The grass isn’t always greener on the other side and everything that glitters isn’t gold. Lady Macbeth, from Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, learns this the hard way. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth has a conversation with her husband, Macbeth, about killing King Duncan. Throughout the planning and execution of Duncan, Lady Macbeth is the confident one, convincing her husband to commit murder, and constantly reassuring him that there’s nothing to worry about. As the play continues after the murder, Lady Macbeth is still the confident one; even as her husband starts to lose his mind, she remains calm. When Act V, hits though, Lady Macbeth feels the consequence to her actions. She begins to head into a downwards spiral that she …show more content…
She’s introduced while reading a letter from her husband. The letter says that he received prophecies from witches that he will be the Thane of Cawdor, and eventually King. Proud of her husband but wanting to see him fulfill it all, Lady Macbeth becomes determined to get Macbeth Kingship. She and Macbeth concoct a plan to kill the King and frame the guards for the murder. Macbeth is reluctant to the plan at first fearing that he’ll be throwing his life away, constantly looking at the negatives in the situation until Lady Macbeth says, “Only look up clear, to alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me” (I.V.84-86). Lady Macbeth is telling her husband to not dwell on what could go wrong. Only look at the positives, and with her immense confidence tells her husband to leave all the worrying and any negatives for her because she thinks she can handle that. Lady Macbeth says she has enough strength and confidence for the both of …show more content…
She starts out being observed by a doctor and a gentlewoman. Lady Macbeth enters the scene talking out loud to herself in her sleep revealing her underlying guilt. She starts going down a downwards spiral that she can’t escape from; seeing blood on her hands from the death of Duncan. She tries to wash the blood off, but it won’t go away. Even though she’s in such a bad mental state she still thinks that she and Macbeth are untouchable saying: “A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?” (V.I.40-42). She thinks that just because Macbeth is in power, everything they do will be covered up, and they’ll suffer no consequences. Later in the scene, she starts to feel the effects of her guilt. While attempting to wash the blood off of her hands she says: “ Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (V.I.54-55). No matter what she tries to erase what she’s done nothing will work. Lady Macbeth has gone down a path she’ll never be able to recover from, letting her guilt and regret get the best of
In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare has a strong theme of power. Macbeth is a king who is given three predictions from three witches, one of which is that he will become king. The one problem is he doesn’t know what he has to do in order to become king. His wife then decides that in order for him to become king, he must kill the current king. This one murder then leads to others in order to cover the original murder up. Once Macbeth becomes king, he doesn’t want anything to change, he wants to stay king until he dies. He then begins to kill again, but instead of killing to cover something, he is killing anyone who stands in his way of staying king. Macbeth’s fate is affected by the personality trait of bravery, his ability to be manipulated, and his determination.
“Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues /Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation of his taking-off; (1.7.16-20)” The powerful values of being a good king in Macbeth, all the king's learn to manage throughout the book. William Shakespeare's ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play Macbeth, and shows that a king should be chosen by a divine right. Throughout the play Macbeth the most important topic is kingship. Followed by knowing the difference of kingship and tyranny. Shakespeare closed it out with cruelty and masculinity along with staying true to principles.
