Introducing.......Mrs. Bossy Boots (Act I)

In Act I of William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”, it is obvious to me that Lady Macbeth is the boss in relation to Macbeth, her husband. In scene 5, Macbeth is returning home from battle and sends his wife a letter announcing his homecoming, as if it is requested that he do so. He writes to Lady Macbeth, calling her “my dearest partner of greatness” (A1, s.5, l.10) and “my dearest love”(A1, s.5, l.57). He seems to be already worshipping her from afar. Just before Macbeth arrives home, Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits to “unsex me here” (A1, s.5, l.41) in order to make her more manly. She wishes to take full control of the murder plan saying “you shall put this night’s great business into my dispatch” (A1, s.5, l.66-67) and “Leave all the rest to me”( A1, s.5, l.72). Her meek and mild husband, Macbeth, offers no resistance to Lady Macbeth’s powerful offers. Her idea of murdering Duncan is “understood” by them both.

In scene 6, Lady Macbeth is the one who meets the important guests (Duncan, Malcolm, etc.) arriving at their castle – not Macbeth. It’s almost as though she is also showing everyone else that she is boss. Who is the real master of Inverness castle?

Scene 7 opens with Macbeth having second thoughts about assassinating Duncan and calmly informing Lady Macbeth that “We will proceed no further in this business” (A1,s.7,l.31). Upon hearing this, Lady Macbeth sarcastically calls Macbeth “a coward in thine own esteem” (A1, s.7, l.43), lacking manliness. She gives him a good telling off, saying “When you durst do it, then you were a man…Be so much more the man” (A1, s.7, l.49 and 51). Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that failure is not an option. When he asks her “If we should fail?” (A1, s.7, l.59), her reply is “screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail” (A1, s.7, l.60-61). Lady Macbeth will not take no for an answer, as she obviously “wears the pants” in their household. Macbeth tells her to only bear boy-children as she has “undaunted mettle” (A1, s.7, l.73) – an admission of her “toughness”. Heaven help any daughters they might have – Lady Macbeth would probably eat them all alive!! Lady Macbeth’s plan upon Duncan’s death is to “make our griefs and clamour roar” (A1, s.7, l.78-79) to make it seem as though they are both innocent. Poor Macbeth seems swept away and drowning in Lady Macbeth’s plans for him. He has no choice in the matter but to shut his mouth, hold his breath and hope for the best!

To me, it is a certainty that Lady Macbeth is boss over her husband. He may be brave in battle, but not when up against his wife. In Elizabethan times, it would have been very unusual for women to display such strength and superiority over their husbands. Lady Macbeth seems very much in control, sure of what she wants and good at manipulating those around her in order to achieve her goals. The weak Macbeth is a victim in this situation and can only go along with the aspirations of his wife and boss, Lady Macbeth.