To begin with, Shakespeare exemplifies Lady Macbeth as a calculating lady throughout the play; by being evil, cunning, and masculine. For instance, immediately after reading of the witches’ prophecy, the idea of King Duncan’s murder does not disturb her. Alternatively, she starts scheming the possible assassination of King Duncan, executed by her husband. She imagines “the future in the instant” (1.5 56)--Lady Macbeth does not care how she realizes her ambition; she cleverly persuades Macbeth to commit the murder. While harboring murderous thoughts, Lady Macbeth exhibits false courtesy to Duncan just to secure his trust with the Macbeths.
Nevertheless, in the midst of this male-dominant society Shakespeare portrays women with strengths at least equal to those of men. Shakespeare's views on women clearly define his plays and how, by using the women as some of the most powerful and stage dominating characters, and he shows a remarkable gift for breaking down the barriers that held women captiv... ... middle of paper ... ...ve. Lady Macbeth’s behavior certainly shows that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men. Whether because of the constraints of her society or because she is not fearless enough to kill, Lady Macbeth relies on deception and manipulation rather than violence to achieve her ends. Beyond doubt, three witches, as supernatural characters in “Macbeth”, embody an unreasoning, instinctive evil.
Lady Macbeth becomes very angry and criticizes Macbeth greatly (1.7.48-49). Macbeth backs down to his wife, and agrees to go along with Duncan’s murder (1.7.79-82). The witches are not to blame for Macbeth’s actions. Macbeth is a weak minded person, and does no... ... middle of paper ... ... their prophecy come true very quickly. The apparitions are also prophecies, but they show how Macbeth will die even though he is unaware of this.
Evil In Women and Its Effect on Macbeth "...My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not." (1.3.140-143). Throughout Shakespeare's play, we see that Macbeth is the victim of evil seduction by women. In the above quote the evil is perpetrated by the witches. Lady Macbeth also plays a strong role in his moral corruption.
Namely, this is first exemplified with her involvement in Duncan’s murder. For instance, she tells Macbeth to “leave all the rest to [her]” (1.5.86) when it comes to arranging the murder of the king. Furthermore, she shows her supremacy over Macbeth when she decides to “gild the faces of the grooms withal” (2.2.73) because Macbeth doesn’t have the valour within him to look back at what he has been done. Hence, Macbeth’s substandard attributes when Lady Macbeth is near, allows Shakespeare to provide some formidable reminders regarding the responsibilities of women. Particularly, the obligation to bear children.
She was not possessed; it was all in her head. A powerful speaker is required to convince someone to commit murder, and it seems Lady Macbeth is that and more. Many people will claim she is possessed and that is why she tries to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan, but a closer look at the text will reveal her greed. In Act I scene v Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband announcing his recent promotion (Shakespeare 256). Lady Macbeth immediately is not content with this new found power but jumps right into contemplating murder.
The Character Analysis of the Insane Lady Macbeth Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, observers see Macbeth as a merciless, cold blooded killer. After reading and watching Shakespeare's play people could make the argument that Macbeth is the most ruthless and evil character in the play. Macbeth is not the most ruthless or evil in the play. In reality Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, is in fact the most ruthless and evil character that Shakespeare decided to write about in the play Macbeth. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth's character has changed and she becomes the instigator in the rise and fall of Macbeth's ruling of Scotland.
In the play, Macbeth, the power of a woman is a strong force to be reckoned with. Many times in the play, the female characters have proven their equality with any man. From the witches to Lady Macbeth, these characters show their power either in words or in actions. The women, in the play Macbeth, contradict the roles set by society in 1606. Women who over stepped their boundaries were considered a threat to the people and were punished severely.
Upon the introduction of the Macbeths in the play, it is apparent that they do not exemplify the conventional men and women of Shakespeare’s day (“Elizabethan Women”). In public, Lady Macbeth interprets the role of the typical housewife and hostess, while Macbeth is acknowledged as a brutal and loyal warrior; however, the Macbeths behave in contrary in only each other’s company. Lady Macbeth blatantly classifies herself as the dominant partner in the relationship on numerous occasions. For instance, we can clearly realize that when Mac... ... middle of paper ... ...ong to the magnitude that she was able to speak her mind and indicate that even though she was a woman who lived during the Renaissance period, she had desires just like any other man. We can clearly conclude that Lady Macbeth’s aspiration was a deep passion for power, which she blatantly exposed through her manipulative words to her husband.
He showed that women could be strong, smart, and even showed that they could be violent and cruel. This would be a huge contrast to the quiet subordinate women he was used to seeing. Shakespeare contrasted the type of women he knew to the type of women he thought the world would never see. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth.