Lady Macbeth as the Real Driving Force behind the Murder of Duncan
I agree with the title that Lady Macbeth is the real driving force
behind the murder of Duncan. The role that Lady Macbeth plays in the
murder of Duncan is affected by many factors. In this essay, I will
examine how her role was the real driving force in the murder of
Duncan. We would look at the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth,
fate, and also prophecy of the witches.
The witches’ prophecy has impact on Macbeth. When the witches call
Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and they say he’ll be king,
Macbeth seems to be interested and believes in it. He becomes ‘rapt’
as he believes in fate and supernatural things. The witches’ prophecy
also placed into Macbeth mind makes him feel very confused. “Against
the use of nature? Present fear/ Are less than horrible imaginings/ My
thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical. The way that the witches
spoke makes him feel very confused because the witches’ didn’t give
him all the hints. The witches only speak in puzzling riddles. So this
is great evidence to shows how much Macbeth believed in fate and
witches’ prophecy. At first however, Macbeth doesn’t think of killing
Duncan. He said, “If chance will have me king, why, Chance may crown
me, With out my stir”. If fate has decided him to be king then he
doesn’t need to do anything. Fate will run it course. This shows that
Macbeth is not initially evil but he is an honest man to the king.
The reaction of Lady Macbeth when she receives the letter from Macbeth
is an important indication to showing her behavior and
characteristics. When Lady Macbeth receives the lett...
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...y Macbeth tries to push him by speaking.
She tries to say if Macbeth does not kill Duncan, he does not become a
man but if he kills the king, then he will be more brave than now and
he would act more like a real man. “When you durst do it, then you
were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much
more than man”.
Lady Macbeth however, doesn’t want to kill Duncan herself because she
doesn’t want to be involved in the murder so she accepts this and she
puts pressure on Macbeth to do it. This shows how selfish Lady Macbeth
was. There is also another reason why she doesn’t want to kill Duncan.
This is because she respects Duncan as her father.
From the reasons I described, it is shown that Lady Macbeth is the
real driving force behind the murder of Duncan and who persuaded
Macbeth to kill Duncan.