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Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Part 2: Characters and Questions

New Books in Literary Studies

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Lady Macbeth and Duncan's Murder

Some critics interpret the power dynamic in this relationship as very unequal, with Lady Macbeth bullying and shaming her husband into terrible crimes he didn't really want to commit. When the couple discuss Duncan's murder, it looks as though Lady macbeth is the one embracing the idea, and Macbeth is only raising objections. She may be sensing what her husband is thinking and not saying, and encouraging those unspoken thoughts in exactly the way Macbeth wants them encouraged. And, after all, it is ultimately Macbeth's greatness that she supports.

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