Comparing Macbeth And Lady Macduff

1595 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Guilt and sanity in macbeth

Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a play that incorporates the significance of a women’s role in 11th century, Scotland. The two women found within the play are, Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff. Both women are strong individuals who love their husbands dearly. Lady Macbeth is a woman with strong ambitions, while Lady Macduff is a simple woman. Guilt is endured by both women in different forms as Lady Macbeth kills for power, and later becomes mentally unstable due to the inability to overcome the guilt she suffers. On the other hand, Lady Macduff is incapable of understanding why pursuing what is right is punished, and wrong doings are rewarded. The women are also different in the way they show sincerity, Lady Macbeth kills Duncan under …show more content…

She believes Macbeth can only protect her with power, therefore, forcing Macbeth to kill Duncan for the throne. As a result, she develops guilt and becomes a mad woman as she starts to act strangely. Lady Macbeth begins to hallucinate blood on her hands and sleep walks. Furthermore, the change found in Lady Macbeth is different from what the audience is introduced to, which was a confident woman who was sure of herself and her ambitions. She transforms into a woman who always needs a candle by her side. This is evident when the servant states that she, “Throw her night gown upon her, unlock her closet, take fourth the paper, fold it, write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to be,” (5.1.5-8). Imaginably, Lady Macbeth could be writing a letter to her husband, Macbeth, confessing all that she has done and the guilt that has built up as a result. Her guilt leads to her ultimate death of suicide. The audience feels no sympathy towards her death, because she brings the guilt upon herself. Lady Macbeth has an unclear conscience, due to her involvement in the deaths of innocent people, such as Duncan, Lady Macduff, and more. Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth on all his plans. Lady Macduff, however, was left out of Macduff’s plan, which is why her conscience is

Show More
Related

  • Lady Macduff as a Foil for Lady Macbeth

    508 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lady Macduff as a Foil for Lady Macbeth. In many of Shakespeare’s plays, there is a major character, and a lesser character whose character traits directly contrast those of the major character. This literary device is called foil. One example of this exists in the play Romeo and Juliet, in which Mercutrio foils Romeo’s character with his disdain for love and belief in man making his own destiny.

    Read More

  • Macduff Foil In Macbeth

    1742 Words  | 4 Pages

    One such character in “Macbeth” is Macduff, the Thane of Fife. Within the play, Macduff is the foil ; a character that exemplifies the contrasting characteristics of another character, who is Macbeth in this play. In stark contrast to Macbeth, Macduff resolves to restore peace and order in Scotland, which Macbeth has disrupted. After King Duncan's unfortunate demise and the coincidental murder of Scotland's Commander and Macbeth's dear friend, Banquo, Macduff suspects that Macbeth is not the “innocent flower”(1.5.56-57) he pretends to be. Macduff finds himself on the course to England, where Malcolm, the rightful heir to the throne, has found refuge. He wishes that Malcolm would reclaim the throne as the legitimate heir, which shows his allegiance to the royal family. Instead of grasping the throne for himself, he decides to endanger his family to restore the lawful king. When he was informed of the assassination of his kin, he was able to express his grief, like a true man. In this line Macduff mourns for the loss of his family, “...All my pretty ones/ Did you say "all"? O hell-kite! All? / What, all my pretty chickens and their dam/ At one fell swoop?”(4.3.255-258). Here, Macduff's immense capacity to sacrifice for the common good of his people is shown. Consequently, the following lines display his course of actions at the

    Read More

  • Macbeth Comparison Essay

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    Secondly Lady Macbeth shows more ambition then Macbeth does in terms of gaining power regarding kingship. When Macbeth does not want to murder Duncan anymore, for he recognizes that he is a kind man, good king and thinks Duncan should remain the king. Lady Macbeth however shows more ambition for power, becomes very upset upon learning how Macbeth feels how he doesn’t want to kill King Duncan anymore, she says “And Live a coward in thine own esteem” (1.7.46) meaning she’s calling him a coward for not wanting to kill Duncan and thereby gaining power. She convinces him to change his mind to want the power of kingship now, which can only be achieved by killing Duncan.

    Read More

  • The Manipulative Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1431 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Comparison Essay

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    There was a common saying, “Behind every great man there's a great woman”. The men, Macbeth and Winston Smith in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and George Orwell’s 1984 may not be considered as the “great man” however, both Lady Macbeth and Julia are good examples that can be presented as the “great woman” behind the men. Both Lady Macbeth and Julia do an excellent job of pretending to be someone who they are not, they are not only affecting the men in their lives to rethink their previous position but also have a bad ending accompanied with physical and psychological issues.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles- Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    The untraditional marriage between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Lady Macbeth shows how a woman takes charge of her marriage, showing she is the woman of the house. She is manly and all powerful over her husband. Lady Macbeth proves to be the untraditional woman of Scotland, she differs from the role of a traditional woman because she is not feminine as a woman should be, in fact she wishes she was a man. She tells the spirits to, “ unsex me here”. ( Enotes… unsex me here). This pertains to the theme of gender roles because it demonstrates how Lady Macbeth wishes it was a man. She’s manlier than her husband, that show the untraditional woman. Lady Macbeth feels her husband is to nice, friendly, and full of milk “ worrying her is to full of the milk of human kindness to take Duncan’s throne” ( Gale. Par 3). She worries that Macbeth has cold feet. He’s afraid of the consequence that will follow the murder; She planed the murder herself, because she didn’t believe he could do with out her help. She worries he is to manly to snatch the crown. So Lady Macbeth is manly enough to plan the murder, but wants Macbeth to commit the murder. ...

