Preview

Lady Macbeth 's Role in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
910 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lady Macbeth 's Role in Shakespeare's Macbeth
Macbeth is William Shakespeare’s shortest play but arguably the most intense in terms of actions and different human personalities. Macbeth is about a bloody rise to power and the tragic downfall of an honoured soldier - Macbeth; already a well-known warrior of his time in Scotland , he receives a prophecy stating that he would be King by three witches and kills the reigning king to get to that position. His wife (Lady Macbeth), being a strong force of persuasion and a culprit in the murder, he is also aware that the second prophecy that claims Banquo – his friend- sons would become Kings could be a threat to him and therefore eliminates Banquo but fails to kill his son. At the end, Macbeth is “…slained…” by Macduff and Lady Macbeth becomes a sleepwalker, both of whom face nightmares and hallucinations of the murders they committed. As aforementioned, Lady Macbeth has a strong influence on Macbeth’s decisions and this is could be because of her evil driven ambitions, manipulative nature and her authority in the household.
Lady Macbeth’s opening scene shows her ambitions and her deepest desires. In Act 1, Scene 5 (Line 41- 43) she says “Come you spirits….fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty…”. This could be a pun; it could refer to filling from the head to toe or as a queen’s crown which demonstrates Lady Macbeth’s thirst for the throne. She also commands “spirits” to “come” which means she has a dark side or rather a witchy side to her which is in contrast with people of her time, who believed strongly in God and viewed witchcraft in a negative light. We also hear of spirits in Line 26 “pour my spirits in thine ear…”, which could also mean she is in touch with the spiritual world and doesn’t mind the art of black magic, additionally, she wants to put her natural femininity aside so she can do any deed necessary to get the throne. Furthermore, her evil driven ambitions is portrayed by her speech again in Line 64-65 of Act 1, Scene 5

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's Ruthless Quotes

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Macbeth is King Duncan’s cousin, a courageous warrior and a loyal nobleman. He comes back from the battle against the Norweyans with his new title, Thane of Cawdor, since he defeats the former Thane of Cawdor, the traitor. He then meets with the three weird sisters and the sisters tell him about his “bright” and “successful” future, the sisters tells him that he will become king and Banquo’s descendants will become king. This awakens Macbeth’s inner ambition and leads to Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth becomes more and more ruthless and selfish after each crime he commits, and in the meanwhile, he falls deeper and deeper and eventually hits the ground and could never come back up again.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, began with Macbeth, previously a successful soldier, who was granted thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, and later told he would become king by three witches. He was named the king of Scotland after Duncan’s heinous death. He had committed many unlawful crimes in order to become the king. His bloody rise to power lead to his tragic downfall. Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, was very strong willed and much more ambitious and controlling than her husband. After she became Queen, she began to lose her control, which led to her unbalanced mental state and problems. Lady Macbeth was one of the most powerful female characters in literature, but her irregular thinking and acts, clearly showed that…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth the protagonist of the play is Scottish in the king's army who later becomes king. Shakespeare characterizes Macbeth at first as humble, brave and loyal soldier however, later on in the play Macbeth gets tempted by outside forces such as the scottish witches and his wife Lady Macbeth and get corrupted. In the play the third witches state “Thou shalt get kings,though thou be none:So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo”(I,iii,60). In other words the witches are telling Macbeth their prophecy that macbeth would be king to mess with Macbeth’s head. After the witches play with Macbeth’s head he starts falling apart. Many of the audience would agree that Macbeth is really malicious, envious and reckless and is not fit to be a good leader. Equally…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Witches Role In Macbeth

