth's control during the banquet scene in Act 3 Scene 4, where she takes charge amidst Macbeth's unraveling. The analysis suggests that Lady Macbeth's actions could be seen as either a proto-feminist stance or as conforming to the expectations of a supportive wife in the Jacobean era.

10:09

🏰 Lady Macbeth's Role in the Murder of King Duncan

The third paragraph examines Lady Macbeth's role in the murder of King Duncan, questioning whether she instigates the act or simply supports her husband's plan. It explores the idea that Lady Macbeth may be fulfilling her 'wifely roles' by assisting Macbeth, as suggested by critics like Joan Larsen Klein and Dr. Emil Pfundheller. The paragraph also notes the diminishment of Lady Macbeth's power after the murder, as she is increasingly excluded from Macbeth's plans and ultimately succumbs to a breakdown and suicide. The analysis concludes by reflecting on the complexity of Lady Macbeth's character and the various ways she can be interpreted within the context of the Jacobean era.

Keywords

💡Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is a central character in Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth'. She is portrayed as ambitious and manipulative, often pushing her husband, Macbeth, towards morally questionable actions to fulfill their ambitions. In the video's narrative, Lady Macbeth's character is explored in terms of her power and influence, as well as her adherence to or subversion of Jacobean era feminine stereotypes.

💡Jacobean era

The Jacobean era refers to the period in English history that corresponds to the reign of King James I (1603–1625). This era is significant to the video as it sets the historical context for understanding the societal norms and expectations of women, such as obedience and subservience, which are contrasted with Lady Macbeth's character.

💡Feminine stereotypes

Feminine stereotypes are societal expectations and generalizations about how women should behave, such as being submissive and weak. The video discusses how Lady Macbeth both conforms to and challenges these stereotypes of the Jacobean era, particularly through her assertive actions and manipulation of her husband.

💡Subverting stereotypes

To subvert a stereotype means to challenge or overturn conventional expectations. The video suggests that Lady Macbeth subverts feminine stereotypes by actively persuading Macbeth to commit murder, displaying a level of agency and ambition not typically associated with women of her time.

💡Conforming stereotypes

Conforming to stereotypes means to act in accordance with established expectations or norms. The video presents the argument that Lady Macbeth conforms to stereotypes by fulfilling her role as a supportive wife, despite the sinister nature of her support.

💡Patriarchal society

A patriarchal society is one in which men hold primary power and are the dominant group. The video discusses how Lady Macbeth's ambitions are constrained by the patriarchal society of the Jacobean era, potentially motivating her to seek power through her husband.

💡Supernatural imagery

Supernatural imagery refers to the use of elements beyond the natural world, such as witchcraft or evil spirits. Lady Macbeth's invocation of supernatural aid in the play is highlighted in the video as a shocking act that deviates from the expected behavior of women during the Jacobean era.

💡Manipulation

Manipulation is the act of influencing someone or something in a clever or unscrupulous way. The video describes how Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into committing murder, using various tactics such as questioning his manhood, to achieve her goals.

💡Power dynamics

Power dynamics refer to the relationships between individuals characterized by the possession of authority or control. The video analyzes the power dynamics between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, noting how she wields significant influence over him despite the societal norms of the time.

💡Proto-feminist

Proto-feminist refers to ideas or actions that anticipate or lay the groundwork for later feminist movements. The video considers whether Shakespeare's portrayal of Lady Macbeth as strong and influential might be seen as proto-feminist, suggesting a more complex view of women than was typical for the era.

💡Decline of influence

The decline of influence refers to the reduction in power or control over a situation. After the murder of King Duncan, the video notes a shift in the play where Lady Macbeth's influence over Macbeth and her role in the narrative diminishes, reflecting a tragic downfall often associated with Shakespeare's complex characters.

Highlights

Lady Macbeth can be seen as subverting or conforming to Jacobean era feminine stereotypes.

In Shakespeare’s time, women had limited rights and were expected to be obedient to men.

Lady Macbeth is often viewed as powerful, manipulating Macbeth into murder.