Macbeth’s character gradually changes from an assured man to an uncertain one who was easily manipulated by his ambitions. When Macbeth receives his prophecy from the witches we can immediately identify his impulsiveness to want more , “Speak, I charge you!” (I.iii. 79). The quote portrays a confused Macbeth who wanted answers to what could have been his future. He was easily manipulated by the thought of power to ask more of the false prophecy. Throughout the play we can observe Macbeth constantly letting the witches prophecy linger in his mind. The witches weren’t the only one to manipulate Macbeth to their likings lady Macbeth was also guilty. Lady Macbeth’s simple words, “Are you a man?” (III.iv. 62) manipulated Macbeth’s thoughts to change
After the slaughter of his former comrade, Macbeth explains to his wife, “Strange things I have in head that will to hand/Which must be acted ere they may be scanned” (3.4.137-140). This assertion from Macbeth paves the path for his future misdeeds. Lady Macbeth is concerned by her husband’s announcement and responds with, “You lack the season of all natures, sleep” (3.4.141). Lady Macbeth believes that her husband has lost his sanity. She no longer supports Macbeth’s murderous plans, and resents his new impulsivity. Following this conversation, Macbeth continues to kill harmless people, such as Macduff’s wife and children. He implies that he will no longer think about his actions before completing them, which is a deranged approach to life. The change in Macbeth’s behavior reshapes Lady Macbeth’s personality. She realizes that “what’s done cannot be undone” (5.1.57). Lady Macbeth now recognizes the lasting impact of the murders on herself and her husband. Initially Lady Macbeth approves Duncan’s murder, as it leads to her queenship. Her sadism and zeal for power declines after Macbeth’s killing spree. Lady Macbeth’s newfound heart is the outcome of her husband’s wicked
What is identity? How are different parts of our identities connected to each other? How much control do humans really have over their identities? Shakespeare’s Macbeth describes identity as a person’s actions, status, knowledge, thoughts, feelings, motivations, fate, how he or she sees himself or herself, and how others see him or her. Set in 16th-century Scotland, the play tells the story of the nobleman Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is first portrayed as a war hero who, upon returning home, receives his prophecy from the witches. He learns that he will be the king of Scotland, but the only way this is possible is if he murders the king who was ruling at the time, Duncan. After Macbeth and Lady Macbeth commit this murder, guilt
A lot like Macbeth, the character Banquo was also a highly skilled soldier, and very much trusted by their king, even though Macbeth respects Banquo’s bravery he also fears his wisdom. While Macbeth is quick to action and has little to no time for thought Banquo chooses not to turn his thoughts into action, Banquo is however a lot more cautious as shown when he and Macbeth met the three witches. Banquo actually considers the reasons for what the witches are offering and later realizes they are telling him his future and thinks that the witches are attempting to make him greedy for power. Macbeth however reacts oppositely. Banquo actually considers the reasons for what the witches are offering and rather than thinking about the outcomes of his
Throughout the play of Macbeth,it is shown how different female characters manipulate their spouse,or other male characters. Some of the men in this play are met with the struggle to kill, or not to kill. To have your manhood or to not have it at all. How will Macbeth handle falling under the embarrassment of his Lady,and what will he do? In Macbeth, Shakespeare displays how women manipulate men.
In the story Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare every character in the story seems to have their own pre-determined destiny. Macbeth being the focus, could be seen as a “tragedy of fate or character” in many different ways. But, Shakespeare has a way or writing and portraying the emotions in a character by his style. For Macbeth, He is a bigger tragedy/Vitim of Character rather than fate.
During Duncan’s murder, she consciously suppresses her femininity, only to have it crop up in her sleepwalking. Right after Macbeth reemerges from the bedroom after killing Duncan, he talked about regretting his actions, and feeling as if he couldn’t right the wrongs he did. He even says that, “This my hand will rather/The multitudinous seas incarnadine,” (II.ii.79-80). Macbeth is saying that his hand couldn’t be washed clean with all of the oceans, and if he tried, he would stain them red with blood. Clearly, he feels guilty about killing Duncan and believes that he will never do enough penance for it. His hand is a metaphor for his soul, and the seas represent small good deeds. No matter what he does, his soul will never be clean again. Lady Macbeth belittles his worries, seeming unbothered by the fact that she helped kill the king. Right after Macbeth finishes his tirade on his sins, she insists that, “A little water clear us of this deed.”(II.ii.86). Lady Macbeth appears to think that the murder wasn’t something to feel guilty about, and even if it was, a few good deeds would fix the mark of their souls. However, in her sleepwalking episode, her true feelings appear. She mindlessly rubs her hands and cries in her haze, “Here’s the smell of blood still. All/ the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little /hand.”(V.i.53-55). When she isn’t alert
