In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the character of Lady Macbeth’s complexity lies with her rejection of femininity, and different adaptations skew the meaning of the original text. The gender roles we associate men and women with almost completely reverse in the play. Macbeth is seemingly stripped of his individuality and masculinity, as Lady Macbeth pulls the strings behind the scene like a sick puppet master. She adopts the role of the mastermind behind all of Macbeth’s schemes, giving her a powerful, “masculine” image. Now, as empowering as this may seem, in retrospect, it is actually quite the opposite. The original play, as well as different renditions of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, portray unconventional gender roles in the form of Lady Macbeth.
From a conservative standpoint, it is common to associate power with masculinity, seeing how traditional gender roles affect our view of society. Despite the time period it was written, the story of Macbeth deviates from the norm. Instead of Macbeth himself having these gruesome, masculine features, he is under the control of his wife. She places violent thoughts into his mind, reminding him of the opportunities he has if he pulls the trigger on King Duncan. “Unsex me here / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty!” (1.5.48-50). In this quote, Lady Macbeth demands to be “unsexed”, wanting to be stripped of the features that make her a woman. In this case, because of the time period, being “feminine” would be associated with weakness. She rejects the womanlike features she was born with to pursue something more “masculine”,in this case, the murder of the king. Lady Macbeth rejects traditional female ideals in a conquest for power, which is to be taken gruesomely from King Duncan’s hands. This dialogue portrays her disconnect from her womanlike features, emphasizing the uniqueness of her character. She channels her ambition through Macbeth, who performs the action of murdering him.
Diving deeper into this analysis, there are a few different ways the reader’s interpretation can change the meaning of Shakespeare’s writing. From a certain standpoint, Lady Macbeth’s control over a powerful male figure, like Macbeth himself, could be seen as a means to empowerment. Glancing at the story of Macbeth from a feminist standpoint is possible, however not feasible given Lady Macbeth’s actual role in the story. She serves importance in the beginning of the play, as she helps orchestrate the murder of King Duncan. Her impact on the story diminishes as Macbeth takes back power, not bothering to listen to her pleas. “As we shall see, Macbeth, by wielding the fatal dagger, attempts to assert his masculinity—as his wife defines it—and from that moment on, he totally dominates his now passive, “feminine” mate.” (Greene 158). Lady Macbeth pushed her husband to orchestrate the king’s murder, implying that his compassion was a form of weakness. Weakness, in this case, can be attributed to his “femininity”, which he addresses, then loses. Femininity, in the context of Macbeth, can be associated heavily with the idea of humanity. In contrast, masculinity is associated with brutality, and in this case, murder. Lady Macbeth scrubbed her bloody hands in hopes that she could erase the trauma of King Duncan’s murder, even though it lived fresh in her mind. This moment serves as the turning point for her, as it marks the start of her gradual decline into insanity.
The portrayal of Lady Macbeth differs throughout many different adaptations, which changes her impact on the story. An extremely notable adaptation that shifts Shakespeare’s writing to a darker, more melancholic tone is Orson Welles’ Macbeth (1948). Being an older, black & white film, the dark nature of the story is amplified. There are differences within the script, as much of the play is cut. Putting emphasis on the supernatural aspects of Macbeth, Orson Welles turns the original story into something more. In the film, Lady Macbeth starts off as being cold and ambitious, making it clear how she is going to shape the outcome of the story. In the original text, her attitude is similar, but her fall to insanity is more gradual. Orson Welles’ film almost strips Lady Macbeth of her complexity, making her static, yet still upholding her villainous attributes. The projection of her voice is similar to that of the three witches, almost making it seem like she is an extension of them. Her dialogue is delivered in a way that is almost ghostly, like she is under heavy influence of the supernatural. When Lady Macbeth delivers her famous “unsex me here” line, instead of sounding like a plea for strength, it is delivered in a chant-like fashion. This emphasizes the idea that Lady Macbeth in Orson Welles’ adaptation of Macbeth harbors a more witch-like, supernatural essence. This differs from the original Shakespearean text, creating an interesting stylistic choice in the film.
Another interpretation of Lady Macbeth within the same Orson Welles’ film expands on the symbolism of femininity. As stated previously, the complexities of Lady Macbeth seem to diminish in this film. She is portrayed solely as a ruthless villain, lacking substance in other areas. An opinion such as this one is subject to change, as there is no one way to interpret a film. Orson Welles’ stylistic choices can help to forge a separate message, one that can change the characterization of Lady Macbeth. In the original play, Lady Macbeth is introduced to the audience for the first time, as she is reading the letter addressed to her. Within its contents are the highlights of her husband’s meeting with the three witches. This scene in Act 1, Scene 5 of Macbeth marks the beginning of Lady Macbeth’s hunger for power. In the same part, she delivers her famous “unsex me here” speech. This moment, however, has a different delivery in the 1948 Macbeth film. The camera is on Macbeth himself, as he recollects the previous encounter with the three witches. The film then fades to Lady Macbeth, reading the letter he sent to her. The direct fade from Macbeth to Lady Macbeth is an interesting choice by Welles. It is possible that this editing choice has a deeper meaning. Macbeth, a strong man going through an internal conflict, dissolves into his wife, a traditional, feminine figure. “In other words, through this dissolve, Lady Macbeth is seen as less of a pernicious external influence on her husband and becomes, instead, her husband’s mental representation of femininity.” (Deleyto 37). This interpretation is interesting, as it creates a different way of viewing the story. Lady Macbeth being the personification of Macbeth’s weakness, or in other words, the features in him that can be seen as feminine. Not only does this create complexities in Lady Macbeth’s character, but it also reflects on Macbeth himself. This stylistic choice made by Welles’ creates the analogy that Lady Macbeth is a representation of the traits Macbeth is ashamed of in himself. In order to harness their full power and potential, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had to reject their softer features, to be replaced by raw, gruesome ambition. Orson Welles’ Macbeth adaptation expands on the idea that being feminine is weakness, tying back to Lady Macbeth’s motivations for refusing to conform to societal standards.
Looking at a more recent adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Justin Kurzel’s 2015 film Macbeth forges a different version of Lady Macbeth. What’s most interesting about Kurzel’s presentation of Lady Macbeth is that he expands on a dialogue that is oftentimes brushed over. In the original Shakespearean text, the Macbeths were childless. However, it is implied that Lady Macbeth once had a child, as she delivers these lines in Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth.
I have given suck, and know
How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me.
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums
And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this. (1.7.62-67).
Before this delivery of dialogue, Lady Macbeth is berating her husband on his lack of masculinity, making him aware of his own weakness. She then leads into talking about how she once nursed a child, implying that she is connected with motherhood and femininity. Interestingly, Justin Kurzel decided to expand on this idea, and make Lady Macbeth’s dead son a focal point of the story. In the scene where Lady Macduff and her children meet their gruesome fate, Lady Macbeth’s face is filled with pure horror. She watches as her husband’s rivalry ripped an entire family apart. “The assembled crowd of adults and children is once again draped in funereal black, and Lady Macbeth’s eyes shine with horror and disbelief as she surveys the family, perhaps also recalling how tender it actually was to love the babe that milked her, or lamenting the other children she will never have.” (Bui 11). Assuming that Lady Macbeth had a child, and suffered losing it, this scene almost snaps her back into reality. She realizes the damage she has done by helping to orchestrate King Duncan’s death, and how that sparked the war between Macbeth and Macduff. Interestingly, this film shows that Lady Macbeth’s downfall is heavily influenced by this horrific scene. She loses her ambition in this moment, as she feels connected once more to her feminine roots. Lady Macbeth grieves Macduff’s children and family as she did her own, and this restores humanity to her heart. Justin Kurzel’s 2015 film, Macbeth, highlights a tender, regretful Lady Macbeth, who hasn’t lost all aspects of femininity.
In conclusion, it is interesting to see how different directors portray Lady Macbeth and her connection to the feminine mind. Some choose to create this ruthless, villainous image of her, while others decide to highlight her softer features. Interestingly, all adaptations of Macbeth portray Lady Macbeth differently. Small tweaks with the writing can make large differences on how the film is interpreted. These adaptations of Macbeth all follow this one aspect, Lady Macbeth had the greatest influence and power over the plot.
Works Cited
Deleyto, Celestino. “The Construction of Space and the Monstrous-Feminine in the Welles-Texts.” Critical Survey, vol. 10, no. 2, 1998, p. 17. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41556759. Accessed 3 November 2025.
Greene, James. “Macbeth: Masculinity as Murder.” American Imago, vol. 41, no. 2, 1984, p. 158. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26303589. Accessed 3 November 2025.
Welles, Orson, director. Macbeth. Republic Pictures, 1948. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUBaEFy0z8Q. Accessed 3 November 2025
Kurzel, Justin, director. Macbeth. The Weinstein Company, 2015.
Tichenor, Austin. “Macbeth.” Folger Shakespeare Library, https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/macbeth/. Accessed 9 November 2025.
Bui, Hanh. “Effigies of Childhood in Kurzel’s Macbeth.” Literature/Film Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 1, 2020. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48678768. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Sprockets and Springes 