I have always felt that the relationship between Lord and Lady Macbeth was certainly an interesting one of the time. This is because although Lord Macbeth is certainly doing his manly duties by fighting in bloody wars, Lady Macbeth seems to rule the roost mentally. For example, when the witches suggest the opportunity for Macbeth to foster his "vaulting ambition" by killing King Duncan, Macbeth runs immediately to write his wife to see what she thinks about the whole thing.
Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the King, who all-hailed me "Thane of Cawdor," by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with "Hail, King that shalt be!" This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell. (1.5.6-14)
In other words, the magnanimous decison would not be made withought his wife's thoughts embedded in the mix: very odd for an English male of the time! To take this idea a little bit further, let's consider what happens next. Macbeth waffles in his decision so much and is incredibly unnerved by it (even to the point of hallucinating); therefore, Lady Macbeth takes it upon herself to make the decision for him. The irony here is that the actual decision (to kill Duncan), after carried out, is the death of Lady Macbeth, . . . while Lord Macbeth lives long enough to allow his own "vaulting ambition" to be his tragic downfall.
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