Elizabeth Klett suggests Lady Macbeth seizes power through her husband due to patriarchal restrictions.

Act 1 Scene 5 introduces Lady Macbeth with supernatural imagery, shocking for the Jacobean era.

Lady Macbeth's call to evil spirits was a serious crime during Shakespeare’s time.

In Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth verbally persuades a hesitant Macbeth to kill King Duncan.

Lady Macbeth's tactics include questioning Macbeth's consistency, love, and manhood.

Act 3 Scene 4 shows Lady Macbeth taking control of the banquet while Macbeth falls apart.

Some argue Shakespeare was proto-feminist, highlighting strong female characters.

Lady Macbeth may conform to feminine stereotypes by needing supernatural support for her plan.

Joan Larsen Klein suggests Lady Macbeth fulfills wifely roles of hostess and helpmate.

Dr Emil Pfundheller argues Lady Macbeth rejects femininity to help her husband achieve his goals.

Lady Macbeth's role in Duncan’s murder is significant, but her intentions are debated.

After Duncan's murder, Lady Macbeth loses power and influence, both societally and domestically.

Lady Macbeth's breakdown and off-stage suicide suggest her character's diminishing relevance.

Shakespeare’s portrayal of Lady Macbeth can be seen as both subverting and reaffirming feminine stereotypes.

Transcripts

Hello everybody and welcome to this analysis

of Lady Macbeth. Like her husband, there are multiple ways

of interpreting the character of Lady Macbeth. In today’s video I’ll explore two different

ideas: Lady Macbeth as subverting feminine stereotypes of the Jacobean era but also,

in a contradictory way, conforming to them. Now there is no definitive answer to this,

so why not weigh up both sides and then put a comment in the comments section letting

everyone know your thoughts on the topic. First, a bit of historical context about the

role of women in Shakespeare’s time: Women

• belonged to their fathers and then their husbands when they married

• could not attend school or university • could not purchase property

• could not vote • were not allowed on-stage (in plays, the

female roles were acted by young men) • And now specifically on the role of wives:

wives were expected to be obedient and subservient to their husbands, serving as ‘hostess and

helpmate’ as one critic we’ll be looking at later puts it.

But we don’t need a history lesson to explore attitudes to women in ‘Macbeth’. The play

itself contains numerous moments which tell us something on this topic.

In Act 2 Scene 3, Macduff doesn’t want to inform Lady Macbeth about the murder of King

Duncan, telling her that ‘The repetition, in a woman's ear, Would murder as it fell.’

Meaning that to tell this news to a woman would kill her. This presents women as weak,

in particular weaker than men. In Act 4 Scene 3, Macduff states ‘I could

play the woman with mine eyes’ meaning that he could weep like a woman.

In the same scene Ross says that Macduff’s return to Scotland would be so inspiring it

would ‘make our women fight’. Now up against this set of feminine stereotypes,

it is possible to see Lady Macbeth as the complete opposite?

If we are to view Lady Macbeth as powerful, as the ‘fiend-like queen’ Malcom refers

to her as in the play’s final scene, it hangs on the interpretation that she manipulated

an otherwise reluctant Macbeth into murder. As Elizabeth Klett puts it in ‘Women in

Literature: Reading Through the Lens of Gender’: ‘as a woman of ambition living in a patriarchal

world that allows no outlet for her intelligence, she becomes motivated to seize power through

her husband.’

If looking to evidence this point, we would have to go no further than Act 1 Scene 5 – the

first time the audience meets Lady Macbeth, and undoubtedly one of the most well-known

passages in all of Shakespeare. This scene has been taught a million times,

so I won’t spend long on it, but let’s take a look at the supernatural imagery, highlighted

on-screen. Shakespeare’s use of supernatural imagery,

with Lady Macbeth calling on evil spirits to fill her, might not be that shocking to

us today, but it was different in Shakespeare’s world. Practising witchcraft was a crime punishable

by death in Shakespeare’s time, and during the Jacobean era King James is estimated to

have been responsible for the burning of 4,000 alleged witches in Scotland alone. So, when

Lady Macbeth calls on evil spirits to fill her, the audience would be shocked at her

actions. She certainly doesn’t seem weak or passive here. When Macbeth enters, she

tells him that he must kill the King that very night, ‘O, never / Shall sun that morrow

see!’. By Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth has just about talked

himself out of the idea of killing King Duncan. At this point in his speech, however, Lady

Macbeth enters – here’s the stage direction. This is an interesting structural technique

from Shakespeare as it gives the audience a visual cue. Macbeth has ‘no spur’, no

cause to murder his king except his ambition and, now, here enters Lady Macbeth.