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page

    Written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth has been edited by numerous editors and Shakespearian enthusiasts. But the one thing that is prominent in all works of the play is that they all mostly have the very same beginning. In a desolate place blasted by thunderstorms, three witches meet to predict the future. The witches don’t only come out once or twice during the play but instead are far more frequent. The witches play a far more important role in the play than being these ugly, old hags that tell the future. They aren’t your regular broomstick flying witches they are, “The Weird Sisters, hand in hand, posters of the sea and land.”(1.3; 32-33) possible the most powerful creatures we’ve read about. Yes, the title of the play is Macbeth, but…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first line Lady Macbeth says, "Come, you spirits." Already we have a dark image of her conjuring up evil spirits. She does not seem a bit intimidated by the spirits she is calling. Her tone of voice suggests she is almost commanding the spirits to help her carry out her plan. William Shakespeare intentionally attached this phrase in the beginning of the sentence, so that the reader sees Lady Macbeth as more of an evil character, which in her own way conjures evil spirits.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy, written between the years of 1599 and 1606. It tells the story of a Scottish general, known as Macbeth who receives a prophecy from three witches claiming that he will, someday, become king of Scotland. The play demonstrates two main themes through the desires of kingship and power Lady Macbeth has for Macbeth and the numerous murders committed by Macbeth in order to fulfill these and his own want for power. The two main themes of Macbeth include ‘the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition’ and ‘the relationship between cruelty and masculinity.’ The first and most common theme, ‘the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition,’ initially arises when Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth of his new title and how he is…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth by William Shakespeare illustrates throughout the course of the novel how the dominance in a relationship can change. Lady Macbeth is an ambitious character who initially portrays the role of a leading spouse over Macbeth but as the play progresses we witness an incredible shift in the orientation of power. The beginning involves an uncertain Macbeth who struggles to come in terms with the prophecy of the three witches. Macbeths indecisive nature proves to be an opportunity for the success Lady Macbeths objective. Originally both characters indicate their hopes and dreams for glory but it is Lady Macbeth who dominates and leads the ambiguous Macbeth into his drastic yet prophesized future. Macbeths chaotic rule begins a chain of decisions made without the influence of Lady Macbeth which ultimately destroys her power in the relationship.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Macbeth Banquo's Murder

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In this third stage, Macbeth is driven by power and getting more nervous by the second, and vows to kill as much as necessary to keep the throne saftly. After Banquo's kill, Lady Macbeth starts having second thoughts and begins to RECEDE from center stage and Macbeth takes her place as the most COMPELLING character in the play. Macbeth's newly confident ambition and lack of sympathy is shown in his conversation with Lennox about the troublesome night of Banquo's murder. In this conversation, Lennox is upset and talks about Banquo's death and the BAD weather of the previous night, to which Macbeth can say nothing but, yes, " Twas a rough night" (act 2. Sc. 3. Ln. 57) . Because of Macbeths newfound confidence, he fails to notice right away that MacDuff is casting suspician on him. Then later, at the banquet, which ends up being the beginning of his DOWNFALL- Macbeth finds that Banquo has been killed, he sees his ghost sitting at the table, showing that his paranoia has been taken to a new level; hallucinations. At this point, he starts to backtrack and get nervous, admitting that he may have to kill more to keep the throne.Macbeth realizes that he can no longer go back, knowing that he is "in blood, stepped in so far that, (he) should wade no more" (Act 3. Sc. 4 Ln 135-136). Macbeths confidence is boosted once again when the witches tell him that no man born of a woman can harm him.…

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is described as being "valiant". He is a skilled warrior, who is loyal to his king and his country. Almost single-handedly, he wins the war for Scotland. He defeats many of the enemy soldiers, including a traitor, all in the name of his king. But, when three witches encounter Macbeth and his friend Banquo, Macbeth 's ambition begins to grow. They tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor and King. Soon after, Macbeth meets with King Duncan. He informs Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is astonished, and from then on he is obsessed with being king. His ambition begins to become ruthless when Duncan proclaims that his son Malcolm is the Prince of Cumberland, and therefore, the heir to the throne: "The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step/On which I must fall down, or else o 'erleap, /For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires:/The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be/Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see." (I,iv,48-53) At this moment, Macbeth, realizing that they stand in the way of the witches ' prophecies, decides that both Duncan and Malcolm need to die for him to be king. As soon as Macbeth kills Duncan, he enters into a world of evil. Later in the play, Macbeth 's ambition becomes increasingly ruthless. He kills his best friend Banquo, and almost kills Banquo 's son, Fleance, because he believes they would stand in the way of his reign. The witches told Banquo "Thou shall get kings, though thou be none."…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy which follows the protagonist Macbeth as he plots to kill the king of Scotland and to become king himself, after hearing a prophecy from three witches. It follows Macbeth's journey of betrayal, guilt, and murder, until his final downfall. This scene details Macbeth's first soliloquy, in which he decides not to follow through with their plan of regicide, and the remainder of the scene consists of his wife, Lady Macbeth, arguing with him to change his mind. Lady Macbeth uses emotive language in contrast to he husband's logically thought out reasoning, and appeals to his sense of honour in his own masculinity by insulting it.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is one of the greatest Shakespearean tragedies written in the 18th century, a drama full of murder and revenge. By these mysterious prophecies of the three mystical witches, Macbeth is prompted to kill his dear ruler, and friend, Duncan, in order to seize the throne. This leads to ghosts, hallucinations, more murders, and other unnatural events, eventually resulting in the downfall of Macbeth. Macbeth develops and changes greatly, from a loyal, trustworthy person to a corrupted and murderous man throughout the course of the play. Many factors affected the shaping of the character of Macbeth, including the witches’ prophecies and foil character, Banquo. This character…

