Exploring The Reaction Macbeth's Letter Produces in Lady Macbeth

Exploring The Reaction Macbeth's Letter Produces in Lady Macbeth

In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has a very manipulative quality and is able

to control her husband into getting what she wants. From this scene

The audience feels that Lady Macbeth's character as the wife and the

stereotypically the weaker part of the relationship is not so, we can

see that she holds a more powerful grasp of Macbeth and that she is

more masculine than him. This is the first scene that the audience

meets Lady Macbeth and she is plotting the death of King Duncan. She

is fully aware of all consequences over their actions and what will

come of them if they are planned correctly.

After reading the letter from Macbeth, it seems as though the letter

triggered a dark reaction in Lady Macbeth. The letter tells Lady

Macbeth about how he was told he was becoming Thane of Cawdor and then

King, Lady Macbeth starts to envision her future, she feels that

Macbeth isn't powerful enough to fulfil what the witches told him,

that he is too kind. The audience sees this right after reading the

letter she says, "… I fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of

human kindness" meaning that Macbeth's nature or his personality is to

be kind and generous and it would not be easy to get him to do

anything evil. It isn't that Lady Macbeth sees him as someone who is

weak but someone who won't do anything ruthless to gain for himself.

Therefore Lady Macbeth feels that she must encourage her husband and

convince him that what he must do is not wrong.

In anticipation of his arrival, The audience hears the thoughts of

Lady Macbeth in another soliloquy, this one is not about the

weaknesses of her husband but of the setbacks of being a woman. This

speech shows her willingness to do what is necessary for her husband

to become king. "… unsex me here; and fill me, from the crown to the

toe top-full of direst cruelty!" Lady Macbeth wants the spirits to