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How Is Lady Macbeth's Tragic Flaw

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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 …show more content…
Lady Macbeth’s response to the message, “Thou’rt mad to say it!” (1.5.27), expresses her excitement that the opportunity to carry out her evil plan to murder the king has arrived so soon. Her following soliloquy (1.5.36-49) begins with her stating, “The raven himself is hoarse / that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan / Under my battlements” (1.5.34-36), where Lady Macbeth alludes that the raven has lost its voice by exclaiming the evil actions that will take place. She then appeals to the evil spirits, using authoritative language similar to that of a spell: “Come…fill…make…stop” (1.5.36-40). Lady Macbeth requests to “Make thick my blood; / Stop up’th access and passage to remorse” (1.5.39-40). Here, she asks for bravery, since thin blood represents a coward. With thickened blood, Lady Macbeth will have the power to restrain pity and guilt from affecting …show more content…
Demanding the sprits to replace her womanly characteristics with those of a man, Lady Macbeth wants to be capable of murder. She emphasizes this as she says, “Come to my woman’s breasts / And take my milk for gall” (1.5.43-44), due to the symbolism of milk with nurturing and life, which she hopes to have replaced with poison. This depiction corresponds to the false portrayal of protection Duncan receives at Macbeth’s home, when in reality a traitor is present in this ‘place of safety’. By appealing to the evil spirits and asking for these masculine qualities, Lady Macbeth yearns to accompany the male characteristics of violence and manipulation to assist her in her plot to kill the

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