How Is Lady Macbeth Hungry For Power

Although it is not completely fair for members in a society to judge one’s character based on impressions and actions, there are instances where it seems logical to do so. In a similar sense, Lady Macbeth, at first glance, does not seem like someone that brings much to the table. But as time passes by, she reveals her true nature from a seemingly dull individual to a spirited yet menacing character. However, the surprises do not end there because the play also suggests, through her dialogue, that Lady Macbeth is very “hungry for power.” Thus, throughout Act I of “Macbeth” (2010), Goold focuses on showcasing Lady Macbeth’s greedy thirst through the manipulation of her husband, her desire to feel as much emotion as a robot would, and the disclosing of her corrupted morals.

Motivated from his wife’s support, Macbeth decides to go through with the plan to kill Duncan. However, at the last minute, he hesitates and decides to fall through with the murder and to instead, continue serving as a loyal thane to the king. But, when he announces this to his wife, Lady Macbeth drives him into a corner by cunningly asserting “when [he] durst do it, then [he was] a man/And to be more than what [he was], [he] would be so much more the man.” During these times, men were very self conscious about their image and desired not to be seen less than fierce. In this particular instance, Lady Macbeth takes advantage of this fact by questioning Macbeth’s title as a man, which puts him in a predicament between having to choose either loyalty or dignity. He eventually chooses the latter which is what Lady Macbeth subtly expects so that she easily claim the throne without any