Shakespeare constructs our understanding of Lady Macbeth’s character through the use of metaphors, the tone in which she speaks to Macbeth and the actions which she commits. When Lady Macbeth uses metaphors, she tends to discreetly reveal important information in the plot. For example, on line 61-62, Lady Macbeth says ‘My hands are of your colour; but I shame to wear a heart so white’. This quote means that she is as much to blame for the murder of King Duncan but she is ashamed to act so innocently about the situation. I think that this shows that Lady Macbeth is quite a bold person who is also sly. Furthermore, I believe that Shakespeare presented Lady Macbeth like this because this is not how women in the Jacobean Era were supposed to act. Shakespeare also constructs our understanding of Lady Macbeth’s character by making her question, and at certain times, insult Macbeth. This is an example of the tone in which she interacts with Macbeth. In between line 37-38, Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth to question his actions therefore interrupting  Macbeth.* As previously mentioned, women in the Jacobean Era were not expected to act in this manner. This makes me wonder if Shakespeare intended for Lady Macbeth to act like it did not matter how women were meant to behave or that she was unaware that women were supposed to act sweet, innocent and caring. Lady Macbeth is shown as the more powerful half in the relationship as tends to use more imperative language than Macbeth. Imperative language is used to present a command or an order.This can be seen when when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are speaking to one another and Lady Macbeth says “Give me the daggers”. In that time, women weren’t expected to give orders but to take orders from their husbands and be kind, caring and comforting. However, Lady Macbeth is the complete opposite of the characteristics listed; she is sly, powerful and evil. The audience of the Jacobean Era could have thought that Lady Macbeth had traded her soul to the Devil for magic and power or that she was just a terrible woman and wife. I believe that Shakespeare intended for the audience to believe that Lady Macbeth was a witch as the play was written for King James I, who was known to be intrigued by the ‘supernatural’.

If Lady Macbeth had traded her soul with the Devil, would that mean that she used magic to become the wife of Macbeth to have power? Or maybe Shakespeare’s intention  was to make the audience think about what Lady Macbeth had done to gain power. Another interpretation of this would be that she had been cursed by withes and she would get everything for a certain time and then she could die or get terribly unhealthy.

By making Lady Macbeth seem sly, powerful and evil, Shakespeare makes Lady Macbeth seem as though she has more powerful in the relationship. This can be seen when she uses imperative language to make Macbeth do things for her. However, the power is not only seen in the imperative language but also in line 1 and 2;’That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold, What hath quench’d them hath given me fire’. This is another of he many metaphors which Lady Macbeth says in this scene and I think it means what ‘has made to them drunk has made me stronger and that has satisfied one by drinking has made given me power’. This shows that even Lady Macbeth knows that she has power. Fire and bold shows that Lady Macbeth feels she has the the type of power to control her husband when he is on the throne.

I think that Lady Macbeth is presented as a conniving, powerful and evil character through the manner in which she speaks to people, language devices, her actions and her lust for power in her relationship and for power in the country. To the audience of the Jacobean Era, Lady Macbeth would be seen as an evil character who may have traded her soul with the Devil for power. To the audience of today, I believe Lady Macbeth would come across as a sly, shadowy figure who is trying to gain power though manipulating her husband. Shakespeare may have intended for something else but this is how I think that Shakespeare has constructed our understanding of Lady Macbeth.