Summary: Lady Macbeth As a Symbol For Rebellion and Deceit

In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth as a symbol for rebellion and deceit. She is also shown as the non-ideal woman (due to the strict women rules in the Jacobean era) Her power is presented in many different ways through the play, and her manipulation towards the other characters is portrayed to the audience throughout the play.

In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the deceiving trait of Lady Macbeth to present her power overall. Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth’s idea of innocence, due to being a woman, to portray her to others as a weak, powerless character who has no control over herself, or anyone else.

‘O gentle lady, tis not for you to hear what I can speak: The repetition, in a woman’s ear, would murder as it fell.’ The implication of Macduff saying this to Lady Macbeth tells us that she is too innocent to be able to even hear or think about murder. Shakespeare uses the idea of Lady Macbeth’s weakness to disguise her true colours, making her seem impossible to ever commit crime, let alone murder.

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She also makes herself seem the type to never dream of disrupting the ‘typical woman ideal’, though this is far from the truth as seen throughout the play; This portrays her true power over the characters in the play, through deceit.

Earlier in the play, Lady Macbeth’s power is presented through guilt tripping towards Macbeth, showing her words can have impact on his actions in her favour. ‘I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out’ Lady Macbeth’s confession is used in a way to shame Macbeth in not fulfilling his promises towards her.

She also insults his manliness, and guilts him into thinking he isn’t manly enough to protect her and accompany her in her crimes. All of this is done in order to make Macbeth do what she wants, which he eventually does. This shows her power over Macbeth, and how just her words can result in him doing whatever she wants, even though he is supposed to be the leader in their relationship.

In the extract, Lady Macbeth’s power is presented in her controlling and harsh language towards Macbeth. ‘Why worthy thane, you do unbend your noble strength to think so brain sickly of things’ Lady Macbeth’s harsh language slowly breaks down Macbeth’s high opinion of himself, making him more easily lead by her and more eager to follow her instructions. Shakespeare uses this language to show Lady Macbeth truly has power over Macbeth and that he only sees her true colours, to everyone else she is just a weak, powerless woman, however he doesn’t act on her behaviour or try to control it as she’s already manipulated him into following her.

Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as an extremely powerful, deceitful woman.