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The character analysis of Lady Macbeth
The character analysis of Lady Macbeth
Character analysis about lady macbeth
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She viciously rubs the soap on her hands under the burning hot water. Her hands are red, not from the intense scrubbing, but from the blood. No amount of cleansing will ever rid her hands of the blood that she painted on them. In Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth seems to drench herself with vexation, avarice, and blood. Her greed drives her to encourage extreme actions. She motivates her husband to do fiendish business. Later, she must mentally face the consequences of her inhumane behavior. Slowly, she begins to fall apart and pay the price of her corruption. Lady Macbeth’s greed leads her to immorality, which fuels her guilt. Once Lady Macbeth hears about the witches’ prophecies, she is determined to make those a reality. When …show more content…
Hesitation starts to sound as she gets doused more and more into this terror. She discovers that there may be consequence to these actions, she says, “‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.” (III,ii,8-9) This is the first time she realizes that fulfilled greed does not always lead to satisfaction. During the feast, she announces to the table, “You shall offend him and extend his passion”, referring to Macbeth’s rowdy behavior. In the literal sense, Lady Macbeth is telling them the lords to not look at him and make him act out anymore. However, it seems somewhat directed towards Macbeth. Lady Macbeth offends her husband’s masculinity in order to motivate him to do vicious deeds. When she threatens his reputation, Macbeth will always feel the need to prove himself. Here, she has offended him, and goes on to say, “are you a man?”, directly targeting his insecurities. Later, she says “Impostors to true fear, would well become a woman’s story at a winter’s fire”.(III,iv,77-78”) She is telling Macbeth and herself to calm down, because all of these things that they fear can not be real. All of these irrational worries will simply be stories someday, made up and unrealistic. Lady Macbeth’s anxiety is starting to show through, and her attitude is …show more content…
She is fully submerged into her greed and realizes that she is drowning. She says, “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”.(V,i,45) Lady Macbeth is not referring to the literal state of her hands. She is sleep talking and reveals how she is mentally struggling. Like Macbeth in the beginning, she feels the impurity that she has brought upon herself and regrets it. Later in that scene, Lady Macbeth says, “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”.(V,i,53-55) Here, Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, and in her sleep she utters the truth about how she feels, as all of the murders and blood still haunt her dreams. She believes that nothing can undo her cruel deeds. Not even the most sweet, lovely perfume, can make her hand pure again.When her death is announced, it is said, “his fiend-like queen (who, as ‘tis thought) by self and violent hands, Took off her.”(V,viii,82-84) The guilt became too much for Lady Macbeth to handle. When it came time for her to look her greed in the eye and face off with it, she realized that there was no escaping. She was trapped in her shame, and the only way out may have been this suicide, though it is still uncertain whether she really did kill herself. Although it is not confirmed, Lady Macbeth may have been so consumed with this guilt that she could not stand to bare it any longer and may have decided that it is “‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy”, as she had said earlier. Lady Macbeth
The choices people make lead them to where they end up, which may be interpreted as the opposite of fate. However, when some people believe something is meant to be, they are determined not to stray from where they think they should end up, even if it means throwing away their principles and values in the process. Through Shakespeare's Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s original character and values are destroyed because of the influence from the witches' prophecies, Lady Macbeth's greed, and his own hidden ambition.
Out, I say” (Act V, Scene 1). It is very detailed that Lady Macbeth does not even know that she is feeling guilty of the acts that she had committed even though the blood on her hands is the obvious sign of crime.” The queen is dead, my lord” (Act 5, Scene 5). Lady Macbeth is so filled with guilt that she ends her life. “My hands are of your color; but I shame to wear a heart so white” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 65). Lady Macbeth is basically telling her husband to stop bemoaning the crime he has committed. Their hands are, in effect, proof of the commission of a terribly bloody murder as well as a proof of their guilty partnership. “What need
Macbeth: How Money Killed Many of our friends at Wall Street have serious heart problems; some of them even die years before they should because of the stress that is brought on by the money and greed of Wall Street. Money is also evident as a health risk in Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice, both written by William Shakespeare. On Wall Street people are driven by the greed of the people they represent, their own greed, and a general atmosphere of greed. In Macbeth, Macbeth is driven by personal ambition and his wife to become king at any expense, including slaying some of his personal friends and their families. Also, in The Merchant of Venice, Shylock
Lady Macbeth once thought that she would be able to wash herself clean of the horrors she once committed. This is not possible for she is so full of guilt that now her hands are completely covered in blood. Lady Macbeth feels as if she cannot escape the evils of her past, she is trapped in the evils of the present. Lady Macbeth is trapped even in her sleep of the evils she and her husband have committed.
