The Power Struggle in Macbeth In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the focus on the character of Lady Macbeth helps convey the play's theme of conflict created by the struggle for the power and control that is present throughout the work. Shakespeare presents her character in great detail and shows her as a dominant, authoritative woman who thrives on the power she holds over her husband. It then shows the main character, Macbeth, rising up and joining his wife in a power struggle. It is the actions that Macbeth takes in an attempt to gain ultimate authority that lead to his downfall, and it is Lady Macbeth's loss of control over her husband as he gains this independence that causes his weakening and ultimately leads to his death as well. The struggle for power and control in Macbeth is present from the beginning, as Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a ruthless and domineering woman who dominates her husband and his actions. She makes Macbeth's decisions for him without giving him any say in his actions and orders her husband to do what he thinks is best for him. It is Lady Macbeth who comes up with the plan to kill King Duncan, because she knows that Macbeth would never commit such an act on his own without her incitement. He develops the plan and arranges the details expecting Macbeth to simply follow his orders. This becomes evident when she tells him, “Just look up” (1.5.70) and “leave the rest to me” (1.5.72). She intends to keep him under her control by making decisions for him and not allowing him to think for himself. Lady Macbeth is able to gain such power over her husband by continually insulting his manhood and boasting about her... middle of paper ...and is an authority figure who thrives on her ability to govern her husband's life, and watching Macbeth gain independence at her expense eats her up inside and makes her lose her sanity. She sees the tables of power being turned and begins to see herself in the position previously held by her husband, that of a weak and submissive individual. He cannot afford to live his life that way and, as is explained in the last speech of the play, "...the diabolical queen [of Macbeth], / who, as is thought, by her own violent hand / life is taken." (5.8.69-71). Lady Macbeth saw death as the only way to escape a life of passivity and weakness that she believed was inevitable once Macbeth lost control of his actions. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” The complete works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. New York: Longmann, 1997