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Character of lady macbeth analysis
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Lady Macbeth is the culprit of manipulating Macbeth which leads to disastrous events making her responsible for the evil that dwells in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth’s masculinity into question to encourage him to kill King Duncan. King Duncan arrives at Inverness, and Lady Macbeth and Macbeth set a plan in motion to kill the King Duncan so Macbeth can obtain his position as king. Everyone is patiently waiting for a delicious feast inside the castle. As Macbeth enters gradually, he is reluctant and has second thoughts deciding whether or not to kill the king but then considers to kill King Duncan after Lady Macbeth encourages him. As Lady Macbeth enters, she tells Macbeth that the King wants to see him. After deciding whether to kill …show more content…
As Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity by verbalizing, when you were brave enough to do it, you were a man. She is calling him a recreant and trying to manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan. Killing a noble gentleman would be a profoundly insulting thing to do as he is a valiant soldier. Further Lady Macbeth utilizes manipulating to which evidently leads to disastrous events, although Macbeth made his mind not to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s personal goals have lead her to embolden Macbeth into becoming the King and suggesting the only way to do that is if Macbeth acts like a man and murders Duncan. When she verbally expresses: “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.49). Lady Macbeth is verbalizing if you are a man in the past, now in the present you’re being a craven and backing out. Macbeth listens to his wife and again has second thoughts and is thinking that he shall behave like a man and to murder the king. Lady Macbeth is convincing him and this shows that the plan to kill Duncan was because of the malevolent Lady Macbeth who alters the mind of
In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth‚ the theme of masculinity is explored. As Macbeth matures‚ there are times when his masculinity is put to the test, mostly after the murder of Duncan. There are four main themes in which masculinity is presented in the play.
A prominent theme in William Shakespeare’s novel Macbeth is the idea of universal masculinity. Throughout the play, Shakespeare utilizes male gender stereotypes to present conflicting views on the definition of manhood. Macbeth tells the reader about a man who allows both societal pressures inflicted upon him by his wife and his intense ambition to drag Macbeth into a spiral of committing obscene acts of violence. Characters often associate being a man with courage, cruelty and power. This pervading caricature of a “man” is evident to the reader throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, for instance, goads Macbeth about his masculinity to the point of murder. Additionally, Malcolm and Macduff’s rigid discussion on revenge reveals a defined notion of “true” masculinity. Perhaps the culmination of rigid gender stereotypes is evident in Macbeth's pondering of the legitimacy of the hired murderers' manhood. Clearly, Shakespeare upholds male gender stereotypes throughout Macbeth.
From the first act to the last act, Macbeth repeatedly tries to prove his masculinity. In Act I, when she is introduced, she makes a startling speech, calling spirits to make her a man, fill her with evil, and take away any remorse she might have. In addition to making these surprising statements, she says that her husband is too kind to commit the callous murder of Duncan, his own cousin. Macbeth fully voices his feelings about the murder not only in several soliloquies and asides, but to his wife before and after he murders Duncan. Lady Macbeth, the master of manipulation, knows precisely what to tell her husband to get him to do what she wants. She compares his mentioning of the witches’ prophecies and saying he does not want to commit murder to become king to having a baby and then making a promise to nurture and raise it, then “dashing its brains out” (1. 7. 59) (Shakespeare). She sees this absolutely absurd comparison fitting for her own selfish purposes. Macbeth, feeling guilty about disappointing his wife, then voices his concerns about failing in their scheme. To no surprise, she convinces him that if he has the confidence and masculinity to kill Duncan, then he will not fail. After Macbeth meets his wife after murdering Duncan, he is in a traumatic state, saying he heard voices. Lady Macbeth feels the best course of action is to, again, question his masculinity, saying “My hands are of your color, but I shame/ To wear a heart so white” (2. 2. 64-65) (Shakespeare). When Duncan is found dead and he is declared king, Macbeth feels he has earned his manhood, the symbol of it being his kingship. He does everything in his power to maintain his grip on the throne, which brings about his own demise. By analyzing The Tragedy of Macbeth, the audience is able to determine that Macbeth’s downfall is the
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a trusted soldier, who is honest and noble. Unfortunately, he meets three witches who tell him three prophecies; that he will become thane of Cawdor, that he will become king and that Banquo’s sons will become kings. These three prophecies slowly change his opinions on life and turn him into a greedy, dishonest, tyrant, full of ambition. Lady Macbeth’s thoughts change as well when she is told about the three prophecies that were told to Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is ambitious, controlling and domineering. She is the one who encourages him to kill the king, she not only encourages him, she makes all the plans herself, which shows her determination and persistence."Yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full o’th milk of human kindness. To catch the nearest way thou wouldst be great. Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it." (Act 1, scene 5). Lady Macbeth is the force behind Macbeth’s sudden ambition and she tries to manipulate him into feeling guilty and unmanly for not following through with the murder, by using her husbands emotions, she manages to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan.
