Lady Macbeth by Shakespeare: A Tale of Mystery and Intrigue - Essay Example

The lady stands by his side urging him on at every step. Her unbridled lust for power and position is reminiscent of the Lady Livia Augusta in the early days of the Roman Empire. She is the lynchpin of the play and the driving force behind her husband's ambitions; it is she who first suggests regicide. In this essay, it will be the Lady Macbeth examined. The focus will be on how Shakespeare introduces her to an audience. This play is complicated not only in its plot twists, with many characters and action, but also because of its archaic language.

Contemporary theatergoers love the play but they must have some explanations given them in order to totally understand what is being said. Lady Macbeth is a complicated character. She is made of the same steel as Shakespeare's former patroness, the late Queen Elizabeth I, possessing many of the same qualities. Shakespeare chooses to present her as a Scottish noblewoman, avaricious and cunning, plotting the death of her guest and king, spurring her husband on when his resolve falters. We see the play today as surreal, with witches as soothsayers.

Such scenes were perhaps less surreal at the time that it was written but today they are seen more for what they actually are, rhetorical devices to foreshadow the plot and pique the curiosity of the audience. Lady Macbeth, however, is very real. It is she who quickly comes to embody the main themes of the play.