What Is Lady Macbeth's Cruelty
Lady Macbeth’s Treachery Upon our introduction to Lady Macbeth, in Act I Scene V, we learn equally as much about Lady Macbeth as we do about Macbeth himself. Lady Macbeth reads aloud a letter written to her by Macbeth, describing his meeting with the three weird women, and his predicted fortunes made by them. Upon hearing of Macbeth’s supposed greatness, Lady Macbeth expresses both her excitement, as well as doubt in her husband’s abilities. In Act I Scene V line 16 she states, “Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness; To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without;The illness should attend it.” (Shakespeare) With these words Lady Macbeth is expressing her doubt in Macbeth’s
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But yet, with her ruthlessness, she maintains a serene surface. Lady Macbeth plays the cordial and offering hostess, whose guests’ could never estimate her treason. In Act I Scene V line 33, Lady Macbeth shows the audience what lengths she is willing to reach to get what she wants: “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! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse” (Shakespeare) By saying these words, Lady Macbeth is praying that she will be able feel no remorse on her journey to the crown. With these words, a sense of dismissal towards Macbeth can be assumed. Lady Macbeth needs him to get to the crown, and it is clear she is willing to mistreat him to get what she wants. Looking at line 60, of Act I Scene V, helps us to understand Lady Macbeth’s dominion: “This night's great business into my dispatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come, give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.” With these words, Lady Macbeth is attempting to comfort Macbeth by telling him to be at ease. She says, ‘Let me take care of it.’ But this request does not root from kindness. It roots from Lady Macbeth’s desire to have power and control, and the will to take down anything in her way. But, predictably, Lady Macbeth’s patience soon wears thin. When her suspicions of Macbeth’s tentativeness
But yet, with her ruthlessness, she maintains a serene surface. Lady Macbeth plays the cordial and offering hostess, whose guests’ could never estimate her treason. In Act I Scene V line 33, Lady Macbeth shows the audience what lengths she is willing to reach to get what she wants: “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! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse” (Shakespeare) By saying these words, Lady Macbeth is praying that she will be able feel no remorse on her journey to the crown. With these words, a sense of dismissal towards Macbeth can be assumed. Lady Macbeth needs him to get to the crown, and it is clear she is willing to mistreat him to get what she wants. Looking at line 60, of Act I Scene V, helps us to understand Lady Macbeth’s dominion: “This night's great business into my dispatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come, give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.” With these words, Lady Macbeth is attempting to comfort Macbeth by telling him to be at ease. She says, ‘Let me take care of it.’ But this request does not root from kindness. It roots from Lady Macbeth’s desire to have power and control, and the will to take down anything in her way. But, predictably, Lady Macbeth’s patience soon wears thin. When her suspicions of Macbeth’s tentativeness