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
She achieved the highest level of political power and was still not content; she is seen suffering the wrath of her convictions and is unable to attain true happiness. When she is no longer able to contain her sanity, Lady Macbeth begins sleepwalking and speaking of her past crimes: “Here 's the smell of the blood still: / all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little / hand.” 5.1.52-54. It can be surmised that the guilt is consuming Lady Macbeth to the point of her longer being able to contain it. Within her dream she is attempting to cleanse her hands of the blood with foreign perfumes, which is symbolic for her attempts to purge herself of the crimes she has remorsefully perpetrated. Near the end of the play, Seyton announces, “The queen, my lord, is dead.” 5.5.16. Lady Macbeth committed suicide in response to her dissolving mental state and her mingled fear of both past and future. She fears that what she has done can never be reversed nor repented, as she stated earlier in the play: “...What’s done, is done.” 3.2.12. However, it can be assumed that she also is in fear of her afterlife and the unsalvageable state of her grief-wracked soul. In conclusion, Lady Macbeth sincerely rued her iniquitous acts and was unable to reach a resolutionary
Lastly, consequences that have been earned from greed such as isolation have pushed Jack and Macbeth away from their society. As Jack declares himself the new chief and leaves Ralphs group because he had lost the leadership vote he moves to his own society, “I’m not going to be apart of Ralphs lot-“(Golding 140). Since Jack did not get what he wanted the greed got to him and he made his own group, which leads him to being pushed away from the society of the boys as a whole. Also, Jack does not worried about being rescued, he makes it seem as if he wants to stay on the island, “you and your blood, Jack Merridew!” (74) This is when the boys yell at Jack for wanting to hunt instead of maintain importance on the island, he is more worried and focused
Macbeth is willing to twist destiny and change the prophecy to protect his ambition, asking about his downfall to try and prevent it. The three witches’ prophecies strengthen Macbeth’s ambition; the first prophecy makes Macbeth realize his ambitions, and the second prophecy displays his willpower to protect that ambition. Being over-ambitious brought about the demises of not only Macbeth, but his family as well as the many people he killed in order to bring about his rise to power. This theme was demonstrated through several motifs, including hallucinations, blood, and prophecies.
The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare illustrates how greed for power and wealth can result in the destruction of oneself as well as others. The play's central character, Macbeth is not happy as a high-ranking thane - leading him to assassinate Duncan to become King, while unknowingly dooming himself. Throughout the play many examples are evident of Macbeth's unquenchable thirst for power.
Macbeth shows how greed and ambition can bring down a person as well as others and how the changes of power occur because of loyalty and betrayal. Macbeth is the play’s main unhappy character. The play tells of Macbeth's greedy thirst for power is a dangerous trait.
Timothy Leary once said, "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition" (Peters 175). But is this true in the case of the classic play Macbeth? In Macbeth it seems to be, that Macbeth the protagonist of the play is influence by Lady Macbeth's ambition. Could this be an exception or was Lady Macbeth lying when she ask to be equal to a man so she could commit the murder (1.5.33.45-61). To understand one must look deeply into the plot and many themes of Macbeth. William Shakespeare uses ambition among other things to imply may different ideas. Thus, Macbeth's downfall is a direct cause of Lady Macbeth's goading and ambition.
...ience become aware of the level of desperation felt by Lady Macbeth and although we do not actually see Lady Macbeth kill herself it is inferred that the guilt overcomes her and she takes her own life. Scholars Michael Magoulias and Marie Lazzari who wrote critically on the works of Shakespeare assert, “In the sleep-walking scene, Lady Macbeth’s unveiling efforts to wash the smell of the blood from her hand symbolizes the indelibility of guilt.” 80.
While speaking to herself, Lady Macbeth contemplates how she will convince Macbeth to agree to kill King Duncan. She urges Macbeth to hurry home so that she can “pour [her] spirits in [his] ear/And chastise with the valor of [her] tongue” (1.5.29-30). Lady Macbeth implies that her speech is honorable and just, and that she will be able to hold persuasive power over Macbeth and use it to their collective advantage in their rise to power. Her confidence in both the high caliber of her words and being able to convince Macbeth to follow through with her plan underscores her cruel ability to lure someone to murder another, as well as her bold resolve to successfully murder Duncan. Later, after a messenger arrives and tells Lady Macbeth that King Duncan will be arriving soon at the castle, she speaks of Duncan’s foreboding future; a “the fatal entrance…under [her] battlements” (Act, Page number, Line). The tone of finality in which Lady Macbeth describes the king’s arrival implies not only that Lady Macbeth already has full confidence that her deadly scheme will succeed,but also in the case that her strategic plan fails, she will persevere to ensure that Duncan does not leave her castle walls alive. Lastly, at the conclusion of her soliloquy, Lady Macbeth claims once she sees Macbeth that she “feel(s) now/The future in the instant” (1.6.64-65).
...)." Macbeth, realizing the significance of the treacherous act, deeply feels the burden of another's blood. He, looking at his bloody hands moments after the murder of Duncan, says, " This is a sorry sight (2.2.18)." Once again, Macbeth's remorse rises to the surface through the image of blood. Lady Macbeth also feels the sadness of regret as she too gazes at her hands. "Here's the smell of the blood still: all the/ perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand (5.1.48-49)." The remorse within Lady Macbeth leads her into a fatal downfall. This burden causes her to have vivid hallucinations of the thick blood that covers her hands. "out, damned spot! Out, I say (5.1.33-34)!" She remembers the blood that engulfs her limbs after the murder of Duncan. The denial and regret that associates with blood controls the hearts of the characters within Macbeth.