Macbeth decides that ‘We will proceed no further in this business’ and Lady Macbeth

destroys his resolve and all his convincing arguments in less than fifty lines of dialogue.

Remember, this is Macbeth the warrior, the fearless leader in battle and he appears to

be verbally manipulated and coerced by his wife.

She tackles him using a number of different techniques. Firstly, she says that he is inconsistent

and changes his mind often (‘Was the hope drunk /Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath

it slept since?’). Secondly she uses his love for her against him saying that he obviously

doesn’t love her if he won’t do this (‘From this time/ Such I account thy love’). Thirdly,

Lady Macbeth says that her husband is no better than someone who is drunk all the time, deciding

things when intoxicated then changing their mind when hung over the next day (‘And wakes

it now, to look so green and pale’). Finally, and most importantly, she challenges his manhood

(‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’).

This is the most effective attack on her husband because (as we looked at in my character analysis

of Macbeth) his entire reputation is founded upon his bravery and courage and Lady Macbeth

is basically calling him the Shakespearean equivalent of ‘chicken’. She calls him

‘coward’, ‘poor cat’ and says ‘then you were a man’ until he gives in. So here,

Lady Macbeth comes across as powerful and dominant, seemingly persuading her reluctant

husband to kill the King. Another powerful moment for Lady Macbeth is

seen in the banquet scene in Act 3 Scene 4. As Macbeth falls apart in front of his guests,

it is Lady Macbeth who takes control. She both challenges her husband, asking him ‘Are

you a man?’ and directs the banquet guests, telling them first to ‘Sit’, then to ‘speak

not’ and finally to ‘go at once’. Lady Macbeth is very much in charge in this scene,

and her power is all the more noticeable when juxtaposed with the weakness of her husband.

Many people argue that Shakespeare was proto-feminist. Seeing as feminism, as it exists today, did

not exist in Shakespeare’s time, we use ‘proto’ at the beginning in order to make

that distinction. Scholars often look at Shakespeare’s female characters and point to their eloquence

and strength of character, concluding that Shakespeare must have been sending some sort

of message about women and what he thought of them. Considering the restrictions that

many women faced in Shakespeare’s time it’s certainly a persuasive argument, and one that

seems true of Lady Macbeth at this point. But another way of looking at Lady Macbeth

is to consider her, not as powerful at all. Could it be true that, far from being a proto-feminist,

Shakespeare is actually depicting Lady Macbeth as conforming to feminine stereotypes of the

era? What’s so clever is that we can begin this line of analysis looking again at Act

1 Scene 5. If Lady Macbeth is so powerful, why does she need the support of the forces

of darkness in order to carry out her plan? If Shakespeare is presenting women as powerful,

why does Lady Macbeth need to reject her femininity in order to do what she plans to do?

Rather than seeing Lady Macbeth as powerful in this scene, we might analyse her as a subservient

wife to her husband, fulfilling what Joan Larsen Klein describes in ‘The Woman’s

Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare’, as ‘her wifely roles of hostess and helpmate’.

To begin this analysis, let’s look a little further back in Act 1 Scene 5, to the moment

Lady Macbeth reads the letter from her husband. In the letter to his wife, Macbeth hints at

his plan to kill Duncan when he writes ‘I have learned by the perfectest report they

have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further,

they made themselves air, into which they vanished.’ In other words, Macbeth is saying

that the witches seemed to be speaking the truth about his future as king, a truth which

made him burn with desire to learn more. As an audience we know that Macbeth is already

thinking of murdering his way to the throne. In Act 1 Scene 4, Macbeth talks in an aside

about the realisation that the only way to become king, now Malcolm has been named as

Duncan’s successor, is to give into his ‘black and deep desires’ and ‘o’erleap’

Malcolm. This quotation suggests that Macbeth already had murder on his mind.

