Explain how the marriage of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be viewed as a study of power.

That's an interesting writing prompt. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both powerful people. He is a thane, and she is the wife of a thane. By definition, they are wealthy and powerful people. They have a big home/castle with plenty of servants, and they have a close relationship with the king. By all accounts, they are a powerful couple; however, it is interesting to question which person is more powerful. Is Macbeth or Lady Macbeth the more powerful person in the relationship? I think it could be argued either way with great support, but I would lean more toward Lady Macbeth being the more powerful member of the marriage. Strong supporting evidence can be found in Act I, Scene 7. This is the scene where Macbeth comes in and tells Lady Macbeth to forget the entire murder plan. He can't go through with it.

We will proceed no further in this business.
He hath honored me of late, and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,
Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

Lady Macbeth is appalled at her husband and begins to browbeat her husband. She's full of insults and graphic language that calls into question Macbeth's manhood.


When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both.



She will not take "no" for an answer. She demands that Macbeth do as they had planned, and he caves.


I am settled, and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.



Lady Macbeth stated earlier that she worried about Macbeth's ability to do what needed to be done, so it's likely that Lady Macbeth has used this kind of tactical insulting before to get her way. If we are analyzing their marriage and figuring out where the power is, Lady Macbeth clearly has the lion's share of it.