    Read More

  • To what extent is Lady Macbeth responsible for the murder of King Duncan and the downfall of Macbeth?

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history women have fought for the same rights of men. In the time of William Shakespeare they were seen in society as weak and vulnerable. They were seen to be good, caring and not as powerful as men. Men were the superior and ruled the land. Shakespeare has taken the stereotypical image of the women of the time and turned it on its head in ‘Macbeth’. Lady Macbeth is shown as a very powerful, strong woman. She has an evil about her that Shakespeare has used to make ‘Macbeth’ a supernatural play. Women were seen to be good and not as powerful as men, in ‘Macbeth’ Lady Macbeth is the dominate character and commands and persuades Macbeth to commit the murders and crimes that he does.

    Read More

  • Consequences of Actions in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    “When you first 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, 54-56). After struggling with the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth is reprimanded by Lady Macbeth for his lack of courage. She informs him that killing the king will make him a man, insinuating that he isn’t a man if he doesn’t go through with the murder. This develops Lady Macbeth as a merciless, nasty, and selfish woman. She will say, or do anything to get what she desires, even if it means harming others.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Literary Analysis

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Dramatic Irony In Macbeth

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    She was ecstatic about how her husband will become king, and she even started to plan the murder of the king. Her plans were to act innocently towards the king, so when they murder him, no one would suspect them. This reveals the true personality of Lady Macbeth. During that time period, women were thought as, sweet, kind, and gentle. But for Lady Macbeth, this was not true at all because she is greedy, cruel, and heartless. She even gives up her femininity by saying “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.” (Page 41 line 44-46) As Lady Macbeth welcomes King Duncan, she hides her evil character, and greet the king with a fake hospitality. King Duncan does not know her true self, and thinks that she is loyal citizen of his country. This is another dramatic irony because the King thinks Lady Macbeth is a kind and noble gentlewomen, but in reality she is not. Lady Macbeth is ruthless and greedy. Only the audience knows this, while the other characters remains unknowing of the

    Read More

  • Macduff And Macbeth Relationship

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Macduff motivates Macbeth to do irrational things, such as sending murderers to kill his whole family. These setbacks reveal what kind of character Macbeth has turned into, straying from the once honest man he was. Macduff proves to Malcolm that he believes Scotland will fail if he does not return, gaining Malcolm's trust and aiding to invade Scotland. This in turn suppressing all of Macbeth’s honest intentions he had left, he sends out to murder Macduff’s family. Macbeth does regret murdering Macduff’s family further in the play “Of all men else I have avoided thee.

    Read More

  • Comparing Macbeth And Lady Macduff

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    These woman play the wives of two courageous men, but in saying that both characters are not at all similar. Both woman need great stability and strength to survive. Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff both come to a finish as tragic victims with tragic ending. While both fight and deal with situations, it makes them appear as cruel as the environment that surrounds them. They are completely aware of the fact that they live in a man’s world.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth as a Friend-Like Queen in William Shakespeare's Play

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    The comparison between the two wives shows us how and why Lady Macbeth sacrifices her femininity and why she did so. She doesn't just want her husband to become king but she wants to become Queen. Shakespeare was quite sexist and had a hatred for woman which shows in some of his plays, so maybe he is saying that Lady Macduff is what a woman should be and Lady Macbeth is not. Lady Macbeth is very ruthless and "fiend-like" in the way she goes a... ...

    Read More

  • Relationship Between Macbeth And The 11th Century

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lady Macbeth is a key role in the play “Macbeth”, while in reality she is probably the one we have the least factual knowledge about. She convinces her husband to murder on multiple occasions in order to get what she wanted. She mocked and demeaned him along with the three witches. Lady Macbeth’s guilt of her deeds, or the deeds of her husband by her forceful hand, then drives her mad and she never

    Read More

  • The Role of Lady Macbeth

    1523 Words  | 4 Pages

    The play Macbeth is set during the Renaissance Era in Scotland. During the Renaissance Era, women did not have a role is society; they were invisible in the eyes of men. Men managed the public life and went to work, while women were expected to stay at home and take care of household responsibilities. A perfect example of a Jacobean woman is Lady Macduff. Lady Macduff perfectly fits the stereotypical, maternal figure. For example, She has five children that she loves very much. Her love towards her children is shown when she calls her son, “poor monkey”(Macbeth, IV,II,64), which is a term of endearment. Unlike Lady Macduff, Lady Macbeth has no children or a kind heart. Lady Macbeth, to prove her power and strength says, “I would, while it (my child) was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed t...

    Read More

More about Comparing Macbeth And Lady Macduff

Open Document