    • 1625 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The play “Macbeth” is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The play is about a valiant soldier who becomes too engrossed in the idea; proclaimed by the witches, about becoming king of Scotland. He develops into a vicious murderer, killing the king of Scotland through selfishness to earn his place on the throne. But what Macbeth was unaware of was Malcolm. Macbeth continued to go on and kill Banquo and Malcolm's family he spared no remorse. His wife was a main influence on his selfish mind but this all become too much for lady Macbeth so she took her own life. Macbeth was left to reflect on his horrible actions while the armies of Malcolm marched towards the castle. Macbeth was killed and his head was risen on a pole to announce his death.…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The revelation of Lady Macbeth’s true form was unsheathed during the first soliloquy, “Hie thee hither, that I may pour spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue. All that impedes thee from the golden round.” We perceive Lady Macbeth’s true intentions as she speaks aloud after reading the letter from her husband, “Brave Macbeth.” She is a conniving and tenacious woman, “Come, you spirits...unsex me here.” She plans to formulate herself and to possess the characteristics of a stereotypical man and to make her blood “thick.” She commands evil spirits to “fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty..” and begs that her “keen knife see not the wound it makes,” meaning that she wishes not to feel guilt from…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When the play opens, Macbeth seems an unlikely character to demand power and control. He is under the control of a prophecy from three “weird sisters” that promised him a chance to be king. However, in the first acts Macbeth’s ego is not developed enough to take the crown, so Lady Macbeth steps in to orchestrate the murder of King Duncan. In this case, it is Lady Macbeth who victimizes Macbeth so she too can reap the rewards of his crown. She projects her desires onto Macbeth, who does not require the crown to boost his ego. The reversal in roles provides a unique insight, as Macbeth’s behaviors following the initial murder could be a direct result from Lady Macbeth emasculating him. As the play progresses Macbeth ventures into a semi-psychotic state of unbeing and he allows his ego to control his thoughts and actions. When Macbeth kills Banquo, it is a turning point in his character development, as well as Lady Macbeth’s. While they initially worked as a team, this betrayal not only effects his own psyche but also her’s. Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and he becomes haunted over his own cowardice, his ego eventually projects the ghost of Banquo to haunt him. His ego is insuppressible and Lady Macbeth begins to become depressed from the insanity of Macbeth coupled with her loss of a partner in crime. While Macbeth is so caught up in succeeding the prophecy, he cannot see the harm he is inflicting on his wife. Eventually she sees no better option than to take the knife upon herself and commits suicide. Lady Macbeth tells a sad story of love loss and the dangers of males growing dominance over women and power of their…

    • 1296 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth afraid that Fleance would over through him he sent out some men to kill them. They succeeded in killing Banqou however they failed to kill Banqou’s son Fleance. At a banquet Macbeth has he see’s Banqou’s ghost and starts ranting in anger and shock, the guests are deeply concerned about their new king then lady Macbeth send them out to talk to her husband. Even though Macbeth is in deep depression, lady Macbeth evil thoughts running though her mind, happy that she is now Queen can not help feel a little…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics