Influence is one of the only factors that affect people's decisions, it gives the motivational support to those who are uncertain. It can change any current views in an instant, especially when it comes from people closest to you. The adversities of influence can be demonstrated in the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare,
Many of the characters play a largely influential role on Macbeth, particularly Lady Macbeth, The witches and Banquo. Lady Macbeth's intimacy to Macbeth allows her to take control over his decisions, The witches plays on the desire of Macbeth under the assumptions of their apparitions, and lastly Banquo's assistance in staying true to Macbeth's heroic objectives converts to Macbeth's cycle of violence in result of of jealousy.
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Lady Macbeth has been taunting her husband with the idea of success and obtaining royal status. Her solution is one “small” deed- to kill the king. Macbeth becomes uncertain of the repercussions of success, questioning whether he could overome the mental impact of the act. She is the closest character to Macbeth, meaning she is influential through the close proximity of their relationship and in their love. Macbeth is dependent on advice and the opinion of his wife. Lady Macbeth speaks to Macbeth, attempting to aggravate him and obtain an intentional response, she says: “From this time/Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard/To be the same in thine own act and valor/As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that/Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life,/And live a coward in thine own esteem,/Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would, …show more content…
Lady Macbeth attempts to disturb Macbeth's heroic mindset through their intimacy, the three witches reveal prophecies that speak to Macbeth's deepest desires and Banquo struggles to help his close friend but his attempts are dismissed by Macbeth's jealous mindset. Amid the play of Macbeth, William Shakespeare exhibits the high influence that these characters have on Macbeth.The capacity one person can have on another can derail them from their original morals and in some instances, create a very wrong
Though Macbeth is skilled for fighting and has won battles for Scotland, he has a difficult time battling his internal conflicts between good and evil. Macbeth is first introduced to this internal conflict when the witches give him a prophecy. The witches tell him that he will be the Thane of Cawdor and then become king after that. When he finds out that he is the Thane of Cawdor, he sees that the witches’ prophecy is right. He then thinks about how he will become king. Macbeth’s conscience bothers him after he thinks about the ways he can become king. Banquo is also given a prophecy from the witches about him being the father of many kings. He does not face internal conflict due to evil thoughts like Macbeth has been faced with. Macbeth begins to become ambitious not too long after the witches’ prophecy. He does not want to wait to become king. Lady Macbeth influences him to kill Duncan so Macbeth can become king. Macbeth does not want to kill Duncan at first. He says “if chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me...
Both Banquo and Macbeth are introduced as loyal captains in the king`s army, but as the play progresses, Macbeth is overcome with the desire of power due to his reception of the prophecies. Upon hearing, Banquo does not become greedy for power, but, alternatively, he is suspect and cautious begins wondering if “we [Macbeth and Banquo] eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?” (1.3). Realizing the witches were simply trying to make him ambitious, Banquo remains loyal to his king and his country, despite knowing that he will have a dynasty to rule Scotland. Despite having the motivation, Banquo does not commit treason against his king but rather wants to “keep my [his] bosom franchis'd and allegiance clear” (2.1), meaning that he has no desire to betray the king for personal gain. Conversely, upon hearing the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth becomes ambitious for power and follows them blindly. He is curious about the witches’ prophecies and demands they “stay… [and] tell me [him] more” (1.3). When he hears that the prophecy that his heirs will rule Scotland he will be king, Macbeth`s ambition is born and his thoughts instantly turn to murder, even though the witches had not mentioned murdering King Duncan which shows that Macbeth has previously thought about murdering his king. As a result, Macbeth has no loyalty to neither his king nor his country and commits treason. While both Banquo and Macbeth hear the witches` prophecies that promised power, only Macbeth conceded to their prophecy and became overcame with ambition. Macbeth is a direct antithesis to the honorable, dependent Banquo. He transforms into a greedy man who is obsessed with his
Banquo is Macbeth's best friend in the tragedy. Banquo is with Macbeth when Macbeth meets the witches and they tell him of his upcoming fortune. Banquo notices how Macbeth is too ambitious after he sees Macbeth's reaction to the witches predictions. He feels even though Macbeth is his best friend he feels Macbeth is capable of wrong doing in the future to get what he wants. This is shown in one aside after they leave the witches. "…And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray 's in deepest consequence. Cousins, a word, I pray you. (Act1, SceneIII,line123)" This quote is stating that Banquo thinks Macbeth may do anything to get what he wants no matter what the consequences are. Duncan is the King of Scotland and Macbeth's leader. Duncan's view of Macbeth is narrow-minded. He perceives him as a loyal, noble, trustworthy, soldier whom he is very fond of. Duncan also feels Macbeth is the reason for them winning the war. There is many times in the play where this is pointed out by the things Duncan says. For example, "Give me your hand. Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly, And shall continue our graces towards him...(Act1, SceneVI,line29)" This quote shows that Duncan seems to feel like he owes Macbeth something for his loyalties and bravery in the war. Duncan's perception of Macbeth will prove to be his downfall.
Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. As she is Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. She is Macbeth’s other half. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. Though in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the highest influence in Macbeth’s life. Her role was so large; in fact, that she uses her position to gain power, stay strong enough to support her unstable Lord, and fails miserably while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth is enough to create the perfect villain because of her ability to manipulate everyone around her. It appears that even she can’t resist the perfect crime.
