“Macbeth”- A revered play written in the 16th century by the famous playwright: William Shakespeare. The theme of “Macbeth” centers on how power and the thirst for it can corrupt a person and drive them to madness. The power-hungry and manipulative Lady Macbeth, with the help of the prophecies of the three malevolent witches, convinces the eponymous Macbeth to kill her king, so that she can be queen. But unfortunately, for her, her plans ultimately don't go well. Both Macbeth's guilty conscience and his wife's madness betray them and ultimately lead to their downfall. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the extent to which Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a truly evil character throughout the play. From the opening scene Shakespeare describes Lady Macbeth as cold and full of evil. In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth is introduced reading a letter from Macbeth. The audience can already see that he has evil plans. “Come hither, that I may pour out my spirit into your ears, and chastise you with the valor of my tongue.” (Act 1 scene 5) This shows that she wants Macbeth to return home so that she can convince him to do the evil deed. Later in the scene, Lady Macbeth is afraid that Macbeth is too weak and too compassionate to be a murderer, so she asks the gods to replace all his goodness and femininity with cold, tormented wickedness. This is clear when he calls the evil spirits: "...Exploit me here, Thicken my blood, Block the access and passage to remorse... Come to my woman's breast, And take my milk as gall.. . ” (Act 1 scene 5)So that she can poison her husband's mind. The audience's first impression of her is that of a ruthless, cold and evil wife sheet... 5 scene 5). Power watered down all her love and kindness. Shakespeare portrayed Lady Macbeth as evil and she was ultimately driven to death by her own guilt because she was ultimately a human being. and not a complete monster. Lady Macbeth is thought to be a truly evil character because of the way Shakespeare portrays her character. Her malevolent influence on Macbeth, his attempt to hide his humanity to help her have more power over her husband, then her trying with all her might to hide her guilt are all examples of the evil she had done. His dark and sinister nature gradually gave way to madness and suicide. The character of Lady Macbeth is proof that power and the thirst for it can lead to madness and a person's ultimate downfall. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1915. Google Books. Network. 3 September. 2015.