...In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth experiences a dramatic change in character, leading to her demise. At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is a powerful woman. She is able to manipulate and convince her husband into committing murder for the crown. Throughout Acts I and II, Lady Macbeth’s strength and evil nature overpowers Macbeth. She takes control and plans Macbeth’s first murder. The murder of King Duncan reveals Lady Macbeth’s ruthlessness and persuasive skills. However, by Act III, Lady Macbeth’s entire character changes; she becomes depressed due to her husband’s lack of attention and newly found confidence. He no longer needs her to make his decisions. Guilt starts to consume her, and her mental state weakens. In...
Words: 1030 - Pages: 5
...Evil in Macbeth In Macbeth, the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth undergo drastic changes as the play unfolds. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth regress from logical and human like people, into evil characters that would be found in a horror film. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem like two usual human beings, but after hearing about possibly becoming king and queen these characters turn to the dark side and resort to murdering the current king to take the thrown. Once the characters resort to murder, regret and guilt begin to consume their lives, resulting in death for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play Macbeth, the elements...
Words: 1621 - Pages: 7
...Ambition – A Tragic Flaw Macbeth by William Shakespeare highlights the blinding powers of ambition demonstrated within its characters. Ambition has the potential to prompt a character to build determination and fulfill many achievements. On the other hand, ambition can also become a character’s leading tragic flaw. The main plot of the play displays the various acts Macbeth carries out in order to dismiss the threats between him and the throne. Although he implements the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth is the intelligence behind his violent actions. Since she is the most influential individual in Macbeth’s life, Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband using belittlement and emotional blackmail in order to achieve her own ambition, to gain...
Words: 2329 - Pages: 10
...between Macbeth & Lady Macbeth In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth shows us that she is supportive to Macbeth. When deliberating the plans surrounding King Duncan's murder she says to Macbeth 'Leave all the rest to me'. Lady Macbeth also regards her husband as ‘too full o'th'milk of human kindness'. She is claiming that her husband is very kind and a worthy gentleman. Macbeth uses affectionate words to Lady Macbeth at the beginning of the play, 'my dearest love'. These statements show that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth dote on each other at the beginning of the play, although this does change as the play progresses. Lady Macbeth knows that her husband's kindness makes him weak and susceptible to guilt that could prevent the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth begins to manipulate Macbeth and challenges his feelings of guilt and pity for King Duncan and replaces them with malicious and spiteful feelings: 'look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't’. Lady Macbeth now instructs Macbeth on how he should act, encouraging him to be deceitful to King Duncan, his loyal and trusting leader. Macbeth becomes so absorbed in his mixed feelings about the murder that he withdraws from the loving relationship that he had with Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play. 'First, I am his Kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself’. This quote from act 1 scene 7 shows how Macbeth is in...
Words: 564 - Pages: 3
...Macbeth is presented as a suffering victim, who then plummets into a downward spiral where he becomes a symbol of evil. When we first encounter Macbeth, the witches have just foretold the three prophecies. Macbeth is enamored with the idea of becoming king one day. Looking for advice Macbeth confided in his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s immediate reaction is that she has always pinned for the throne and was going to find a way to obtain it. Ultimately Lady Macbeth conjured up the idea to kill King Duncan. She later presents her matoltocal plan to Macbeth. At first Macbeth is not willing to go through with her plan. He thinks it is unjust and that there are other ways to obtain the throne. However Lady Macbeth uses her power of persuasion and lores her husband into a trap. She does this by stating, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.”(Shakespeare 1.7.49) Lady Macbeth tries to take away Macbeth sexuality by saying in the quote that if he does not complete this deed he will be less of a man in her eyes. She continues to go into more depth and say that she will no longer love him either. Lady Macbeth picks apart Macbeth until there is nothing left. She took away Macbeth...
Words: 2011 - Pages: 9
...wrong. But when we ignore our feelings of guilt, it can lead to the destruction of our conscience. In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare incorporates his idea of guilt into images for the audience. Blood and water are two symbols in Macbeth that function as keys to unlock the hidden message of the effects of guilt. Blood is used to remind Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of their violent actions, while water represents a way to cleanse their minds of the remorse they feel. Shakespeare’s use of blood and water are a chilling reminder of the power that guilt may have on people or how a person might overcome guilt, but become emotionally dead. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are two characters that are responsible for the bloody actions that occur in Macbeth. Blood is a reoccurring image that travels with the characters, not only on their hands, but in their minds. Wherever violence takes place in the play, blood is shown on the characters immediately after the crime. When Macbeth is involved in one of these crimes and kills Duncan, he soon regrets what he has done. But the blood on his hands shows the evidence of the act and that it can’t be undone. Lady Macbeth suggests to get rid of the evidence by putting the blood on the guards so “it must seem their guilt” (2.2.73). The symbol of blood can be seen as “the image of death” (Holloway 108). It represents the violence, since Macbeth says, “blood will have blood” (3.4.153). The characters want to escape their feelings of guilt and forget the murder...
