Powerful Women In Shakespeare's Literature

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Macbeth's wife is one of the most powerful female characters in literature. She contrast traits with almost all the female characters in Shakespeare's writings. Women in all Shakespeare's writings are always depicted as obedients, supportive, motherly and gracious. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth continuously show how unconventional and odd she is comparing to all the women in Shakespeare's other writings. Unlike her husband, she lacks all humanity. For instance, Lady Macbeth persistently criticizes her husband for his cowardness and lack of courage. When Macbeth lost his courage of killing the king, she said: “ Was the hope drunk, wherein you dressed yourself”(1.7.39-41). Lady Macbeth started to question Macbeth’s manhood by claiming that Macbeth’s hopes of becoming king are now …show more content…
Moreover, Lady Macbeth said: “I have given suck, and know how tender tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this”(1.7.62-67). In this quote, Lady Macbeth takes breastfeeding, which is one of the fundamental biological traits of women and moms, and makes it monstrous. She stated that she would rather kill her kid then breaking the promise that she made of killing Duncan. Her lack of pity would extend to murdering her own child while it’s feeding. With this example, she confirms that the milk of human kindness is absent in her and present in her husband. Unlike all women at Shakespeare's time who used to dedicate themselves to their babies, taking care of them with all the love in the world, she prefers to kill her own kid than breaking a promise. Lastly, Lady Macbeth said: “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst

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