Lady Macduff's Ambition Of Women In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

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Gender was an important divider between people in Shakespearean times. Men and women were conformed to a specific ideal and it was not normal to act differently that these ideals. Women had lower expectations than men in that women were not expected to be as determined, decisive, or independent as their male counterparts. In Macbeth, Shakespeare creates unconventional division between his women and men by allowing women to overcome their stereotype of weakness and having men evade their stereotype of strength.

In act 1 scene 7, the ambition that Lady Macbeth possesses enables her to surmount the typical female categorization of weakness. After Macbeth had told Lady Macbeth that he did not have the desire to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth challenges him through telling him that she would have enough ambition and motivation to follow through with her promise. She confronts her husband about his decision with bravery and courage while she also declares that she has more ambition than him. Men usually made strong decisions and were not confronted by women about them, implying that men have more ambition to follow through with their decisions.

Lady Macduff wonders why Macduff, her husband has left her without a reason. She knows she has not done any “harm”, but unlike traditional women of the time, she can not assume that. She probably has some idea that there have been many killings after Duncan died. Rather than presume that nothing will happen to her, she acknowledges that she can not “put up that womanly defense.” She does not need to rely on the protection of her husband as she can independently see that she has to take care of herself. She does not succumb to weakness when her husband has left her. It is also not as much of a problem as she is much more socially aware than the average women of the