Shakespeare's WomenShakespeare's tragedies have been assiduously studied by scholars and theatergoers for centuries. A fundamental aspect that adds to the high level of praise given to his plays is the role of the woman. Although the main protagonists in Shakespeare's plays were men, the female characters held dominant supporting roles. For Shakespeare, the women's roles served to generally control the actions of the play while the male protagonists were subject to their wild swings of emotion and grandiose displays of love. These dramatic and sometimes complicit displays of emotion were often expressed through long soliloquies which further added to the depth of the female character. The role of women in Shakespeare's tragedies still proves enigmatic, even to the most expert scholar; there, the motivations and actions provide the necessary rising actions and prove essential to the plot. Shakespeare's judicious use of the attribution of the ability to evoke powerful emotions in their male counterparts truly speaks to the high level of complexity and feminine prowess that characterizes the women of Shakespeare's tragedies. In Macbeth, the tragedy that tells the story of a noble general who became king, the main character is repeatedly influenced by his wife Lady Macbeth; who has more ambition to become a powerful ruler than her husband. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, is a highly decorated warrior who bravely fights for his king, Duncan of Scotland. Macbeth is a vassal of his lord and Duncan is willing to reward Macbeth generously for his victories on the battlefield. Once Macbeth defeats the Norwegian army and kills Macdonwald, Duncan plans to promote him to the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is mad... middle of paper ...... and through the rising action it has evolved into a polarity between the spouses due to their combative differences. Shakespeare indicates that her lack of conscience, which at one time was her greatest attribute, slowly disappears as she begins to see visions and sleepwalk due to her guilt. The same elementary act of washing one's hands from the blood that has stained them is no longer capable of making one's hands clean "why these hands will never be clean?" » (5.1.49); which further proves that her conscience is starting to eat away at her. As Macbeth begins to become immune to his conscience, Lady Macbeth grows weary of the evil deeds she has committed. Likewise, when she dies, Macbeth is not overcome by the emotion of his “dearest partner in greatness” (1.5.13). It seems that Macbeth has finally become the man she had tried to shape: cold and impassive..