Lady Macbeth -

: In a society where women were expected to be submissive and nurturing, she demands "direst cruelty".

Lady Macbeth’s quest for power begins with a literal and symbolic rejection of her womanhood. In Act 1, Scene 5, she famously implores spirits to "unsex me here" and replace her "milk for gall". Lady Macbeth

: She asks for her blood to be thickened to block out "compunctious visitings of nature," effectively attempting to surgically remove her conscience to facilitate murder. Manipulation and Agency : In a society where women were expected

The Paradox of Power: Lady Macbeth’s Subversion and Self-Destruction Introduction Lady Macbeth