The first way Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth is ambitious

The first way Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth is ambitious. The audience can see that when Macbeth is given the chance to gain power, Lady Macbeth takes the opportunity and creates a plan. Some people might say that Lady Macbeth is more cruel and cold-blooded than her husband as she persuades Macbeth to take action. Macbeth is lured into the scheme made by his wife. In Act 1 Scene 5, we see Lady Macbeth on stage for the first time. Once she finishes reading the letter from Macbeth, she says “shalt be what thou art promised”. As soon as she hears about the witches’ prophecies in the letter from Macbeth, she is immediately absorbed into the crime and starts to create a plan. The audience’s first impression of Lady Macbeth is that she is an insistent and strong character with a perseverance to accomplish what the witches have predicted. Our first impression of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is that they have a dysfunctional connection. The audience obtain a bizarre atmosphere as this scene suggests that Lady Macbeth is the dominant person in the relationship. This is significant because in the 17th century, men were seen as more controlling in a relationship this conveys that Lady Macbeth takes the traditional male role in a marriage. Further into Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy, she says “I may pour my spirits into thine ear”. This quotation displays one of Lady Macbeth’s fundamental characteristics of controlling Macbeth, as throughout the play Lady Macbeth is able to persuade and encourage Macbeth to commit multiple crimes, for example, killing King Duncan. By having Lady Macbeth personify the spirits and use the word “pour” when describing her actions, Shakespeare makes Lady Macbeth seem forceful as she is manipulating Macbeth because pouring something is an intentional action. It seems to me that it is Lady Macbeth who drives Macbeth to kill Duncan. In Act One Scene Seven, Macbeth announces to his wife that they will not continue to plan the murder of King Duncan. This quote suggests that Macbeth is withdrawing from the dangerous plan that Lady Macbeth has produced. However, Lady Macbeth is not pleased and starts to manipulate Macbeth. She says “such I account thy love”, which conveys that she is questioning whether she should love Macbeth. Shakespeare uses the words “thou” and “you” in numerous occasions in Lady Macbeth’s speech in Act One Scene Seven. Shakespeare uses these pronouns to make what Lady Macbeth is saying more direct and personal and, in a result, make her more threatening from the audience’s perspective. Further into Act One Scene Seven, Macbeth is doubting the plan to murder King Duncan. However, after Lady Macbeth’s speech of encouragement, Macbeth shows his change of view and questions Lady Macbeth: “If we should fail?”. This creates the sense of control from Lady Macbeth as she has already changed her husband’s opinion. Lady Macbeth’s response “We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail”. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question of “We fail?” to emphasise the impression of Lady Macbeth thinking that the concept of them failing to kill Duncan is absurd. Lady Macbeth also uses the plural pronoun of “we” which unites both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth together, this contrasts to previously in the scene when Lady Macbeth was being more direct to Macbeth. Shakespeare uses the imperative “But screw your courage to the sticking-place”, she is giving him an instruction which conveys that she is in charge of the situation.