Lady Macbeth Peer Pressure Quotes

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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 …show more content…

Lady Macbeth is strategic in her control of Macbeth, exploiting the weaknesses and prejudices of everyone around her. Lady Macbeth extorts her husband, tapping into Macbeth’s darkest desires and unleashing a chain of events that proves to be cataclysmic. While one might argue that Macbeth’s victims, most notably Banquo, and to a lesser extent, Duncan, possess more control over Macbeth’s actions, it must be taken into account that this influence only becomes present within a post-mortem state. The spirits which haunt Macbeth are a manifestation of his own guilt, and the burden that Macbeth feels is nothing but a product of his own conscience. In other words, Macbeth is more so influenced by the idea of the ghosts, rather than the actual people they were. Moreover, the theme of guilt weighing down on someone to the point of breaking is even reflected in Lady Macbeth herself, who, by the end of her character arc, has been driven to insanity and, ultimately, self-destruction. In essence, to go against your own morals is to become unhinged from your own

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