Words: 1603 - Pages: 7
...Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores the thought, behavior, values, and power in the relationships between men and women. Each of these themes are portrayed in Macbeth through the role of gender. Gender can be seen through certain characters such as Lady Macbeth specifically in Shakespeare’s soliloquies. These soliloquies reveal the true characteristics of Lady Macbeth, and they also exemplify the reasoning behind the character's’ behavior toward others. The role of gender is portrayed through the actions of Lady Macbeth because of her desire to act superior and take control of all situations. When Shakespeare first introduces Lady Macbeth, it is clear that she often manipulates people for her own benefit. One of Lady Macbeth’s most...
Words: 645 - Pages: 3
...than comparing that of the character of Lady Macbeth authored by William Shakespeare within the book Macbeth to that character of Abigail authored by Arthur Miller within the book the Crucible. .......... The act of manipulation overwhelms the mindset of Lady Macbeth and Abigail. Although, how they choose to react to such a feeling is where individuality from one another occurs. The concept of Macbeth revolves around Lady Macbeth corrupting her husband’s mental stability and convincing him to commit a murder. She does so by questioning his manhood and referring to him as a coward. “[He] is too full o’ the milk of human kindness” (I.ii.16). Lady Macbeth is worried that he is not strong enough to perform such a task, so she manipulates him by telling Macbeth how far she will go if it is necessary. “While [the baby] was smiling in my face, / have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums/ and dash’d the brains out” (I.VII.56-58). With such ideas of murdering someone and manipulating someone else, only for self gain, does not come without the feeling of remorse. “What need we fear who/ knows it, when none can call our power to account? / yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (V.i.36-39). The manipulation of Lady Macbeth’s husband leaves her feeling guilty to a point where it leads her to her own demise. Abigail also manipulates others for her own personal gain, as she is in a great deal of trouble if she does not. Abigail and her friends are caught...
Words: 972 - Pages: 4
...in his play Macbeth to show the cycle of violence that repeats throughout the play. Shakespeare first introduces the character of Macbeth as a brave hero. In the first act messengers tell Duncan about Macbeth’s bravery in war. The bloody images used in this act show Macbeth as the hero of war who should be rewarded for his bravery. Thoughts of heroism and bravery fade quickly as plans to murder Duncan for Macbeth’s benefit and power gain arise. Blood quickly changes to a motif of guilt and fear because of the murder that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have committed. Surprisingly Macbeth keeps killing to calm his fear but sheds more blood in the process. The killings result in meeting the unnatural and bloody Macduff, who wants revenge and ends the cycle of violence....
Words: 1387 - Pages: 6
...Blind Leading the Blind In MacBeth, Shakespeare writes about a greedy, power-hungry man who murders the king to fulfill his selfish desires. MacBeth was one of King’s Duncan’s noblemen and honorable general. However, after he is claimed as the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis, he believes a prophecy by three witches that he will become King and, along with his wife, decides to murder King Duncan in an attempt to gain more power. Although MacBeth grew uncertain about going through with the assassination, his wife, Lady MacBeth, manipulates and deceives him to follow through. As a king, he becomes a tyrant and starts to kill anyone who he felt threatened his position on the throne, including one of his good friends, Banquo and the family of MacDuff. Throughout his reign, the MacBeth’s guilty consciences take a toll on them and eventually lead to both of their downfall. Furthermore, MacBeth’s reign does not last long when MacDuff gets revenge against the tormentor by killing him in the end. As a result, King Duncan’s son, Malcolm, becomes king. Through the use of symbolism and characterization, William Shakespeare, in MacBeth, depicts how one’s desire to gain power causes others to change gender roles to create deception within an environment. In MacBeth, MacBeth’s horrific murders proved how strongly he desired to gain power. Desire means to have a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. When a person desires something, he or she becomes...
