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The character analysis of Lady Macbeth
The character analysis of Lady Macbeth
Macbeth essay analysis
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Macbeth was Significantly influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth in the murder of Duncan. The witches influenced Macbeth by expressing to him that he would be king, therefore started him thinking about it. Also Lady Macbeth influenced him by questioning his manliness consequently Macbeth felt as if he had to prove his masculinity to his wife. However he was not influenced by his own ambition as if it weren’t for his wife and the witches he probably wouldn’t have killed Duncan at all. The witches and Lady Macbeth significantly influenced Macbeth to gain influence over Macbeth. Macbeth was significantly influenced to kill Duncan and become king only by the witches and Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth was significantly influenced by the witches into
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murdering Duncan so that Macbeth would be king as they said. As Macbeth had just came off the battlefield he wasn’t thinking about becoming king until the witches mentioned it. However when they did state that he would be king, he started to think about their prophecy further. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical” 1 This shows that after the witches told him the prophecy, Macbeth starts to think about killing the king to speed up the process. If the witches hadn't told Macbeth, then he wouldn’t have thought about it. Without the witches expressing to him their prophecy they wouldn’t have influenced him to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth significantly influenced Macbeth to kill Duncan by questioning his manhood.
Before she had questioned him he was thinking that being crowned king would come by chance.
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me” 2
This shows that if Lady Macbeth hadn't questioned his manhood then Macbeth would have waited until he was crowned king instead of murdering Duncan to speed up the process. After she questioned him he felt as if he should prove her wrong that he is a man. Further more if lady Macbeth hadn’t said anything then Macbeth would have not decided to Murder Duncan and prove to his wife he was a man. Therefore Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth to murder Duncan by questioning his manliness.
However Macbeth did not influence himself with his own ambition as he had thought to himself that it was wrong. After the witches and Lady Macbeth had talked to him about being king, Macbeth started to question the murder that was about to occur.
“We will proceed no further in this business” 3
Still with the witches and Lady Macbeth influencing him, he knew that it was wrong to do what he was about to. If his ambition had influenced him to murder Duncan, then he wouldn’t have even thought for a second about not killing the king. Therefore his own ambition didn’t influence Macbeth in the murder of
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Duncan. The witches influenced Macbeth to speed up the process of Macbeth becoming king. The witches did this so they would have power over royalty. “There to meet with Macbeth” 4 This shows that the witches had planned to meet Macbeth and to take the power over royalty early so they had it throughout the rain of Macbeth as king.
To have influence over royalty, for the witches, is having stronger and more powerful magic as well. Therefore the witches told Macbeth to murder Duncan to speed up the process of him being king to make them have influence over him.
Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth to also speed up the process and become royalty herself. Lady Macbeth with her ambition of becoming queen over powered her to question Macbeth’s manliness.
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and salt be what thou art promised” 5
This shows that with the power of Cawdor and Glamis and soon to be king, Lady Macbeth is desperate to speed up the process of him becoming king so they can live as royalty. To speed everything up Lady Macbeth questioned Macbeth of his masculinity. Therefore Lady Macbeth questioned Macbeth’s manliness to influence him into murdering Duncan for her own personal
gain. Both the witches and Lady Macbeth significantly influenced Macbeth to kill Duncan, where as his own ambition didn’t. The witches stating that Macbeth would be king and Lady Macbeth questioning his masculinity was that which influenced Macbeth to at the least think about it. The witches influenced Macbeth to gain influence over royalty. Lady Macbeth questioned Macbeth’s Manliness to gain influence by becoming queen herself. Also the witches and Lady Macbeth both influenced him to speed up the process of it happening. Hence Macbeth was influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth however not by his own ambition.
In regards to Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth demonstrates her tragic flaw in her conscious suppression of her muliebrity and her subconscious support of it. In Act I scene 5, she receives a letter from Macbeth. When she hears about the prophecy, she considers killing Duncan to gain power for the first time. Lady Macbeth is too gentle Lady Macbeth has a glorified idea of what it means to be masculine, so she thinks that she could achieve more without her femininity. Consciously, she wishes to be, “top-full/of direst cruelty,” (I.v.48-50).
