Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is introduced to us as determined, fearless, cunning, somewhat heartless, ambitious... all uncommon things to be portrayed in a women in Shakespeare's time. It is Lady Macbeth, not Macbeth himself, that is adamant about their murdering of King Duncan. Where Macbeth is wary of killing the king and would much rather it happen on its own, Lady Macbeth takes matters into her own bloody hands and makes sure Duncan is killed properly and without any possibility for anyone to be suspicious of her husband or herself. Lady Macbeth, until later, keeps a strong head and seems to be unfazed by her murderous, deceitful acts.  In her soliloquy, she exclaims, "And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!", urging herself to leave all morals and kindness behind in order to get what she wants. She asks to be filled with cruelty, whereas Macbeth is still basically psyching himself out about wronging his king. Lady Macbeth takes charge, unlike what most women were known to do at the time.