Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, depict two ambitious wives pursuing royal power by conforming to their gender stereotypes. First, Queen Gertrude’s ambitions in Hamlet lead her marrying Claudius after the death of King Hamlet. Gertrude selfishly conforms as wife to play Queen, but finds herself consuming in guilt as realizes she is at fault of Hamlet’s madness only forced to protect her son from Claudius. Yet, in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth calls out for unnatural forces to cleanse herself from feminine emotions only to play encouraging wife to manipulate Macbeth to kill the King of Scotland. Like Gertrude, Lady Macbeth only conforms as wife, pushing her to protect her husband after she realizes she is at fault for his madness. In consequence
