Introduction-
Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, during the Elizabethan/Jacobean times. He was writing for theatre during the reigns of 2 monarchs, Queen Elizabeth 1 and king James 1. Macbeth was written after the gun powder plot in 1605
The play Macbeth was set in Scotland. The play was performed in the Globe theatre London. The message conveyed in the play was-
Don't kill the king, don't believe in magic, never trust people who prophecise about fate, fate comes regardless of what you do.
In the Jacobean era, women were treated as chattel. They were not allowed to hold jobs, vote, act, open a bank account, or do anything that might allow them to shine. They were merely seen as a man's possession and their place was seen in the home, cooking, cleaning and looking after the children. They were dominated by their husbands and in return their husbands gave them protection.
They were seen as the 'gentler sex' the 'weaker sex', physically and mentally. They were also expected to be polite, obedient and mild mannered.
However referring to lady Macbeth, she is a stark contrast of what women were expected to be like in the Jacobean times. She dominates Macbeth through the play instead of Macbeth dominating her. This in the Jacobean times would've been absolutely shocking as it would have always been the man dominating the woman, so a woman dominating a man would've been unheard of. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth becomes stronger and Macbeth becomes weaker.
I agree with the way Shakespeare tries to portray lady Macbeth as a hateful character. Throughout the play there are rarely any points where she can be portrayed as a nice person. For most of the play she is trying to manipulate people, especially Macbeth to get what she wants. She even asks evil spirits to unsex her and to remove her softer qualities so she can have the strength to murder Duncan. This in my opinion is a hateful act, that she would do so much