Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

"I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me.
I would, while it was smiling in my face, 
Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums
And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this." -Lady Macbeth (Macbeth 1.7.62-67)

Lady Macbeth is the deuteragonist of Shakespeare's Macbeth, serving as the titular Macbeth's pressuring, sociopathic wife. So much does she pressure and influence Macbeth's actions, the very actions that lead to his downfall, that she could also be classified as the main antagonist of the story.

The saying "behind every great man is a great woman" more often than not refers to political figures, such as JFK and his wife Jackie Kennedy. Lady Macbeth provides a dark twist on this idea, as she is undeniably the reason behind Macbeth's rise to power, but not in the traditional method of encouragement and inspiration. Instead, she belittles Macbeth, questioning his manhood and effectively forcing him to take the next step on his journey to 'greatness.' Her relationship with Macbeth is only half of her character, however, as watching Lady Macbeth deal with her feelings of guilt is one of the most enthralling and interesting aspects of Macbeth. One of the most famous scenes in the entire play is her "out damned spot" monologue, in which she is finally overcome by her guilt, and she begins to have a paranoid mental breakdown. The fact that Shakespeare manages to encompass both of these complex arcs and ideas into one character, a character that isn't even the protagonist, is impressive, and goes to show how much a great writer can accomplish within one character.