Role Reversal in William Shakespeare’s Play Macbeth

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William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth has a few main themes, one of which is role reversal. Macbeth is portrayed as a strong, fierce, and trustworthy soldier. At this stage in the story he had a conscience, and had a boundary between good and bad. However, Lady Macbeth is depicted as a devious and an extreme organizer, without a good sense of what is right and wrong. She would do anything in order to obtain supreme authority. Gradually they both change their views of power, treatment of one another, and their reactions to the murders and prophecies.

Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth exchange views on power and organization over each other. At first Lady Macbeth seemed to control Macbeth in every way. “…look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't…This night's great business into my dispatch…” She used Macbeth as her puppet, he was told to talk innocently to Duncan, but have the mind of a stealthily snake, and be ready to strike. Lady Macbeth only gave Macbeth these orders, and continued to say that she will take care of the rest. Although Lady Macbeth had authority, Macbeth had shown signs of some resistance. “We will proceed no further in this business:” He tried to stop the thoughts of murder, Macbeth had just been designated the thane of Glamis and Cawdor, he could not betray the kings trust. On the other hand Lady Macbeth shows her skill in the craft of controlling her husband. She questions his manhood; she knows well that in doing so he will be in her command. Then when Lady Macbeth makes Macbeth kill Duncan and take the crown, she loses her power over him as he plots his murders. Lady Macbeth, as did Macbeth, attempts to extinguish the murderous plans of Macbeth. “You must leave this.” or Macbeth’s “We will speak fu...

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...spoke of his hand, is hard to remove. In contrast, Macbeth’s later reaction to the murders left him with a simple road and a difficult road. Macbeth contemplates on whether he should turn back or keep going ahead. He decides that it is easier to move ahead and keep killing in stead of turning back and facing his sins.

One of Macbeth’s main themes is the theme of role reversal. The play uses different ways to show the switch between the main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. A few of which are behavior towards one another, authoritarian and planner in their relationship, and the reactions to the murders and prophecies. Macbeth described as a faithful warrior was turned into a skeptical tyrant, always looking over his shoulder to keep his power. Lady Macbeth went from an ambitious dictator, to a psychologically distorted woman, no longer able to control Macbeth

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