Macbeth was first performed in 1606; three years after James I ascended the throne. At that time Shakespeare was the most popular playwright in England; after being promoted to the status of King's Man in 1603. It could be argued that Macbeth was written by Shakespeare with the intention of impressing his new royal patron: James I was also the Scottish King James VI, consequently Shakespeare wrote "Macbeth " on Scottish History was a tribute to its new monarch. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is proof of this fact; it could be argued that Macbeth's tragedy, the loss of everything he holds dear, was lost due to God's punishment for not obeying the divine right of kings. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at the beginning of the play are a very close couple; their ambition is the driving force of their relationship as they strive to achieve more. Their relationship becomes even closer after Duncan's death. However, after the witches appear and support Macbeth with another prophecy, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth deteriorates as Macbeth becomes more independent. After realizing that he is constantly being manipulated, their relationship becomes weaker leading Macbeth to change from a strong and respected man to a cold, heartless and callous perpetrator while Lady Macbeth changes from strong-willed and controlling to a scared and paranoid child. This can best be seen by investigating Shakespeare's use of structure, language, and form throughout the play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a strong relationship; this is demonstrated by Macbeth's letter containing a word for word account of what he had experienced when he met the witches. Furthermore, in his letter he addresses Lady Macbeth thus: "I have seen fit to set you free, my dear companion of greatness." This shows that Macbeth treats Lady Macbeth as an equal, in his rise to greatness, unlike many previous kings. The word "partner" gives us the connotation of sharing the gains and possible risks and having an equal share of control over their relationship, however later in the play we see Lady Macbeth assert her dominance upsetting the balance of equality. They are both portrayed by Shakespeare as ambitious characters; while Macbeth is content to wait for fate to take its course, Lady Macbeth is not so patient and jumps to the conclusion that they should kill Duncan. Macbeth is petrified of the consequences if they were to be captured. As a result, he does not attempt to take Duncan's life. Consequently, Lady Macbeth gives Macbeth the urge to carry out her orders by resorting to his strongest resource; his manipulative skills. “My hands are your color, but I am ashamed to wear such a white heart.” Essentially, Lady Macbeth criticizes her husband's lack of masculinity. It shows her lack of support towards her husband as white is traditionally a pure color, associated with innocence; these color associations describe Macbeth as an illustration of weakness, dependency, and cowardice. For example, displaying a white flag in war would represent surrender. The concept of remorse is symbolized by the blood on Macbeth's hands, and despite his wife's remonstrances, he believes that his hands and soul will forever be stained by the guilt of Duncan's murder. After killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are united by guilt as they both share a dark secret. They are united as an act of self-preservation, if one of them would get frustrated with each other than one of them might cheat..