The Power of a Woman in MacBeth by Shakespeare

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In the play, Macbeth, the power of a woman is a strong force to be reckoned with. Many times in the play, the female characters have proven their equality with any man. From the witches to Lady Macbeth, these characters show their power either in words or in actions. The women, in the play Macbeth, contradict the roles set by society in 1606. Women who over stepped their boundaries were considered a threat to the people and were punished severely. It was shocking to the public to see such masculine female characters in Macbeth.
In Shakespeare’s time, women had very limited rights. They were expected to be submissive to any man no matter the relationship. Women were supposed to do domestic services while the higher-class women were taken to nunneries to like. They were not allowed in any decision-making. If a husband said no, that was the end of the conversation. Women were required to respect their husband’s word and consider it law.
Lady Macbeth is a strong and powerful character in the play. She is the more dominant figure, even in her relationship with her husband, Macbeth. The quote, “Look like th’ innocent flower but be the serpent under it (Act 1 Scene 5),” accurately demonstrates how much power Lady Macbeth truly has over Macbeth. She talks about her powerful ambition and drive to have Macbeth be king and to kill King
Duncan. During the time the play was based on, men were the figurehead for power and dominance. The woman was always to be the follower in any relationship. Shakespeare takes both roles in society and flips them in his play Macbeth.
The Witches are the most independent characters in the play. The only person that they take direction from is Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft. They do as they please and ...

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... can be a good thing if used for the people’s best interest. For example, if Macbeth were motivated to keep Scotland safe and prosperous, ambition would be a good thing. Macbeth also portrays ambition as being dangerous and harmful. Shakespeare had a real insight to how ambition could either help or harm a person.
In the play, Macbeth, women play a very powerful role. They can either support good decisions or add to harmful situations. The Three Witches are great characters in the sense that they influence so much of the story, but they aren’t physically involved. They watch and influence from the sidelines. Lady Macbeth ignites Macbeth’s ambition and desire to be king by helping him murder Duncan. She is a powerful character because she has dominance over Macbeth in the beginning of the play. All four of these women add to the over all experience of they play.

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