"From the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty"

     "Come you spirits
      That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
       And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full
       of direst cruelty". (Lady Macbeth)

    In these lines, Lady Macbeth states her wishes of being more like men in her time. In that period, women were expected to have genteel, nurturing, loving, and soft spoken characteristics. Yet Lady Macbeth seems to be wishing for the exact opposite. She wants cruelty and toughness to replace her womanly qualities, so that IF she must kill the king herself, she would not have to think twice about her actions.
    This shows how ambitious Lady Macbeth was towards achieving this goal of high stature in society. She pushes her husband towards believing that they deserve the title of King and Queen, and that he should man up and do the deeds necessary of receiving such titles.
     Lady Macbeth's story somewhat reminds me of the story of Adam and Eve. As it is known, it was Eve who convinced Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, therefore getting them both cast out of Paradise. In Shakespeare's play, it is yet again the woman who tempts the man towards evil. 
    I also believe that, in a less murderous way, women today own some of the qualities Lady Macbeth might have asked for. Women are more empowered to take a leading role in the community (business leaders, politics, etc.) and are more outspoken. Also, it isn't uncommon to find women with more masculine attributes such as strength (of both body and will). Not only so, but an increasing number of so called 'ladies' have been committing harsh crimes, something that Lady Macbeth herself was hoping to do. (Maybe Lady Macbeth would have fit in today's society quite well....)