Psychoanalytic criticism is a form of literary criticism, which uses some of the techniques of psychoanalysis in the interpretation of literature. The objective of this essay is to use psychoanalytic criticism while analyzing the character of Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. However, before I begin my examination of the character of Lady Macbeth, I believe that the concept of psychoanalytic theory needs an introduction. One of the most widespread psychoanalytic theorists after Freud was Jacques Lacan. Cristina Leon Alfar's essay "'Blood Will Have Blood': Power, Performance, and the Gender Problem of Lady Macbeth" offers a meticulous analysis of Lacan's psychoanalytic theory. Alfar states that the idea of ​​two sexes is based on the fact that the man "possesses" and the woman "is" the phallus. These two differences determine relations between the sexes and the phallus governs masculine/feminine cultural roles. Alfar adds that men have power and she states that: “Male domination and female obedience and passivity become naturalized through this symbolic bifurcation” (183). Therefore, according to Lacanian theory, the phallus for men represents power, authority and desire while for women the phallus signifies lack of power and action (Alfar 182). Another important text to consult when exploring psychoanalytic theory is Lacan’s “The Agency of Action.” Letter in the Unconscious or Reason since Freud. In this text, Lacan created three different categories to explain the transformation from child to adulthood, namely need, demand and desire, and referred to these three psychoanalytic orders as imaginary, symbolic and real stage . Lacan explains that one facet of the symbolic scene consists of the concept of “the Other,” a... middle of paper ... constraints governing women” (79). Additionally, Lady Macbeth's submissive gender role plays a significant role in her failure to kill Duncan, as she views the king as the ultimate symbol of male authority. Works Cited Alfar, Cristina Leon. "'Blood Will Have Blood': Power, Performance, and the Gender Problem of Lady Macbeth." Journal X 2.2 (1998): 179-207. Print.Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 5th ed. 2011. Lacan, Jacques. “The mirror stage as formative of the I function as revealed in psychoanalytic experience.” The critical tradition: classic texts and contemporary trends. Ed. David Richter. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. 1123-1128. Print.Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Boston: DC Heath and Company, 1915. Google Books.Web. September 3. 2014.