When I think of Lady Macbeth, what comes to mind is beguiling, powerful, ambitious, manipulative... basically the opposite of what was expected of women during the time Macbeth was written. She is basically #goals
Based on shows/movies that I have watched (except How to Build a Better Boy) I would most likely recommend these to Lady Macbeth. Orrrr some teen angst version of Lady Macbeth. Angsty Teen Girl Macbeth.
Revenge:
Synopsis: Crazy girl assumes a false identity to get revenge on the people that destroyed her father's life. She knows kung fu and has a tech savvy best friend to help her along the way. In order to get closer to the family she is trying to take down, she gets in a serious relationship with their son Daniel. The plot thickens as secrets get out and more people become involved in Emily's life.
Why: Lady Macbeth is not so hell bent on revenge but she does share crazy ambition with the main character, Emily Thorne. In Revenge, Emily Thorne, whose real name is Amanda Clarke, assumes this fake identity to get in with the high class society in order to get close to the people responsible for her father's downfall. It's similar to how Lady Macbeth made Duncan feel at home and all nice and cozy while she was really plotting to kill him. Things got hairy in the show and I stopped watching after the first season, so sorry Lady Macbeth that's all I can say. It definitely shows “Fair is foul and foul is fair” because Emily acts as if she truly wants to be part of that society and even goes as far as dating the son of the people she is targetting. The only way she can get her revenge is to get close to them and get them when they're not expecting it.
Mean Girls:
Synopsis: Naive newbie Cady Heron has been homeschooled in Africa her whole life and has never known what high school is actually like. When she moves to a new town and enrolls in high school she meets "The Plastics", a group of rich, popular girls comprised of Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith. She starts to hang out with them while secretly plotting to ruin them with the help of two outcasts she befriended, Janis and Damien. Slowly she becomes more and more like them when she develops a crush on Aaron Samuels, Regina George's ex bf.
Why: I definitely see why Cady turned into a Plastic -- the glamour, the parties, the boys. Janet and Damien in this case are Lady Macbeth-ing Cady by telling her that she could finally destroy The Plastics if she just sabotaged them while hanging out with them. Cady, like Macbeth, instead of just stopping with the sabotage she becomes the new popular girl. Regina George wants her throne back so to get revenge she says that Cady made the burn book. (SOOOO Mean Girls is not a waste of time, it is totally worth the watch and prepared me well for high school.) The theme of Ambition is shown through Cady's attempts at becoming the new Queen Bee and going for Aaron Samuels.
Gossip Girl:
Synopsis: The show follows a group of rich and over-priviledged Upper East Siders whose life and gossip is chronicled by an anonymous blogger by the name of Gossip Girl. There are turbulent romances and plenty of drama to go around. There are no boundaries for these teenagers and the problems that they run into seem ridiculous as well as far fetched. In this world, the kids act like adults and adults act like kids.
Why: It's the scheming that makes me think Lady Macbeth would watch this. Blair Waldorf is the head schemer in this show but everyone at some point comes up with a plan to get what they want. It's so ridiculous that it's addictive. It may tie in with Prophecies a little bit because all of these rich kids have their futures planned out for them so they do whatever they want to, and go overboard with it, in order to fulfill their roles.
How to Get Away with Murder:
Synopsis: HTGAWM follows a group of ambitious law students and their criminal defense professor through a murder case and soon it is apparent that things are more complicated than they seem. As the case that they are working on becomes unraveled, more secrets unfold and more people die in order to keep the secrets untold.
Why: The murder case gets more complicated with each episode just like every scene does in Macbeth. People keep dying. But I think Lady Macbeth would relate to this because it's all about deception and coercion. Without spoiling too much I'll say that there are multiple deaths that were not accidents... To protect the people they love, the characters go to the extremes. It's fun watching each person squirm and attempt to deal with their guilt.
Reign:
Synopsis: Mary Queen of Scots comes to France to marry King Francis and learn the ropes to rule the court. It follows her and her ladies-in-waiting through their journey to navigate a world full of sexual intrigue, dark forces, and fierce foes. There are challenges when it comes to power and keeping it, as Mary learns while she battles those who oppose her.
Why: Reading Macbeth reminded me of this show a lot. The schemes that Mary and Francis come up with involve deception, killing people, keeping secrets, the usual historical drama shebang. The first season had supernatural forces and prophecies regarding King Francis' death as well as a situation with Queen Catherine's illegitimate child that roamed the hidden passageways of the castle. Needless to say, many people died in order to prevent the prophecies from coming true.
BONUS: How to Build a Better Boy basically what Lady Macbeth attempted to do to Macbeth. I don't see her watching Disney movies but this would be a great start.
