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Lady Macbeth: Master Manipulator

Lady Macbeth, like other women of her time, did not hold any titular power or position, so she relied on manipulation and control of her husband to gain power. When Macbeth tries to renege on his promise of killing Duncan, she responds of her unborn baby that she "would, while it was smiling in my face have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this" (1.7 56-59). This quote has a demeaning tone, as she is talking down to Macbeth by insulting his manhood. Lady Macbeth’s explicit word choice of “boneless” and “dashed” give an image that manipulates Macbeth to kill his once good friend, Duncan. Lady Macbeth chose to put the image of killing her own baby, had she promised to do it, in Macbeth’s head because that is one thing that a woman would never do. Lady Macbeth’s use of this extreme imagery shows how incredibly important this murder was for her. She emasculates Macbeth with her words and shows how important his promise is to her. Through this, she manipulates Macbeth in her own self-interest to become more powerful, which shows how Lady Macbeth is not looking out for Macbeth, but for herself.