In Macbeth, female characters do exert considerable influence on the male characters. The most prominent example is when Lady Macbeth and the witches motivate Macbeth to follow through with his plan of taking the throne.
Although Macbeth himself is chiefly motivated by his unrestrained ambition to take the throne, the witches' prophecy awakens Macbeth's suppressed desire to pursue what is unlawful and wicked. When he realizes that one part of the witches' prophecy has come true, he decides to act:
The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
In addition to the witches' prophecy, Macbeth is also encouraged by Lady Macbeth, his wife, whose eloquence persuades Macbeth to go after what he wants. Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to summon his courage and suppress all doubts and fears that he has in order to succeed in murdering king Duncan.
Lady Macbeth is represented as a manipulative and evil character, atypical of women that lived during Shakespeare's time. She is strong-willed and dominant, unlike most women at that time, defined by their deference and obedience. She does manage to make Macbeth fulfill his wish, but the murder of Duncan only marks the beginning of her descent into irrationality and death.
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