...Macbeth was written in roughly 1606 during the Elizabethan times. During this period, people’s beliefs where different and influential in comparison to the ones we know today. Religion back then was a very big influence; even more so than it is today. It even went to the extent that people believed that if they where to sin, they would go straight to hell upon their own death. Another big influence on people (quite similar to religion) is superstition. Witches especially where a big superstition during the Shakespearian period, they were seen as evil an unholy. Whether or not it was Shakespeare’s intension while writing the play, he created controversy within the audience by integrating scenes that go against religion and the foundation of society- like when Macbeth confronted the witches and partook in an unholy ritual for his personal gain. In Shakespearian times, women were seen as the fairer sex and an accessory to men, which was why it was so unusual for the public audience when Shakespeare presented ‘Macbeth’. It portrays the only female character in the play as having power and influence which women back then where not supposed to have. Women should be powerless and gentle whereas Lady Macbeth is shown to be in control. Shakespeare’s characterization of lady Macbeth was genius because people did not know whether to sympathise or detest her. At some points in the play she was depicted as vulnerable which made you understand her situation and feel sorry for her...
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...Act 5 scene 1 of ‘Macbeth’ we see Lady Macbeth descend into madness when she sees a ‘spot’ on her hand. The spot she is referring to is the blood of King Duncan and she is unable to wash it off of her hands. She tends to sleepwalk and wash her hands and says “out damn spot!” There are no logical or actual connections between her memories of her crimes or her sentences, and she is so confused that she cannot recall any previous events in their correct order. For example, "Out damn spot" is followed by "The Thane of Fife had a wife," when she is referring to Lady Macduff. The ‘spot’ on her hand is being used to refer to the blood of Duncan after they committed the murder. Later we hear the line "Banquo's buried: he cannot come out one's grave," and finally she believes she hears Macduff knocking. This may or may not have aroused the doctors suspicions but he does not show any sign of being too interested or taking much notice of what she was saying. Maybe he just thinks that as she is going mad, she is just saying things and what she is saying may have no meaning. When the doctor walks out to Macbeth, he tells him that there is nothing he can do for her as this condition is outside of his practice meaning that he didn’t know what to do for her. Lady Macbeth does commit suicide by jumping off of the tower and Macbeth says “she should have died here after”. The use of this phrase shows that towards the end of their relationship, they didn’t really care for each other so this shows...
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...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...
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...Lady Macbeth found via Google - not my own work In typical Shakespearean tragedies, female main characters aren't always treated brilliantly. In Hamlet, Ophelia goes down the "I shall obey, my lord" route. In Othello, Desdemona goes down the "To you I am bound" route. Yet in Macbeth, this isn't quite the case. The most important female figure is Lady Macbeth, a cunning and manipulative woman who is associated with the supernatural. Instantly it can be argued that Lady Macbeth fits in with the later idea of certain Gothic women being 'sinister predators', or 'femme fatales'. | Dame Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth | Lady Macbeth has been the subject of much debate for hundreds of years. Her role in the play is incredibly important and she is the subject of various interpretations. Her first appearance in the play is in act one, scene five. She opens by reading Macbeth's letter; instantly this seems to present her as a typical Shakespearean woman (when I say typical, I mean typical in terms of main female characters in tragedies being passive), since her first words are that of her husband's, as though she is bound to him. Then she stops reading the letter, and we start to realise that she isn't at all typical. She instantly states that Macbeth will be "what thou art promised", which shows a determination and strength of will that we may not have been expecting. She goes on to criticise her husband's nature, since he is "too full o'th'milk of human kindness". A wife...
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...force behind any successful man. However, a woman can also use her strong influence in a negative way. This can be seen in Macbeth, where Lady Macbeth is the evil force behind Macbeth's cruelty and evil doings. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the main reason that Macbeth is transformed from a noble, respected Thane into a ruthless, murderous character. Lady Macbeth fuels his inner desire for power and brings forth his greed and ambition, which both eventually lead to his downfall. The tactics that Lady Macbeth use to drive her husband to this downfall are manipulation, dominance, and her evil nature. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into believing that he is a coward and a bad husband, which persuades him to agree to the murder of King Duncan. She dwells on the fact that he is a coward, when she says "My hands are of your colour, but I shame/ to wear a heart so white" (2.2.64-65). This instills feelings of embarrassment into his mind, and manipulates him into believing that if he does not murder King Duncan, he will be a weak, cowardly man. Not only is she challenging his manhood, by appearing to be the stronger and braver of the two, but also, by calling his heart "white", she is criticizing his cowardice. The fact that his wife is undermining his masculinity causes Macbeth to want to be stronger, and not to appear weak and timid. When Lady Macbeth yells "Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/ are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood/...