Words: 2516 - Pages: 11
...an old man. Not only does the use of a man’s deteriorating sanity entice the audience, but also each reader is able to relate to Poe’s character on at least one level. Similarly in Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are illustrated as paralleling one another’s feelings of guilt and anguish because of their mutual crimes. These emotions are seen through Shakespeare’s symbolism of blood, sleeplessness and darkness. Macbeth’s guilt is most notably seen by his references to the blood of those he killed. Shakespeare uses this symbol to illustrate how the conscience weighs on Macbeth’s thoughts. When Macbeth imagines to see blood covering his hands, he cries, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” (2.2.57-59). The immense guilt, already beginning to trouble Macbeth’s conscience, is set off by the enormity of the deed he has committed against King Duncan. He feels as though nothing can wash away this crime, and goes on to say that the blood on his hands would even turn all the oceans red. Also, during the battle as Macbeth sees Macduff coming towards him in his castle, Macbeth yells, “Get back thee. My soul is too much charged / With the blood of thine already” (5.7.5-6). Macbeth knows what will happen when they fight, and he does not want to deal with any more of the guilt. The blood of Macduff’s family is hanging on Macbeth’s conscience, and the thought of suffering even more makes Macbeth nervous. Shakespeare...
Words: 1316 - Pages: 6
...the entirety of Macbeth, without them there would be little plot and the play would seem dry and repetitive. The women, especially Lady Macbeth and the witches, are definitely catalysts for some of the major issues in the play such as the murder of Duncan and starting Macbeth on the path of blood. Even though it was the witches who first told Macbeth the prophecy about him being the future king, they cannot control other people’s actions and fates, since every decision that someone makes ultimately changes their destiny. The witches merely planted the idea in Macbeth’s head and boosted his ego by praising him and saying, “all hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter”, giving Macbeth the push he needed to become obsessed with the power that being king grants (I.II.). If deep down Macbeth hadn’t had the ambition and urge to be king, the witches wouldn’t have had as much of an influence on Macbeth as they did. Lady Macbeth, however, has a less hands-off approach when it comes to putting the slew of murders into effect. It is her who talks Macbeth into killing Duncan when Macbeth first begins to show signs of weakness and cowardliness. Having second thoughts before committing a murder would seem humane and natural, but Lady Macbeth will have none of it when she says to Macbeth “when you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man” (I.VII). By questioning his manhood and bravery, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into carrying...
Words: 931 - Pages: 4
...Lady Macbeth is a fascinating character in the famous play written by William Shakespeare entitled Macbeth. Lady Macbeth has a multi faceted personality because one side of her character is contemptible, determined and rude while the other side is extremely fearful and hesitant. One of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, Lady Macbeth is known for manipulating her husband to commit the murder of king Duncan and thereby making her an active participant in the crime. Ambition is one of her most prominent traits; She will do anything to become queen and eventually she does but the thing about Lady Macbeth is that she has a conscience, even though she regards it as a weakness. The regret she feels about convincing her husband kill the king, the representative of God on earth, is eventually her demise. The first appearance of Lady Macbeth is in Act 1 Scene 5. At the beginning of the play she is violent and ambitious. She wants King Duncan dead so she can be the Queen and her husband the king. She craves power and control. Lady Macbeth is extremely controlling and uses any means necessary to eventually achieving her goal of getting her husband to murder the king. She states“, “were you not a man when you broke this enterprise to me”(1,7,47-48). Her ability to manipulate her husband eventually changes his mind and he goes ahead and kills Duncan. Lady Macbeth is willing to lie and compromise her integrity if she can get what she wants. Lady Macbeth questions her husband’s masculinity...
Words: 803 - Pages: 4
...Lady Macbeth vs. Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth Often, the influences in one’s life alter his or her attitude and point of view of the surrounding world. Lady Macbeth plays this influential role in Macbeth’s life. Her seductive words convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan, which further leads to a change in Macbeth’s personality. These two contrasting characters set the stage for a perfect example of a complete 360 transformation. While it is Lady Macbeth who primarily leads to Macbeth’s transformation, her transformation is more of a self-triggered change. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s fearless, manipulative, and shameless qualities fade, as the once moral Macbeth gains these qualities and turns into an evil, life-taking ruler. Right from the start, it is easy to identify Lady Macbeth’s greedy and manipulative qualities. After finding out that her husband has been prophesized to be the...
Words: 947 - Pages: 4
...William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, takes place in 11th century Scotland, and has its own portrayal of that society. Although it may not be entirely accurate, the society that Shakespeare develops has distinctive gender roles and societal expectations for each gender. In this society lives Macbeth, a military nobleman trusted by the king who eventually becomes king himself, but through a murder encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth. His reign is tainted with inhumane acts such as murdering the family of his former friends, and hiring assassins to kill one of his friends. At the conclusion of the play, Lady Macbeth dies from unknown causes, Macbeth is murdered by Macduff, another nobleman, and Scotland rejoices because Macbeth’s reign of terror...
Words: 1547 - Pages: 7
