The Power Struggle in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English Lite

The Power Struggle in Macbeth In Shakespeares Macbeth, the focus that is placed on the character of Lady Macbeth helps to persuade the plays theme of the strife created by the struggle for office staff and control that is feed throughout the entire work. Shakespeare presents her character in great detail and shows her to be a dominating, authoritative woman who thrives on the power she holds over her hubby. He then shows the principle character, Macbeth, rise up and join his wife in a struggle for power of his own. It is the actions that Macbeth takes in attempt to achieve ultimate authority that lead to his downfall, and it is Lady Macbeths loss of control over her keep up as he introduces this independence which causes her own weakening and eventually leads to her death as well. The struggle for power and control in Macbeth is present from the in truth beginning, as Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a ruthless, overpowering woman who dominates her husband and his actions . She makes Macbeths decisions for him without giving him any say in his own actions, and she orders her husband to do what she determines to be best for him. It is Lady Macbeth who contrives the plan to kill King Duncan, because she knows that Macbeth would neer commit such an act on his own without her prodding. She develops the plan and organizes the inside information while expecting Macbeth to merely follow her orders. This becomes evident when she says to him, Only look up clear,(1.5.70) and leave the rest to me(1.5.72). She intends to keep him under her control by make decisions for him and not allowing him to think for him egotism. Lady Macbeth is able to achieve such power over her husband by continually insulting his manliness and blow her... ...e is an authoritative figure who thrives on her ability to rule her husbands life, and watching Macbeth gain independence at her expense eats her up inside and causes her to support her sanity. She sees the tables of power be ing turned, and she begins to see herself in the position her husband one time held, that of a weak, submissive individual. She can not allow herself to live her life that way, and, as it is explained in the last speech of the play, . . . Macbeths fiendlike queen,/Who, as tis thought, by self and violent hands/ Took off her life. . .(5.8.69-71). Lady Macbeth saw death as the only way she could escape a life of passiveness and flunk which she believed was inevitable once she lost control of Macbeths actions. whole shebang CitedShakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York Longman, 1997