Macbeth and His Lady The politically ambitious character of Shakespeare’s Macbeth maintains a distinctive relationship with his wife characterized by subservience. In the Holinshed’s Chronicles’ recounting of the Macbeth history, the wife of Macbeth is scarcely mentioned. The idea of an independent, aspiring Lady Macbeth is purely Shakespeare. In numerous situations involving critical decisions, Macbeth submits to the will of his wife. It has been stated many times that behind every man is an even greater woman who drives her man to succeed. This is one of those cases where a wife’s ambition fuels her husband’s, and leads to the husband’s eventual downfall. In