Throughout the rising action of Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth repeatedly makes decisions that not only unwittingly affect her own future, but also her husband's. In Shakespearian time, it was believed that everything had an absolute order of superiority. This Great Chain of Being includes everything from God to minerals, from kings to chaos. The "man" category subdivides even further, with men taking priority over women. To upset the order of the Great Chain of Being is considered a cosmic crime, with chaos ensuing until order is restored. In the tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes the dynamic characterization of Lady Macbeth to demonstrate the inferiority of women. When Lady Macbeth plots the murder of Duncan, she disrupts …show more content…
When reassuring Macbeth "These deeds must not be thought / After in these ways. So, it will make us mad," Lady Macbeth also attempts to reassure herself (II.ii.37-38). The use of the word "us" in "it will make us mad" implies Lady Macbeth starts to lose control over the situation and her emotions. The gradual role reversal between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth coupled with her gradually diminishing control results from the Great Chain of Being re-establishing itself, allowing the man to become the more dominant figure. In an endeavor to converse with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth requests a servant to "Say to the King I would attend his leisure / For a few words," rather than directly summoning Macbeth (III.ii.3-4). Lady Macbeth uses the word "King" in order to address her husband, revealing her role in the marriage has shifted to a more subservient character; before, she would use "Macbeth" or "my husband," and these two terms tend to have a closer connotation with equality in a relationship. Again, Lady Macbeth's control in the relationship continues to dwindle, a result of the universe redressing the wrongs originating from Lady Macbeth's unorthodox …show more content…
While sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth frantically exclaims, "Look not so / pale. --I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried; he cannot / come out on's grave," in the direct company of the Doctor and Gentlewoman (V.i.55-57). Lady Macbeth uses the second person "you" when conversing with herself out loud, a sure sign of her mental instability. Lady Macbeth finally loses all of her control when she is witnessed in her futile desperation, commanding herself to remain levelheaded. This complete loss of control is an aftereffect of her original disobedience to the Great Chain of Being, as it reduces her to an inferior position. In addition, the fact that Lady Macbeth not only unwittingly confesses to the murder of Banquo, but also must remind herself that he cannot "come out on's grave" illustrates her conspicuous insanity; the fact that she must also remind herself "again" that men cannot rise from the dead reinforces this conclusion. Lady Macbeth's madness accentuates the brutal consequences of the Great Chain of Being; she begins with complete control but loses it all when the universe must correct itself for allowing a woman to possess
William Shakespeare's Macbeth is an ominous tale that illustrates the danger in violating the Great Chain of Being, the hierarchy of things in God's ordered universe. The Chain ranked all of creation and human society as well. It ranked kings above nobles and nobles above the poor. When Macbeth murdered King Duncan and assumed the throne, the Chain was violated and chaos resulted. The atmosphere of the play symbolized this resulting turmoil. Specifically, light and darkness were used to exemplify the unnatural chaos and ominous tone of the work. The role of light and the role of darkness relates to the chaos resulting from the violation of the Great Chain of Being.
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero who is constantly struggling with his fate. In the opening scene of the play Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches. They proclaim that he will be the thane of Cawdor. He responds by saying, “By Sinel’s death I know that I am thane of Glamis/ but how of Cawdor”(I, iii, 70-73)? At first, he does not realize to earn this title what he must do, but when he realizes he is taken aback. His bewilderment prefigures his perpetual struggle with his fate. Macbeth also is excessively ambitious which constantly affects him throughout the play. He is too determined to become king and will kill anyone to ensure that this will transpire. Macbeth’s struggle and ambition make him the quintessence of tragic hero.
Lady Macbeth takes the role of the dominant partner in the beginning of the play, by acting as the real power behind the throne. For example, it is easily recognized that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are opposite in many ways (Scott 236). He is weak, indecisive, and takes on the traditional female role of the marriage; she is strong, decisive, and takes on the traditional male role. One place in the play where Macbeth’s character is shown is Act I, Scene 5, Lines 15-17. She says, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promis’d : yet do I fear thy nature / Is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.” This is just after Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth. It is also important to notice that when Macbeth’s first thoughts of killing Duncan appear, he is scared. After he commits the murder, Macbeth says, “To know my deed, ‘twere best not know myself ” ( 2. 2. 72 ). Knowing that he has committed such a vile act makes him uncomfortable. It will be difficult to act innocent and deal with his guilt.
In our society, as a rule, the man is the head of the household. However, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth appears to be the neck that turns the head. William Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in history, but he wasn’t recognized until the nineteenth century. He wrote many plays, sonnets, plays, and narrative plays. It was during the sixteenth century that he wrote the tragedy of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth, wife to the protagonist Macbeth, is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and evil female characters. At the start of the play, Lady Macbeth is ruthless, ambitious, cruel, and manipulative; however, by the end of the play she becomes insane and helpless. The transformation of these characteristics makes Lady Macbeth a very dynamic character.
In Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare has created a terrifying couple fuelled by the need for power, which causes them to commit treacherous acts. Given that Macbeth was first performed in 1606 shortly after the famous gunpowder plot to overthrow the monarchy, this play, which included regicide would have excited the Jacobean audiences. However, the message that the excessive ambition leads to terrible consequences is clear, as both Macbeth and his ‘Dearest Partner of Greatness’ suffer and die as a result of their heinous crimes. As the title would suggest, it is Macbeth’s rapid rise and great fall which ultimately drives this tragedy. However, it is the character of Lady Macbeth, with her single minded sense of purpose coupled with her ability to dominate Macbeth, who would have engaged the
above it. God was believed to be at the top of the chain, and the King
The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, explores the darkest corners of the human psyche. It artfully takes its audience to a place that allows one to examine what a human being is truly capable of once tempted by the allure of power. In the play, Scottish noble Macbeth and his wife inevitably fall prey to their own self corruption. Initiated by prophesies made by three mysterious witches, the Macbeths set their sights on the throne. When the curtains open on the plot to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth is the driving force. Her criminal mind and desire for ruthlessness have led many a critic to define her as evil. Closer examination, however, reveals that she is a multifaceted character; other sides to her persona include: genuine good will towards her husband, coy manipulation, and feminine tenderness.
The first time Lady Macbeth appears on stage, she is reading Macbeth’s letter, which shows her desire to become Queen of Scotland. Lady Macbeth reads, “This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness; that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee” (I.5.10-13). This portion of her husband’s letter shows she has trained him to report the important events that occur while he is away. At this moment, she decides that quick action will be the basis of her reasoning and planning. Her spur-of-the-moment orders will affect Macbeth so deeply that his character will be forever changed. Lady Macbeth intentionally tries to ignore consequence and concentrates on securing Macbeth’s future as king of Scotland. She looks to the quickest way as one that may lack rationality, but shortens their path to the throne.
Explore the ways the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth develop throughout the play. Making reference to Shakespeare's use of language and stagecraft, examine the ways the events of the play impact on them and their relationship.
According to the classical view, tragedy should arouse feelings of pity and fear in the audience. Does macbeth do this?
Throughout history women have fought for the same rights of men. In the time of William Shakespeare they were seen in society as weak and vulnerable. They were seen to be good, caring and not as powerful as men. Men were the superior and ruled the land. Shakespeare has taken the stereotypical image of the women of the time and turned it on its head in ‘Macbeth’. Lady Macbeth is shown as a very powerful, strong woman. She has an evil about her that Shakespeare has used to make ‘Macbeth’ a supernatural play. Women were seen to be good and not as powerful as men, in ‘Macbeth’ Lady Macbeth is the dominate character and commands and persuades Macbeth to commit the murders and crimes that he does.
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
Tragic heroes, who destined for a serious downfall, are the protagonist of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero is usually a great hero, who gets the most respect from other people; on the other hand, a tragic hero can also lose everything he gained because of his mistakes. His downfall is the result of a wrong judgment, a flaw which might combined with fated and external forces. The downfall can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. In many literary works, the downfall of the tragic heroes usually happen in their highest point. In the same way, Macbeth is a tragic hero in the play called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” which is written by a legendary writer, William Shakespeares. Macbeth is a great general who gained many respect from the people and even the king. In the highest point of his life, because of seeking for greater power, it created Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth, a tragic hero, causes suffering for himself and others by committing murders and creating distress, which are the negative effects of seeking for a greater power.
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.
Then when Macbeth killed King Duncan the Chain of Being collapsed because in the world the highest point in the hierarchy was the king and above the king was the god. No one was supposed to kill the king but when Macbeth killed King Duncan, he was committed an evil act and was going to pay for it. When William Shakespeare implemented the witches he gave the witches important role in the play, unlike what their role was during the seventeenth century. They did not have any specific role, but people were scared of them because of them being evil being and they were getting killed. King James I was interested in the witches so Macbeth implemented and made the story more interesting by putting in witches in the play. Shakespeare made it seem like he was criticizing the cultural aspect of how woman were treated and their role within the society. In the play lady Macbeth had a lot of influence of a male character Macbeth, which in reality woman weren’t supposed to have any kind of influence over men. The aspects of gender inequality, witchcraft, and the Great Chain of Being affected how William Shakespeare wrote his play Macbeth. The Elizabethan era had the most influence in most of Shakespeare 's plays such as