When she learns Macbeth has been given a fortune of been given thane of cawdor then king and half the prophecy has become true, she knows if Macbeth is king she will be queen. She is willing to do anything to get it. On the night that Macbeth and lady macbeth have planned to kill Duncan. Macbeth is having second thoughts but Lady Macbeth is not letting him back down by saying he is a coward and she would do it if she was in his place by saying ”When you durst do it, then you are a man. And to be more than what you were you would be so much more than a man”. Macbeth is a hearty warrior and feels as though he has to prove to Lady Macbeth he is a man and he is not a coward. Therefore due to Lady Macbeths manipulation Macbeth murders Duncan. On Macbeths return Lady Macbeth is happy but Macbeth is Filled with regret Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to forget what happened “ A little water clears us of this deed”. Which is Ironique as At the end of the play Lady Macbeth has been in the anxiety and it has finally eaten away at her and she has gone mad and keeps seeing blood on her hands. “Out damned spot out, I say !” which in turn leads to her own suicide and portrays Lady Macbeth as taking her fate into her own hands in an evil manner, However the guilt from doing the evil task highlighted Lady Macbeth was not as manly as she wanted to be and she still had feelings, showing the audience by her suicide as an act showing she was unable to withstand the guilt of being queen knowing the great evil she had to do to get
After Lady Macbeth reads his letter and Macbeth arrives home, she is excited about becoming queen. She asks Macbeth when King Duncan is to be arriving and tells Macbeth to leave the plan up to her, his only job being that he has to look innocent and hide their true intentions. Macbeth seems to be stunned and nervous, telling his wife that they will talk later when she begins to tell him of her plan. In the seventh scene, at the castle, Macbeth speaks of the intense guilt he is feeling even before he is to kill Duncan; “… this even-handed justice/ Commends the ingredients of our poisoned/ Chalice to our own lips…” (1. 7. 10-12) (Shakespeare), “… He’s here in double trust…” (1. 7. 12) (Shakespeare), “… Besides, this Duncan/ Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been/ So clear in his great office…” (1. 7. 17-19)(Shakespeare) all express Macbeth’s discomfort with murdering Duncan to steal the throne. Not only does he convey these emotions during this monologue, but he does so when Lady Macbeth enters the room, saying “We will proceed no further in this business./ He hath honored me of late, and I have bought/ Golden opinions from all sorts of people…” (1. 7. 32-34) (Shakespeare). To respond to this, Lady Macbeth does what she does best: emasculating her husband. She first articulates her questioning of his manhood after she reads Macbeth’s letter in the first act when she says “Yet do I fear thy nature;/ It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness…” (1. 5. 2-3) (Shakespeare), which contrasts with the heroic description the dying Captain gives of Macbeth in the opening scene. After Macbeth tells his wife that he is calling off the plan to kill King Duncan, she
As Lady Macbeth becomes consumed by fear and guilt, she is slowly losing her sanity. This is a result of her not being able to handle what she has done to Duncan. In one scene, Lady Macbeth is trying to wash out what she sees as being blood on her hands, even though she is sleepwalking, though the doctor and woman in the room dare not blame her for anything, for fear of being accused and executed for treason. At the start, Lady Macbeth was pushing the fearful Macbeth to kill Duncan. Now, late in the play, their roles have reversed, and it is Lady Macbeth who is fearful, not her husband.
Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, is one of the most frightening and powerful female character in the play. Both of them are trying to seek the throne and become king and queen.
Despite however strong-willed someone may think he is, everyone is subject to peer pressure. Peer pressure, especially when coming from a loved one or a family member, can cause people to make decisions that are contrary to their moral compass. Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the actions of the character Lady Macbeth have a direct influence over Macbeth’s decision making, and his varying degrees of trust in her advice lead him to do things that he believes are morally wrong. In the play, Macbeth receives a prophecy from three mysterious witches, revealing to him that he will one day become the king of Scotland. Upon hearing this news, Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, urges him to take immediate action and kill the current king, King Duncan. Although he is initially hesitant, Macbeth gives in under
He no longer is the innocent soldier he once way, he now has “unclean hands”. Lady Macbeth however, assumes his innocence. She claims she cannot murder Duncan herself because Duncan looks to much like her sleeping father. She is all words and no actions. Macbeth is devoid of any human emotions as the play goes on, and Lady Macbeth assumes the emotional role. Lady Macbeth begins to have dreams in which she cannot get the blood off her hands, and ultimately commits suicide from guilt of her actions. This breakdown of Lady Macbeth really highlights how inhuman the murder of Duncan has made Macbeth.