Changing Relationship Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
How does the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change throughout the play?
In the early stages of the play, the Macbeths seem to be a devoted couple. Their love and concern for each other remains strong and constant throughout the play, but their relationship changes dramatically following the ruthless killing of King Duncan in Act II.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and his lady are very close, this is supported by how he referred to her in his letter as “my dearest partner of greatness” when he informed her about the weird sisters prophecies.
They share everything; she is like his best friend and his greatest confidant. It is evident that Lady Macbeth plays the more superior, more dominant role of the two. She lays all the plans and all Macbeth has to do is obey her commands. She comes across as a woman, who is persuasive and manipulative. Macbeth on the other hand is fickle-minded and unsure. We discover that the man, who is praised so highly by the King and the general public, is actually weak and submissive man.
In Act I Scene V, as they plan the murder, it is Lady Macbeth who leads her husband to commit the crime. She believes that Macbeth alone is not capable of murdering Duncan. Macbeth is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” to commit such a deed. According to Lady Macbeth, there is no ‘illness’ or badness in his personality. He would like to become king but is too kind and decent to murder his way to the throne. However, Lady Macbeth intervenes and plots to kill Duncan on the night he comes to visit the Macbeth’s castle. This plot introduces tension into the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth seems to be startled and frightened by the witches prophecies and does not wish to go through with the plan, but it is Lady Macbeth’s ruthless ambition for him to seize the throne so that she might be Queen of Scotland. Lady Macbeth mocks her husband by putting his masculinity into question. Macbeth, it seems, considers
In the early stages of the play, the Macbeths seem to be a devoted couple. Their love and concern for each other remains strong and constant throughout the play, but their relationship changes dramatically following the ruthless killing of King Duncan in Act II.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and his lady are very close, this is supported by how he referred to her in his letter as “my dearest partner of greatness” when he informed her about the weird sisters prophecies.
They share everything; she is like his best friend and his greatest confidant. It is evident that Lady Macbeth plays the more superior, more dominant role of the two. She lays all the plans and all Macbeth has to do is obey her commands. She comes across as a woman, who is persuasive and manipulative. Macbeth on the other hand is fickle-minded and unsure. We discover that the man, who is praised so highly by the King and the general public, is actually weak and submissive man.
In Act I Scene V, as they plan the murder, it is Lady Macbeth who leads her husband to commit the crime. She believes that Macbeth alone is not capable of murdering Duncan. Macbeth is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” to commit such a deed. According to Lady Macbeth, there is no ‘illness’ or badness in his personality. He would like to become king but is too kind and decent to murder his way to the throne. However, Lady Macbeth intervenes and plots to kill Duncan on the night he comes to visit the Macbeth’s castle. This plot introduces tension into the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth seems to be startled and frightened by the witches prophecies and does not wish to go through with the plan, but it is Lady Macbeth’s ruthless ambition for him to seize the throne so that she might be Queen of Scotland. Lady Macbeth mocks her husband by putting his masculinity into question. Macbeth, it seems, considers