Lady Macbeth vs. Queen Elizabeth
In the time period when Macbeth and Speech to the Troops at Tilbury were written, women had no distinct role in a society ruled by men. Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Queen Elizabeth in Speech to the Troops at Tilbury differentiated themselves from the regular, submissive women by veering from their traditional role. Although both Lady Macbeth and Queen Elizabeth demanded our attention with their unbridled ambition, femininity and choice of words, the way they did so was different. With unbridled ambition uncommon for their gender, Lady Macbeth and Queen Elizabeth were viewed as progressive individuals with different views of power. Lady Macbeth was tempted by a prophecy foretold by three witches when her husband Macbeth mentioned it in a letter: “while I stood in rapt in the wonder of it came missives from the King, who all-hailed me “Thane of Cawdor,” by which title, before, these Weird Sisters saluted me and referred me to the coming on of time with “Hail, king that shalt be.” (Act I v. 6-10). A woman’s power came from the amount of power her husband had; knowing that, Lady Macbeth was determined to have Macbeth become king. With that said, persuading Macbeth to commit regicide was the only option. Continuing with the murder of Banquo and Malcolm, we see that Lady Macbeth has never actually done the killing. This presents Lady Macbeth as a shrewd woman who never got her own hands dirty. Queen Elizabeth on the other hand, came to power through “pure” means: inheritance. In the Speech to the Troops at Tilbury, when she said “I am come amongst you, as you can see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all, to lay down for my God, and my kingdom and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust.” (Line 3) she presents herself as a king who is ready to fight at the cost of her own life. Women are infamous for their manipulative skill and Lady Macbeth and Queen