Throughout the play "Macbeth", by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth's character drastically changes from being sinister to feeble. Lady Macbeth was an evil, manipulative person whose greed and selfishness were eventually the downfall of her character and well being. During the beginning of "Macbeth", she used her twisted mind to convince her husband to murder, making him believe that it was the only way he could get what he wanted. But as the play developed and the murders started to increase, Lady Macbeth started to question whether or not they were necessary. Sadly, though possibly justifiably, she ended up committing suicide after her constant questioning of the murders drove her to insanity. Lady Macbeth was an unemotional person who only cared about what she could gain. She made her disconcern about other people well known when she said, "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me I would, while it was smiling in my face Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this." (Act I, Scene VII, Lines 55-60). Lady Macbeth refers that she would have no problem taking the life of her son, if it meant getting what she wanted. The fact that she would even fathom the idea of killing her own child makes her morose and appalling. If only she knew that it would be her who would be taken out of this world so cruelly. Being able to manipulate her husband's mind and the minds of others was another one of Lady Macbeth's baneful traits. After Macbeth killed King Duncan, still reeling from the crime he had committed, he met up with his wife. Once again, she used her manipulative ways to make him think that she felt just as bad as he did. She said, "My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white." (Act II, Scene II, Lines 63-64). Lady Macbeth appeared to her husband as if she felt just as guilty about the act of violence as he did, knowing that in reality she didn't care at all. Telling Macbeth that her hands were as bloody as his own was to try to give him comfort that he was not alone in his schemes. But Lady Macbeth had other ideas in mind. She couldn't care less about her husband's thoughts or worries. All she could think about was
How can women be stronger than men? In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth in the beginning. She then covers for Macbeth during act three to cover his cowardice. Finally, Lady Macbeth dies after the guilt she acquired throughout the play for Macbeth. Although men are considered more powerful than women, Lady Macbeth is the most powerful character in Macbeth because she is unmerciful, deceitful, and vigorous
Macbeth’s character has developed significantly up to the second act. We are first introduced to Macbeth character in a way that we view him as powerful and Nobel. We get this idea from the quote “oh valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” which is what he is described as by Duncan, who at the time is the king. From this quote Macbeth is portrayed as a loyal and heroic figure who has done much for many, however as we know this was not a smart move for Duncan to make as it makes him come across and weak and seems like Duncan should be giving Macbeth a higher title, which is what the witches had told him before. In addition, this idea of the king complementing Macbeth about all the good that he has done seems to trigger the belief that Macbeth has the ability to be king, even in the eyes of Duncan who is so ecstatic what he has done for the county.
It is out of the ordinary for a woman to set up a murder for her husbands gain. Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is know to be a very mean and cruel character that just isn’t scared of anything by the readers. But as we get further towards the end of the play we see that she starts to show her true colors and state of mind.
In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, trust is an important topic throughout the play and is displayed through the character Macbeth as he rises and falls from power. Shakespeare conveys the idea of trust though Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth may seem loyal and trustworthy, but he actually is a fraud and has evil intentions. He trustworthiness to other characters directly corresponds to the amount of power he has in the play. When Macbeth is talking to King about Macbeth’s amazing service to the King, he claims that, “The service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself,” (Shakespeare, 1.4 25-26) Here, Macbeth claims that serving King Duncan in itself is a gift. This quote displays exemplary loyalty from Mr Loyal himself, Macbeth, as he is enthusiastic about serving the King. In this part of the play, Macbeth is trusted enough to gain power and move up the ranks, as he is trusted by all and doesn’t seem to be hiding anything.
Personality is a thing that all humans have that is really difficult to change. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth was a victim of this as he could not change his personality for the good. Although in the text Macbeth was perceived as an evil person, he was actually an inherently good person who was unable to overcome the influences and this lead to his downfall. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth is a good person who is influenced to make bad choices, demonstrating that his easily manipulated personality is the true cause of his downfall. This is supported by the fact that Macbeth was a noble and a thane before he made all the wrong choices, Macbeth was influenced by others to make wrong choices, and the ultimate fact that Macbeth has an easily manipulated personality; as proven in the text.
In his tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare presents his female protagonist, Lady Macbeth as a normal noblewoman who is fiercely ambitious. However, by the end of the play, Shakespeare portrays her as a frail, broken woman who suffers from, the consequences of her actions in the regicide of the King.
Nature changes from day to day, and when nature starts to get dark then one knows when a bad storm or a hurricane is going to happen. Some storms can stay and can ruin people’s lives. During the tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare relates nature to Macbeth morality in order to show that Macbeth starts off as a man on the edge, and then get worse as the play goes on. So Macbeth has been bad from the start, and he's not sympathetic. The repetition of nature in the play shows that he had evil within him throughout the whole play. Some examples of where nature shows is when, when Macbeth becomes the Thane of Cawdor, when the horses are eating each other, and when the forest moves.
Lady Macbeth and the affects she had to Macbeth can be said to contribute to Macbeth’s demise. Lady Macbeth can be known as a controlling person and that is shown throughout the start. In the beginning, Macbeth’s wife tells him that he is going to kill King Duncan so he will become king. The title character starts to doubt the process and she really tries to manipulate him by questioning his man hood. “Was the hope drunk/ Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?” (1.7.39-40). By Lady Macbeth saying this, it leads to Macbeth changing his mind and going through with the murder of Duncan. By the title character going on with the planned killing, this shows that he can be easily manipulated by words especially from one who he cares about. As the play continues, Lady Macbeth questions him when he sees Banquo’s ghost at the dinner. She really fires at him and once again debates his manhood. “You lack the season of all natures, sleep.” (3.4.173). By her saying this a second time, it really starts to have Macbeth questioning his own manhood and that all leads to him not feeling as confident in himself as well as him not standing up for him in tough moments. So, by Lady Macbeth just simply saying what she feels at Macbeths most down times had an effect to his downfall throughout the play.
