Lady Macbeth: The Symbol of Power and Influence in Politics

Lady Macbeth had such a profound influence over her husband that such a comparison is not often seen in literature or in real life. If we search in real life or in the pages of history, we will probably find this type of character in Nur Jahan. Nur Jahan was the wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, and at that time, her influence had grown so much that Jahangir was only a king in name. Before making any decision, Jahangir would consult with Nur Jahan in all matters. As a result, the outcome was not favorable for the Mughal Empire, since many in the court were dissatisfied with her growing influence. Especially, Jahangir’s son Khurram rebelled against his father and later became king under the name Shah Jahan. It is worth mentioning that Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal for his wife Nur Jahan. There is nothing wrong with a wife having influence over her husband, and husbands and wives should listen to each other. But when a queen’s influence over a head of state or king becomes too much, or when a wife has too much influence over her high-ranking military officer husband, it can bring danger. This is what Shakespeare tried to say. There is a saying that a person can become mad for power, and when a person has too much ambition for power, it creates one danger after another. Shakespeare has beautifully portrayed this aspect of human psychology through Lady Macbeth. 

Though Lady Macbeth’s thought of making her husband king was blameworthy to the people of that era, the present age is the age of democracy. So, if any wife thinks that she can make her husband the President or Prime Minister of the country, the path is open to her through elections. If Macbeth were a man of today’s age, Lady Macbeth might have entered politics and tried to win votes for her husband by giving powerful speeches. However, Lady Macbeth might have stood in the election herself instead of trying to gather votes for her husband. In England, we have seen that one of the most powerful and perhaps most popular prime ministers in the past hundred years was Lady Thatcher, or Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher was called the Iron Lady, and we can also call Lady Macbeth the Iron Lady. Through the character of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare may have tried to show this aspect of human nature—that the matter of changing power should be systematic. One person will be king, and he cannot be replaced—this kind of system brings various dangers to a country. In the present age of democracy, we see that elections are held every four or five years, and power changes. The person who is the Prime Minister or President can remain in power if they receive the votes of the majority of the population. If he does not receive the votes of the majority of the population, a new President or Prime Minister is elected. Because of this aspect of democracy, people like Lady Macbeth are not needed in the modern world, at least in Europe and America. However, there are many aspects of Lady Macbeth’s character, and it is expected that future researchers will use it to conduct a comparative analysis between democracy and monarchy.