To Dr Emil Pfundheller, writing in 1873, Lady Macbeth perceives her husband’s murderous

plan, knows he will be too weak to follow it through, and decides that she must do everything

she can to help him achieve his goal, because this is her role as wife: to be a helpmate

to her husband. To Pfundheller, this explains why Lady Macbeth

needs to call on evil spirits and reject her femininity to move forward:

‘Feeling that her womanly nature is not at all able to accomplish a crime from which

Macbeth recoils…and notwithstanding resolved to fulfil the deep desire of her husband she

gives up her womanhood and does violence to her own nature. For this purpose she calls

upon the hellish spirits... If Lady Macbeth…had been naturally cruel she needed not so solemnly

to have abjured all pity and called on the spirits that wait on mortal thoughts to unsex

her. The desire of making her husband a king makes her rush headlong into that abyss of

crime and guilt’ (‘On The Character of Lady Macbeth, by Dr Emil Pfundheller, 1873)

So could it be that, rather than powerful and strong, Lady Macbeth is simply trying

to assist her husband in achieving his goals, as was expected of wives at the time? To Joan

Larsen Klein there are lots of moments where Lady Macbeth acts as helpmate to her husband:

It is Lady Macbeth’s idea to get Duncan’s grooms drunk with ‘wine and wassail’ in

Act 1 Scene 7 It is Lady Macbeth who unlocks Duncan’s

door ready for the murder, telling us that ‘The doors are open’ in Act 2 Scene 2

It is Lady Macbeth who gets the daggers ready (‘I laid their daggers ready’ A2s2)

Lady Macbeth who tells Macbeth to ‘wash this filthy witness from your hand’ a2s2

Who takes the daggers back to plant them on the guards

Who tells Macbeth to ‘get on your nightgown’ a2s2

Clearly Lady Macbeth’s role in the murder of King Duncan is significant, but does she

instigate it, persuading her reluctant husband to commit regicide, or does she simply assist

him in his plans, as the good helpmate wife of the era?

Whatever you believe, there is no doubt that Lady Macbeth’s power and influence diminishes

after Duncan is killed.

Joan Larsen Klein writes:

‘As soon as Duncan’s murder is a public fact, Lady Macbeth begins to lose her place

in society and her position at home. She does so because there is no room for her in the

exclusively male world of treason and revenge.

‘After Macbeth becomes king, he, the man, so fully commands Lady Macbeth that he allows

her no share in his new business. No longer his accomplice, she loses her role as housekeeper.

Macbeth plans the next feast, not Lady Macbeth. It is Macbeth who invites Banquo to it, not

Lady Macbeth, who had welcomed Duncan to Inverness by herself’ [In Act 1 Scene 6, when Macbeth

is already at the castle, it is nevertheless Lady Macbeth who greets the King – Macbeth

isn’t even in the scene].

As we know from the Macbeth revision song, Macbeth does not tell his wife about his plans

for Banquo, dismissing her with the condescending ‘Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck’

in A3s2.

After the banquet scene, Lady Macbeth appears only once more on-stage, suffering a breakdown

and later, off-stage, committing suicide. And why does the suicide take place off-stage?

Perhaps Shakespeare didn’t want the audience to be thinking too much about this character,

feeling that she could be a distraction from the main action unfolding on-stage.

We can see Shakespeare’s portrayal of Lady Macbeth in one sense as subverting feminine

stereotypes of the Jacobean era but also, in a contradictory way, reaffirming them.

As I said, there are numerous ways of interpreting the character of Lady Macbeth, and in this

video I’ve just looked at two of them. For more on Lady Macbeth, pick up Mr Bruff’s

Guide to Macbeth, which is linked in the description. If you found this video useful please give

it a thumbs up, and do subscribe to the channel.