On the other hand, Lady Macbeth views on manhood are much different from her husband's and the other characters in the play. Unlike Macbeth, Lady Macbeth envisions a man to be opportunist, cruel and ruthless instead of honorable and loyal. When she receives the letter from Macbeth and learns of her chance to be queen, she prays that the spirits "that tend on mortal thoughts [would] unsex [her]", and that she will be "fill[ed] from the crown to the toe of direst cruelty", so that she would have the strength to murder Duncan. Believing the spirits would "unsex" her, she hopes that she wouldn't be bothered by a woman's kindness or remorse and thus would become a cruel killer, like a man.
“When you first do it, then you were a man, And to be more than what you were, you would, be so much more the man” (I. VII, 54-56). After struggling with the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth is reprimanded by Lady Macbeth for his lack of courage. She informs him that killing the king will make him a man, insinuating that he isn’t a man if he doesn’t go through with the murder. This develops Lady Macbeth as a merciless, nasty, and selfish woman. She will say, or do anything to get what she desires, even if it means harming others.
Lady Macbeth is an extremely ambitious woman and wants more than anything for her husband, Macbeth, to be the next King of Scotland. When King Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm, is to be the next King, Duncan’s murder is planned. Lady Macbeth’s crucial role in the play is to persuade Macbeth to carry out the murder of Duncan. In the beginning she is ambitious, controlling and strong. However as the plot concludes there is an extreme change in her character and personality which surprises the audience. Lady Macbeth’s guilt eventually becomes too much for her to handle which leads to her death.
Manhood and its definition is a major theme in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. On first appearance, Macbeth is characterized as a loyal and valiant thane in defense of the honor of Scotland and King Duncan. The brutality that he shows as a warrior on the battlefield is an acceptable and lauded trait. These attributes come into question as the witches introduce the prophecies tempting Macbeth’s vaulting ambition. After the regicide, Macbeth is damned and is no longer concerned with being honorable. He covets immediate gratification at all costs and by all means. However, this gratification is temporary due to that Macbeth later on, experiences guilt and regret which directs him towards his morbid fate and ultimate demise.
Macbeth tells himself to act like a man in the following lines: “Prithee, peace! / I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none” (I, vii, 45-47). This quote by Macbeth shows how he wants to be a man by killing King Duncan, but he does not think this would be an act of righteousness. Macbeth is in a controversy with himself in this situation. If he does not kill the king then his wife, Lady Macbeth, will not think he is a man, but if he does kill the king then he will betray his leader’s trust in him. Betrayal would not be seen as an act of manliness. Jarold Ramsey explains the situation in the following sentence: “And, striking more ruthlessly at him, she scornfully implies that his very sexuality will be called into question in her eyes if he refuses the regicide” (288). This quote by Jarold Ramsey explains how Macbeth’s manliness will be determined in the eyes of Lady Macbeth when he makes his decision on whether or not he will kill the king. Lady Macbeth shows her desire of being queen in the following lines: “What beast was’t then / That made you break this enterprise to me? /When you durst do it, then you were a man” (I, vii, 47-49). This quote shows how she wants Macbeth to kill the king. In this situation Macbeth tells himself to be a man and kill the king to please Lady Macbeth. Maria Howell exp...
