In Shakespeare’s play, Lady Macbeth is revealed as an ambitious woman, overwhelmed with her desire to become a queen. She proves her strong verbal influence on her husband, who does not dare to challenge fate. Shakespeare created a vivid female character, combining a craving for villainy and the inability to survive the crime. Lady Macbeth is walking in her sleep, and her attempts to wash off the blood from her hands, as well as talking aloud are indicative of a clouding of her mind. The queen’s subsequent suicide refer to a human’s strong innate rejection of the crime she committed. Strong, courageous, capable of any act for the sake of power, Lady Macbeth by the end of the tragedy becomes a weak and sickly woman, while her husband, on the contrary, is embittered and angry. Writing a thesis statement on that character proves to be a complex task, as the statement needs to provide a comprehensive insight on Lady Macbeth, her deeds and their consequences.
When conducting a research on Lady Macbeth’s character, it is important to consider the social and historical context of the time period the play refers to. Moreover, one also has to acknowledge the basis on which Shakespeare build Macbeth’s plot: Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland. It would be wise to do additional research on the image of the XVI century woman, and compare the character traits of Lady Macbeth’s to those reflected in the general views accepted in society. For example, Reyes and Kenny (2020) argue that “Lady Macbeth is one of these violent women whose violence defies gender roles, but this violence also simultaneously upholds traditional patriarchal modes of power” (p. 1). Thus, for a comprehensive thesis statement, it is crucial to choose a particular aspect of Lady Macbeth’s character, and make the research revolve around it, reviewing her image in different contexts.
Reference
Reyes, C., & Kenny, A. (2020). Shakespeare’s violent women: A feminist analysis of Lady Macbeth. UC Riverside Undergraduate Research Journal Submit, 14(1). Web.