At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare defines Lady Macbeth as a woman who wants to take on stereotypical traits associated with men, such as acting coldly, manipulatively, and being the dominant partner in her relationship. When Lady Macbeth realizes that her husband is not strong enough to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth tries to prove to herself and her husband that she can take the dominant role in her relationship with Macbeth. This is best shown in one of Lady Macbeth's soliloquies when she says: “... deprive me of sex here, / And fill me from head to toe – full / of the most atrocious cruelty! Make my blood thick; / Close the access and passage to remorse…” (1.5.40-43). In this passage, the words “unsex me” refer to her desire to rid herself of all the qualities that make her a woman, which she believes prevent her from committing acts of violence and cruelty. The word "blood" is used as a symbol of Lady Macbeth's emotions, which she wants to ignore so as not to feel any remorse. This demand to erase all traces of femininity implies that men are more capable of malice than women, which Lady Macbeth uses as a reason to take on masculine traits. Lady Macbeth is also expressed as scheming and dominating in her relationship with Macbeth, all characteristics more commonly attributed to the typical man. Lady Macbeth acts connivingly when she mocks Macbeth's mental and physical strength to carry out the killing of King Duncan, as she says she would commit a crime against her son if asked to do so. Lady Macbeth speaks cruelly and unladylike when she says, "I have nursed, and know / How tender it is to love the child that milks me: / I would, while he smiles in my face, /...half of the paper...the “stains of blood” reveal that Lady Macbeth has not yet overcome all the facts and cannot mentally remove those thoughts from her head Lady Macbeth's mental instability becomes evident as she is unable to control her emotions, and is rather driven by these to the point of self-inflicted anguish. Subsequently, Lady Macbeth's inability to control her guilt and remorse leads her to commit suicide because she is overwhelmed by these emotions which she cannot get rid of. This is revealed when Malcolm says : “…her demon-like queen, / who, as it is thought, with violent and autonomous hands / took away her life” (5.9.36-38) of guilt in the life of Lady Macbeth, combined with her inability to manage her emotions, leads to her mental state of anguish. Significantly, he kills himself, signaling his utter inability to deal with the legacy of their crimes.

Topic > At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare defines Lady Macbeth as a woman who wants to take on stereotypical traits associated with men, such as acting coldly, manipulatively, and being the dominant partner in her relationship. When Lady Macbeth realizes that her husband is not strong enough to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth tries to prove to herself and her husband that she can take the dominant role in her relationship with Macbeth. This is best shown in one of Lady Macbeth's soliloquies when she says: “... deprive me of sex here, / And fill me from head to toe – full / of the most atrocious cruelty! Make my blood thick; / Close the access and passage to remorse…” (1.5.40-43). In this passage, the words “unsex me” refer to her desire to rid herself of all the qualities that make her a woman, which she believes prevent her from committing acts of violence and cruelty. The word "blood" is used as a symbol of Lady Macbeth's emotions, which she wants to ignore so as not to feel any remorse. This demand to erase all traces of femininity implies that men are more capable of malice than women, which Lady Macbeth uses as a reason to take on masculine traits. Lady Macbeth is also expressed as scheming and dominating in her relationship with Macbeth, all characteristics more commonly attributed to the typical man. Lady Macbeth acts connivingly when she mocks Macbeth's mental and physical strength to carry out the killing of King Duncan, as she says she would commit a crime against her son if asked to do so. Lady Macbeth speaks cruelly and unladylike when she says, "I have nursed, and know / How tender it is to love the child that milks me: / I would, while he smiles in my face, /...half of the paper...the “stains of blood” reveal that Lady Macbeth has not yet overcome all the facts and cannot mentally remove those thoughts from her head Lady Macbeth's mental instability becomes evident as she is unable to control her emotions, and is rather driven by these to the point of self-inflicted anguish. Subsequently, Lady Macbeth's inability to control her guilt and remorse leads her to commit suicide because she is overwhelmed by these emotions which she cannot get rid of. This is revealed when Malcolm says : “…her demon-like queen, / who, as it is thought, with violent and autonomous hands / took away her life” (5.9.36-38) of guilt in the life of Lady Macbeth, combined with her inability to manage her emotions, leads to her mental state of anguish. Significantly, he kills himself, signaling his utter inability to deal with the legacy of their crimes.