"Conscience is but a word that cowards use, devised at first to keep the strong in awe (Richard III V, iii, 310-311)." In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth plays the wicked side of her husband. With virtually no conscience, she aids Macbeth by convincing him to commit the horrific deed of killing Duncan. Courage and force of will support Lady Macbeth's character but do not demonstrate, in whole, her main qualities. Determination, intelligence and absolute authority are Lady Macbeth's most important character traits. She is determined to transform Macbeth into the King of Scotland and intelligence helps her aid Macbeth in a beneficial manner. Also, using her absolute authority over Macbeth, she carefully guides him through the painstaking process. Using these traits, Lady Macbeth elevates herself and her husband to a position of high supremacy and. Unfortunately, these traits eventually lead to her tragic down fall.

Determination is a...