Everyone is influenced by other people, including leaders or authority, to make the wrong decisions at some point in their lives. In the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is responsible for the evil doings of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is responsible for this by using his love for her to persuade him into killing King Duncan. Because Macbeth loved and trusted his wife, he was vulnerable to her opinions and suggestions. We also know that she is responsible for these heartless things because she has so much guilt that she commits suicide. Macbeth would never have done any of those horrible things if it were not for the murder of King Duncan, which was forced on by Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth is captured by his wild ambition at the opening of the play when he and Banqou meet the three witches. The witches tell Macbeth that he is the Thane of Cawdor, and later will be king. They tell Banquo that his sons will be kings. Instantly Macbeth started to fantasize how he is going to be king. He understood that in order for him to become king he has to kill Duncan. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical”(Act 1 Sc. 3, p.23). He was pondering about the assassination until the moment that he could no longer control his emotions. “To prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself and falls on the other-“(Act 1 Sc. 7, p.41). Because of his “vaulting ambition” he killed Duncan.
Macbeth tells himself to act like a man in the following lines: “Prithee, peace! / I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none” (I, vii, 45-47). This quote by Macbeth shows how he wants to be a man by killing King Duncan, but he does not think this would be an act of righteousness. Macbeth is in a controversy with himself in this situation. If he does not kill the king then his wife, Lady Macbeth, will not think he is a man, but if he does kill the king then he will betray his leader’s trust in him. Betrayal would not be seen as an act of manliness. Jarold Ramsey explains the situation in the following sentence: “And, striking more ruthlessly at him, she scornfully implies that his very sexuality will be called into question in her eyes if he refuses the regicide” (288). This quote by Jarold Ramsey explains how Macbeth’s manliness will be determined in the eyes of Lady Macbeth when he makes his decision on whether or not he will kill the king. Lady Macbeth shows her desire of being queen in the following lines: “What beast was’t then / That made you break this enterprise to me? /When you durst do it, then you were a man” (I, vii, 47-49). This quote shows how she wants Macbeth to kill the king. In this situation Macbeth tells himself to be a man and kill the king to please Lady Macbeth. Maria Howell exp...
Lady Macbeth shows more ambition then Macbeth does in terms of gaining power regarding kingship. When Macbeth finds out about the witches’ predictions and the first two coming true “Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind” (1.3.124-125) meaning that he got a taste of power, making him thane of Glamis and thane of Cawdor making him more ambitious for the power to become king. Proving that he will do anything for power he decides that he is going to murder Duncan. When Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth learning about the witches’ predictions and that two of them came true already, she becomes very ambitious towards gaining power. She doesn’t believe that Macbeth will murder Duncan, so she makes a plan for the murder.
The Witches, as well as Lady Macbeth, both influence Macbeth, turning his thoughts evil. However, Macbeth is a strong, tough man who does not need to listen to others to make a decision. By questioning Macbeth’s manhood, she draws Macbeth’s attention so he is more inclined to listen to her. But, ultimately, the decision for Macbeth to listen to his wife was up to him.
Lady Macbeth is getting very confused that Macbeth is refusing to kill King Duncan and she cannot commit the crime her self because evidently King Duncan resembles too much like her father. She fells that Macbeth is not a man and she ridicules and tries to persuade him to kill King Duncan by saying that he is not a man and that the only way to become a man is to kill the king (regicide).