Macbeth is a man facing an internal struggle between right and wrong, and whose reign started and ended with death. Throughout the play there are many places where imagery pertaining to clothing is used. I believe that these images are used to show the kind of character and man that Macbeth is. These images throughout the play show the transition from a good, honest, trustworthy Macbeth, into a corrupt, power hungry beast who murders anyone in his way. I believe that Macbeth is a good man turned bad through the witches and his wife which ultimately led to his rise to the throne by persuading him murder the king. Fear led to the end of his reign and to his death. Fear of people knowing that it was him that murdered king Duncan. It’s Lady Macbeth and the witches that guide him towards evil at the beginning of the play, but at the end of the play it’s his fear that leads him to murder anyone he sees as a threat.
Unmanly. Cowardly. Full of the milk of human kindness. Throughout the events of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist’s wife is seen regularly attempting to compel Macbeth to unlawfully take and keep the throne of Scotland through insults and attempts at logic and reasoning. Her extreme ambition towards the throne is notable, most remarkably when she performs her famous soliloquy asking murderous spirits to “unsex [her] here” (1-5) so that she could be less like a woman and have a personality belonging to a man to commit murder. Consequently, some may think Lady Macbeth possesses the true determination behind the play due to her desire to place her husband on the throne. Nevertheless, it is clear when looking at how Shakespeare arranges the events of the play that the character holding the most ambition that drives the play forward is Macbeth himself.
William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, categorizes not as a tragedy because of the bloodshed or death; rather the tragic element becomes evident through the protagonist’s suffering, destruction, and distress. Even though Macbeth’s gruesome death at the end gives the audience a sense of catharsis, the mental suffering and moral weakening of Macbeth represents the play’s hamartia. Macbeth’s honor, ambition, and guilt lead to this downfall and eventually his death.
Written in 1606, Macbeth is one Shakespeares most well known pieces of work. There are two characters who undergo drastic changes in personality; these people are Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier who is loyal to the King, but is corrupted from the witches prophecies and by his and Lady Macbeth's ambition. This is because of the weakness of Macbeth's character and the strong power of Lady Macbeth and how she is easily able to influence him. Her strength motivates him at the start, but after he realises what he has done, it is himself that continues in his murderous, bloody path. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth appears as a kind wife of Macbeth's, but underneath lies a scheming and treacherous woman. At the start of it all, Macbeth is a strong soldier who fights for the King without mercy, but his strive for ambition and his curious nature leads him to the witches who give him a prophecy (Shakespeare 53). Banquo realizes that there must be a trick hidden in the witches prophecies somewhere, but Macbeth refuses to accept that. When Lady Macbeth finds out about the witches, her strong desire for ambition and her cold nature leads Macbeth astray. Macbeth is a little ambitious at first, but Lady Macbeth's plan far exceeds his and so she is able to get Macbeth to agree with her to kill King Duncan. Macbeth still has a conscience at this stage because he is very hesitant about killing the King, but his weak nature overpowers him (Shakespeare 97). He has a conscience throughout the entire play that is seen by the hallucinations of the dagger and the ghost of Banquo and his vivid imagination and his constant worry also provokes him. This is also evident in his terrible dreams which gives the solid theme that he has indeed "murdered sleep". Throughout the play we see the character of Macbeth change not from just the way he thinks and what we hear from the play, but from the actions he takes in the play. Killing Banquo, having Lady Macduff and her children murdered, shows the insecurity that was present in Macbeth (Shakespeare 217). After the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth becomes paranoid and his first step of killing the guards is one of
Macbeth may be perceived as a monster, however there are three distinct actions which cultivated the perfect monster. “Macbeth is not a monster, rather, he is a man, perhaps more inclined to evil than most men, but still a man who is tempted, succumbs to temptation and pays the price for his weakness.” The quote given wraps up the entire play of Macbeth in 35 words. When the reader first analyzes the quote they can see the quote clearly state, “Macbeth is not a monster”. But why? Shouldn’t he be convicted as such for the horrendous things he did? Killing the king, betraying his friends, and killing their families? Slaying thousands due to these Witches telling him he was destined to? Doesn’t Macbeth have control over his own destiny? As it transpires to be, Macbeth is only turning to his natural instinct of lust for power and the fear to stand against the will of the Witches, their apparitions, and even his own wife. Even though he did what not a lot of other people are willing to go through with, he still must make up for his actions. Macbeth payed the ultimate price by losing his friends, his wife, his kingdom, and his life.
When a person is born, their genes are the things that determine physical items, such as eye color and height. However, genes cannot control how a person reacts in a certain situation, that job belongs to their environment. William Shakespeare, George Orwell, and William Goulding convey the message that a person's environment has the biggest effect on their behavior and show the influence of one’s surroundings in their respective works Macbeth, 1984, and Lord of the Flies.
Shakespeare, a name made popular ever since the beginnings of his career. As time took its tool on the world, his name spread and his plays and literature works also spread with it throughout the world. His works are not just a play, so many elements are used within them. Thre greatest examples come from his play Macbeth.