 Stephanie Chamberlain in her article " Fantasicing " Infanticide : Lady Macbeth and the Murdering Mother in Early Modern England " argues that though Lady Macbeth wants power , her power is “ conditioned on maternity ” , which was a “ conflicted status in early modern England . ” Chamberlain argues that the negative images of Lady Macbeth as a mother figure , such as when she discusses her ability to " bash the brain of the babe that sucks her breast " , reflect controversies concerning the image of motherhood in early modern England . In early modern England , mothers were often accused of hurting the innocent lives that were placed in their hands . Lady Macbeth then personifies all mothers of early modern England who were condemned for Lady Macbeth ’ s fantasy of infanticide . Lady Macbeth ’ s fantasy , Chamberlain argues , is not struggling to be a man , but rather struggling with the condemnation of being a bad mother that was common during that time . 