Firstly, he defeats his enemies. Next he is praised by the other soldiers and King Duncan appoints him as the Thane. For example, if a person desires for a manager title, the person will work hard to earn it, and it is possible that other workers will see this and boost the chief individual’s desire. It is from here that the person might think they deserve the title and look for more power. Similarly, Macbeth must have thought somewhere in his mind to be king. In the book Witches’ Caldron: a study of motive in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Dr. K.C. Mathur says that although the witches did prophesy he would be king and even boosted his desire “They did not create the thought of murder of King Duncan. It was Macbeth’s own latent ambition embodying his power drive and seeking affirmation that invites the witches.” (Witches Caldron, 6) Dr. Mathur also says “Macbeth had acquired this status and it is not surprising that he thinks of achieving higher status by being aggressive and domineering. It is this psychological impulse that is projected in his ambition for the crown and not any criminal instinct or latent evil.” (6) There was a negative environment of witches and the association of Lady Macbeth around Macbeth which influenced him to murder. The environment creates a huge part in the play and if he had a good environment it is possible that he would have remained loyal to King
Gender roles in Macbeths society automatically expect men to be physically and emotionally stronger than women, however, lady Macbeth plays as a juxtaposition to Macbeth; encapsulating the emasculating woman prototype. She wants to abandon all her feminine qualities as she recognises that the characteristics she wants are not acceptable for females. She asks the spirits to "unsex" (1.5 46) her and to fill her "from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty" (1.5 46). It is in gaining these ‘masculine’ characteristics in Lady Macbeth ultimately attacks Macbeths biggest insecurity- his masculinity. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious and power hungry than Macbeth, and uses him as a vice for her own power conquests. It is at times when he doubts what is right and wrong for his own ambition, that Lady Macbeth uses her power of manipulation to call his manhood into question. At first, Macbeth suggests that killing the King would make him less a man and would cause him too loose his humanity, however, he changes his mind as Lady Macbeth proposes that a real man keeps promises and acts on his ambitions: "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" (1.7 54-56). Macbeth therefore murders Duncan to prove that he would be defeated neither by his fear
“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.
Lady Macbeth was so influential when it came to her husband. She frequently asserted many notions into her husband head that it changed him. Macbeth would not speak of killing the king, but now he was considering it. Macbeth was given reassurance in this concept when he was bestowed the title, king, killing the Duncan, and not being caught. He let the power finally wash over his morals and
In Lady Macbeth‚s eyes if Macbeth did not kill Duncan than he would not be a man to her anymore, she believes that he would be denying all urges for greater wealth and prosperity that man should have. She is wondering why he is not taking the opportunity to be king when he can easily do so, in reality, we know why Macbeth is contemplating the murder of Macbeth, because he has morals, qualities that we consider manly today.
In the play, everyone seems to want power. Usually, men are the ones who are outward and aggressive about it, and women are more subdued about it. Lady Macbeth has a great deal of power over Macbeth the power which she holds over him, is the fact that she possesses more of the "manly" quality than Macbeth himself. Because of this, Macbeth is ashamed of himself. Macbeth constantly tries to disprove Lady Macbeths doubt of his manhood. "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." (1.7.22). As you can see in this quote, Lady Macbeth has her doubts.
Shakespeare is known for strong male heroes, but they are not laying around in this play, not that Macbeth is full of strong female heroines, either. The women in the play, Lady Macbeth and the witches have very uncommon gender belief, and act as inhumane as the men. While the men engage in direct violence, the women use manipulation to achieve their desires. As Lady Macbeth impels Macbeth to kill King Duncan, she indicated that she must take on some sort of masculine characteristic in order to process the murder. “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 31-34) This speech is made after she reads Macbeth’s letter. Macbeth, she has shown her desire to lose her feminine qualities and gain masculine ones. Lady Macbeth's seizure of the dominant role in the Macbeth's marriage, on many occasions, she rules her husband and dictates his actions. Her speeches in the first part of the book give the readers a clear impression. “You shall put this night’s great business into my dispatch, which shall […] gi...
Lady Macbeth represents all the stereotypical qualities of manhood, such as unrelenting determination, cruelty, and lack of emotions. Her interpretation of masculinity is made clear from the very first scene she appears in. When Lady Macbeth realizes that she must kill Duncan in her own home, she states, "Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (I. iv. 43-44). Her request shows that she believes a woman is not capable of such cruel and evil acts, and that only a man is. Furthermore, she wants to be filled up from the "crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!" with the "access and passage to remorse", completely blocked off, implying that a man is without remorse and feelings, and full of cruelty (I. iv. 45-47). Lady Macbeth then imposes her idea of Manhood on Macbeth. When Macbeth decides not to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth quickly challenges his manliness by c...