Macbeth struggles with a guilty conscience and a fear of Banquo's retribution. After contrasting Macbeth with these three characters, it is easy to see how Shakespeare created within his hero a growing fear of both the physical and moral consequences of murder.
She uses his pride against him by inquiring "Art thou afeard/To be the same in thine own act and valor/As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that/Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life,/And live a coward in thine own esteem,/Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'" (I.vii.39-44). In this loaded question, Lady Macbeth asks her husband if he is a coward. By using his pride against him, Macbeth is unwittingly manipulated by his wife toward the end she ultimately desires. Along with his pride, Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband’s sense of masculinity by informing him that "I have given suck, and know/How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me./I would, while it was smiling in my face,/Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you/Have done to this." (I.vii.55-60). By telling Macbeth this, his wife reveals that she is most unordinary, not only in general, but especially for her time period. She openly expresses a lack of maternal instinct, saying that she would kill her suckling child in an instant if she told her husband she would do so. Killing as a theme in the play is portrayed as a distinctly masculine thing, thus by telling this to Macbeth, she is basically telling him that she is more masculine than him, because she could kill her own child, whereas he can’t even kill an adult he should not have such feelings towards. These criticisms of Macbeth’s pride and masculinity ultimately convince Macbeth to kill the king, and usurp his
Macbeth’s provocative or violent actions on the challenges placed before him cause him to build an effect of downfall and dismay throughout the play. Originally, Macbeth handles his challenges in different ways and manners and is constantly changing his procedure. From handling situations carefully to not caring, Macbeth and his violence resulted in guilt and selfishness which he had to overcome. By the end of the play, Macbeth had become a selfish, greedy king and the challenges as well as experiences he encountered shaped him into who he is. He was shaped by the guilt of killing Banquo and Duncan, just to become powerful and a king. For example, in Act 3 Scene 4, Macbeth faces adversity when his mind creates a ghost of Banquo, who he just found out was killed. In Macbeth, the uprising of adversity was often handled in various manners. By dealing with his own challenges, Macbeth transforms his handling of adversity from being cautious to thoughtless, which reflected his character and the transformation he portrayed throughout the
has sent to her, Lady Macbeth begins to plot and plan how Macbeth can become
But he wont, so she insults him more, and goes to do it herself. Lady Macbeth was the initial force to make this entire play roll along. Macbeth was comfortable where he was, he was curious about the fact the witches stated, but he didn't want to force it to work. After Lady Macbeth's help in the killing of Duncan, the only influence she has upon him is to keep everything to themselves. At the party after Banquo's murder, Lady Macbeth tries to calm Macbeth, and tell him that what he sees is only an illusion, and not to worry about Banquo, and to shut up because his fit may show everyone that they are the murders of Duncan and Banquo.
Once Macbeth is told his prophecy of being king by the witches, he soon writes a letter to his wife explaining his newly found future, hoping to find some advice in return. Instead, Lady Macbeth quickly begins to think how life could be greater if he were king now. She then persuades Macbeth into killing King Duncan. "And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." says Lady Macbeth, trying to change her husbands mind. She shows Macbeth that if they follow her plan exactly and show remorse for the kings' death. They would not fail, "Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our greifs and clamor roar upon his death?"
of the 'evil' witches as he was sure that witches were out to get him
In what is said to be one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, Macbeth, there are many historical inaccuracies. Many experts in literature believe Shakespeare did this for a couple reasons. One reason is that the changes in history give the play a more dramatic purpose and more exciting story than what actually happened. Another reason could be to give Macbeth and more complicated characterization. The most believed reason that Shakespeare altered history was because he wanted to cater to the desires of the current monarch, King James the First, who was a descendant of Banquo, one of the main characters of the story.
They trusted each other with there lives and were good friends and equals. After they hear the prophecies told to them by the evil sisters Banquo starts to worry about Macbeth and his ambitions to become king. Macbeth is thinking that he may become king without doing anything else, and Banquo thinks Macbeth does not deserve to be thane of Cawdor. At this point the two friends start growing farther from each other because they do not trust one another. Banquo starts to fear Macbeth because he knows if his prophecy is true than he is a threat to Macbeths throne. Macbeth realizes he must get rid of Banquo to secure his spot on the throne and make sure his sons will not take his place. It is the witches fault that these two friends know fear each other because of the prophecies. Without the witches Banquo and Macbeth most likely would have remained friends and Macbeth would not have killed his friend
Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and daunting female characters. As Macbeth’s wife, her role is very important in Macbeth’s rise and fall from royalty. In Shakespearean times, females were considered as feeble and unimportant beings whose only use was to give birth, and for their looks. They were not by any means equal to men, nor intelligent. Though in this play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the biggest impact in her husband’s life. In her role, she uses her status in Dunsinane to gain power, stay sane enough to support Macbeth, and fails while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth makes her the perfect villain for the play, mostly because of her capability to manipulate anyone that is around her.
Throughout the play we are able to see the change Macbeth has encountered. He started out as a noble thane, content with his life. But as soon as the Three Sisters' have gotten the notion of Power in his head, we see his thrive for power ultimately corrupting him. By studying the impact power has on relationships in Macbeth, it is obvious that Banquo and Macbeth's relationship best represents the impact which the need for power can have on a relationship. This conclusively demonstrates that lust of power can drive people to doing the cruelest things in order to capture it.