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...January 22, 2009 English Midterm Lady Macbeth Essay Lady Macbeth is not your average housewife. “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!” (I.V.30). Those are words spoken by the infamous Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth could be described as many things, like dominant, ruthless and cruel. Lady Macbeth has a soliloquy on stage and in it she asks the spirits to come down and “unsex” her, she wants the spirits to fill her with cruelty. “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!” (I.V.30). She says this because she doesn’t want to feel any repentance for the act that she is going to do. Lady Macbeth wants to be as cruel as possible (and we thought she couldn’t get any crueler). She doesn’t want her compassion as a human to get in the way of Macbeth becoming king. Throughout her whole soliloquy she keeps asking the spirits to remove all her womanly parts. She wants her breast milk eradicated and turned into acid, and she wants her blood thickened so she won’t feel any remorse. Her whole soliloquy is asking the spirits to become more like a man, so she has the courage to follow through with her plan to kill King Duncan. That quote relates to Lady Macbeth in Act I and because it portrays one of her main characteristics, merciless. Once Lady Macbeth got a wind of Macbeth possibly becoming king, she stopped...
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...Macbeth: Lady MacBeth Lady MacBeth is one of Shakespeare's greatest and most intriguing female characters. She is evil, seductive, and witch-like all at the same time. However, during the play we see her in two different ways. At the time when we first meet her, she is a brutally violent, power wanting witch, and later on she turns to a shameful suicidal grieving woman. At the beginning of the MacBeth, Lady MacBeth is very savage and vicious. She thinks nothing of killing King Duncan. She has no sense of what is wrong and right, and believes that it is perfectly moral to do the deed of murder. She states that to not go through with the deed would be horrible to yourself, and that you would be a coward in your own eyes. "Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem," She states that if she was MacBeth and did not jump at this perfect opportunity, that if a child, being fed at her breast, where as Duncan is, king, she would tear it from her and "dash'd the brains out" to have the opportunity MacBeth does. This shows how mad and sadistic she was. She had absolutely no self- conscience, and thought nothing about the wrong they were soon to commit. Later on, after the murders, she, unlike MacBeth, still shows no signs of a conscience. She is very cool and collected, while MacBeth hallucinates...
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...demise. Macbeth is a tragic hero. "What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won"(1.2.70). This shows that Macbeth becomes the new Thane of Cawdor, just like the witches had told him. As Macbeth starts to believe the prophecies of the witches that he will be the Thane of Cawdor, Glamis, and the King, he starts to want it even more. He has the ambition to do what he wants. " Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires"(1.4.50-51). This great ambition will turn into the flaw that hurtles Macbeth to his demise. Outside forces contribute to Macbeth's downfall. "Speak" "Demand" "We'll answer" (4.1.63-65). Macbeth is asking the witches for more prophecies. The tragic hero is generally a person of importance in society."He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor"(1.3.104-105). Macbeth has been given the title "Thane of Cawdor". Macbeth's ambition also influenced his declining character. Lady Macbeth convinced him that murder is the easiest way to fulfill his ambition to become king. Macbeth agrees although he is scared that his nerve will fail."If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well/It were done quickly(1.7.1-2)". Ambition is also seen in act one. "We fail? But screw your courage to the striking place, find we'll not fail."(1.7.59-61). Lady Macbeth does not want Macbeth to fail at murdering Duncan. After these recent murders, Macbeth doesn't need to be influenced by anyone and takes matters into his own hands, making his own decisions. Macbeth has veered...
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...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. Lady Macbeth is a dominant character as soon as she is introduced into the play. A.C. Bradley wrote about her as “…the most commanding and perhaps the most awe-inspiring figure that Shakespeare drew” from his article titled Lecture X. She became a image known for her ambitious nature. Her thirst for power and disregard for life was shocking to the audience, as to her own husband. The moment she learns of the prophecies, she decides to stand behind Macbeth and see him to the throne. She is immediately set on her quest for more power. As it reads “Glamis thou art, and Cowador, and shalt be/ What thou art promised (1.5.13-14) This moment is...