When Macbeth was off at war, and told Lady Macbeth that the witches greeted him as Thane of Cawdor, and King of Scotland before he received those titles, she was probably scheming on how to fulfill those before he returned home. Once home, they had King Duncan stay at Dunsinane. Lady Macbeth then b-tches at her husband and ridicules his masculinity in order to make him commit murder (Friedlander). Macbeth reluctantly murders Duncan, even though he wanted to wait and have it all play out without killing anyone. When he went to the well to wash off his hands he speaks of his remorse, and lady Macbeth finds out that he did not implicate the guards, so she tells him to go do it.
Macbeth becomes excited about what the witches have told him, but in order for him to become king he would have to kill Duncan. As Macbeth realizes this he kind of backs off until Lady Macbeth questions his man hood. Being consumed by ambition Macbeth jumps into action and kills Duncan. After killing Duncan Macbeth feels an unbelievable amount of guilt.
After receiving prophecies from the witches about his future to come, he is forced into an ambition-fuelled madness. As previously mentioned, Macbeth was persuaded to kill King Duncan by his wife due to his debatable manliness. This presented Macbeth’s need to prove to his wife he was manly by being valiant and strong and partaking in violent acts. He responds to his wife’s forceful directives by telling her, “Please stop! I dare do all that may become a man;/ Who dares do more is none” (1.7.46-47). This quote indicates how Macbeth believes a “real” man would not murder, and only due to Lady Macbeth explicitly attempting to manipulate him into action, does he succumb to do so. Macbeth endeavours the heinous crime of murdering the King, all owing to Lady Macbeth’s commands. On more than one occasion Macbeth is seen becoming mad, being overtaken by guilt and concern, highlighting that his manhood does not in fact give him any power, but only draws attention to his lack thereof. The inferiority he has within his relationship, also makes evident that Lady Macbeth’s pressure causes the transpiration of Macbeth’s powerful future. It is clear that Macbeth’s power was affected by his gender, as seen through his desperate need to prove his masculinity. Without the questioning of his manhood, Macbeth would have still been the
Lady Macbeth is a vicious and overly ambitious woman, her desire of having something over rules all the moral behaviors that one should follow. On the beginning of the novel, Macbeth receives the news that if Duncan, the current king, passed away he would be the next one to the throne. So, Lady Macbeth induces Macbeth into killing Duncan by filling his mind with ambition and planting cruel seeds into his head. After accomplishing his deed of killing the king, he brings out the daggers that were used during the murder, and says, “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; look on’t again I dare not.” This is his first crime and Macbeth is already filled with guilt and regret. He shows the reader to be the weak one of the duo. Lady Macbeth as the cruel partner still has some sentiment and somewhat a weakness in her heart and mind. When talking about Duncan she says, “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t.” Weakness is still present and will always be there throughout the novel but this one change the fact that Lady Macbeth is still the stronger and cruel one.
Lady Macbeth represents all the stereotypical qualities of manhood, such as unrelenting determination, cruelty, and lack of emotions. Her interpretation of masculinity is made clear from the very first scene she appears in. When Lady Macbeth realizes that she must kill Duncan in her own home, she states, "Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (I. iv. 43-44). Her request shows that she believes a woman is not capable of such cruel and evil acts, and that only a man is. Furthermore, she wants to be filled up from the "crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!" with the "access and passage to remorse", completely blocked off, implying that a man is without remorse and feelings, and full of cruelty (I. iv. 45-47). Lady Macbeth then imposes her idea of Manhood on Macbeth. When Macbeth decides not to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth quickly challenges his manliness by c...
...itant about making the prophecy of killing Duncan a reality until, Lady Macbeth makes him feel un masqulin. Macbeth now convinced that he must prove his manliness by becoming king and he must make this happen by murdering Duncan. Although Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the villain, she has to have someone else to what she want which keeps her from doing the dirty work. After Macbeth kills Duncan, it seems that Lady Macbeth helps by finishing the murder by framing someone other than her husband. Macbeth is a tragic hero who causes suffering by committing murder and distress, exemplifying the negative effects of a bloodthirsty desire for power. Lady Macbeth torments her husband Macbeth in going through with the evil deed of murder which leads her to be the villain. Yet towards the end, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change into each other from how they were in the beginning.