Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's Relationship (early in the Play)

Lady Macbeth enters the play with a soliloquy, she reads out a letter from her husband. In the letter Macbeth refers to her as 'Partner of greatness' which is highly unusual for the time that this play is set. In those days misogyny was a common part of culture, and a husband and wife were never equal. This instantly gives an impression that Lady Macbeth is a strong woman who perhaps controls Macbeth instead of the other way round.

After Lady Macbeth finishes reading the letter she does not express any sentimental feelings towards Macbeth, instead she attacks him. 'thou art too full o'th'milk of human kindness' she knows that Macbeth is too nice to do anything about becoming king. Perhaps she knows this from previous experience of manipulating him.

The attack on her husband continues as she states 'Thou art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it'. This quote makes Macbeth out to be rather cowardly, yet in a previous scene we were told about Macbeth's undying bravery. The quote also means that Macbeth is ambitious but does not have the cunning to make any of his wishes come true.

We only have a small portion of the play above and already you can tell the kind of relationship that they share, it is one sided and Lady Macbeth clearly influences her husband.

Next Lady Macbeth says that she is going to "pour mine spirits into thine ear." She knows that Macbeth would never kill the king voluntarily so she must indoctrinate him to think the way she does. It has parallels to one of Shakespeare's other plays, Hamlet. Except in Hamlet real poison in poured into Hamlet's father's ear, this time it is more metaphorical, yet still relevant. Lady Macbeth must corrupt her husband if he is going to become king.

Then we hear Lady Macbeth asking to be "unsexed" and "filled from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty" Lady Macbeth doesn't want to be a woman anymore, she knows that because she is a woman she will get nowhere without her husband, she is fully aware of sexism that surrounds her, and doesn't want to be a part of it anymore.

When Macbeth returns we see what the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is really like, when they are face to face. Lady Macbeth greets Macbeth using his titles, Glamis and Cawdor, however this seems rather cold and you would normally expect her to be