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...All hail, Macbeth! In the future, you shall be king! The person who is the most responsible for the murder of Macbeth is Lady Macbeth. She constantly makes Macbeth question himself, his masculinity and his love for her, which causes him to feel the need to prove his manhood and passion to her on a regular basis. While some say that the witches are at fault because they give the prophecy in the first place or that Macbeth is responsible for his own demise because he allows himself to become too driven by his ambition of being a king. However, Lady Macbeth is the most at fault for her husband’s demise due to the fact that she uses her husband's’ flaws to work against him. The witches play a significant...
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...In the Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare many women didn’t have as much power and respect as men did in the 1000’s. Women were treated as slaves built to stay home take care of their children then go to work. In this catastrophe, Lady Macbeth wasn’t a normal woman you see and know now and days , gender and power is the main key to Lady Macbeth. She was an uprising model to women because she wouldn’t give up on what was best for her and her husband. She was definitely a head turner and made women seem more superior than men. Lady Macbeth was a selfish, intelligent, and manipulative woman. She made her husband, Macbeth, do many awful things that she couldn’t have done herself. Lady Macbeth played a very important role in this tragedy....
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...the person's view of the world. In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth is the one who is ultimately responsible for the murder of King Duncan, as her manipulative influences are the only reason Macbeth killed the King. Lady Macbeth shows she is responsible through her manipulation of Macbeth, and her plotting and covering up of the murder shows how she is the responsible for the murder. Lady Macbeth’s manipulative tendencies forced Macbeth to kill King Duncan, after he had already said he would not. When she say “ 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 ,“ (Mac.1.7.41-44) she is manipulating Macbeth into a completely different way of thinking. She insults him making him think he isn’t worth anything unless he kills Duncan, saying “What beast was ’t, then, / That made you break this enterprise to me? / When you durst do it, then you...
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...In scene five, through a character perspective, Lady Macbeth discovers the prophecies about Macbeth, and she reveals her manipulative plans to accomplish her goal for Macbeth to become king . Thus, she exposes the different sides of her personality. As seen in the line “What thou art promis’d yet do I fear thy nature” where Lady Macbeth notes her husband’s lack of ambition to fulfill the prophecy, Lady Macbeth’s narrative does not follow the traditional iambic pentameter used in the play. This showcases her character as going insane, and this continues throughout the scene. Through a sudden, unreliable voice, Lady Macbeth remembers her social status and displays a different side of her when talking to the attendant. Therefore, she quickly transitions...
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...Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth illustrates one of Shakespeare’s most powerful female characters because of her role as both a driving and destructive force, which was uncommon of women during the Elizabethan Era. Women of this time (circa AD 1000) were not very influential and did not normally have meaningful input. Despite this social convention, Lady Macbeth is an unparalleled character Shakespeare creates to entertain his audience. Lady Macbeth’s passionate desire and ambition to murder Duncan in order to gain power is a characteristic developed by Shakespeare not seen in her historical counterparts. After learning of the prophecy telling that Macbeth will become King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth ferociously pushes Macbeth to murder Duncan and cleverly uses her words to manipulate Macbeth into action “through a meticulous process of cruel and piercing emasculation, purposefully designed to attack his warrior status” (Ancona and Thompson). This exemplifies how...
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...Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ written in the 17th and 20th century, separated by hundreds of years of development and change within the world, both reflect the ideologies, treatment and representations of women in their respective eras. The principal feminine representatives are Lady Macbeth and Curley’s wife who throughout both texts demonstrate similarities and differences in their portrayal of their relationships with their male counterpart, the description of their tragic deaths and the conventional role of men and women and how they fit or break the stereotype. In this essay, I will refer to the aforementioned depictions, analysing the techniques the writers use to create their characters, and how a Jacobean audience, one during the Great Depression of the 1930s and a modern audience would react. Rather than supporting her husband in a subservient manner, Shakespeare makes Lady Macbeth the ruthless mastermind of a fiendish, venal and daring enterprise aimed to ensure her husband would ‘catch the nearest way’. In Act 1 Scene 5, when attempting to convince Macbeth to commit this necessary deed, she utters the heartless words ‘you shall put this night's great business into my dispatch’ inferring she intends to commit Duncan's murder herself. ‘Dispatch’ would lead a modern audience to believe she will only manage and oversee the murderous plan, however, in Elizabethan England, it would have meant to kill with quick efficiency; thus, Lady Macbeth prepares...
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