Lady Macbeth is filled evil schemes, and knows how to achieve her goal of getting her husband into the kingly position. Lady Macbeth is very convincing in her ideas, and does not leave a lot of space to think otherwise. Macbeth is not left much choice but to conform himself to his wife’s mischievous strategy to get him to become king. He is very loyal, and wants to remain so to his king even knowing he would become king if Duncan, the present king, were to die. Lady Macbeth, however, has other plans for Macbeth, and she soon has him convinced to commit an act which will change their lives forever. Macbeth and his wife are truly opposite people, as Macbeth is laid back and easy going, while Lady Macbeth wants everything planned out and will go onward with plans no matter who they affect. She truly does make Macbeth a more interesting person through her evil schemes. “I have given suck, and know 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 so sworn as you have done to this (Shakespeare, 44).” Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth that he must go forward with his intent of killing Duncan while he sleeps. She explains to him that she would be so courageous as to tear her baby away from her and kill it while it was smiling at her if she had promised to do so. The fact that Lady Macbeth would be able to commit such an act in a tender moment as nursing her child
In Shakespare’s play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s destiny is formed by her own actions through mind and free-will. In act I, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to murder Duncan, even though Macbeth was strongly against it. Lady Macbeth is very successful at persuading him to go against his better judgment. She entirely changes the stereotype of women being kind and caring in the first act. After Macbeth writes home telling of his murderous plans, Lady Macbeth begins talking to evil spirits. Because women often lack the ruthlessness to kill someone, Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to make her male. One of the most vivid descriptions of Lady Macbeth’s wickedness is directly after Macbeth announces to her he does not want to kill Duncan. This speech symbolizes Lady Macbeth’s evilness. She is ruthless, because of her evil accounts for the murders that occur throughout the play. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to commit murders that will make them king
On the contrary, Lady Macbeth begins as a ruthless woman. She has a manipulative and controlling character, convincing Macbeth to kill King Duncan; she will do anything to gain power. When she says, “How tender ‘tis to love the babe…I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out” (I.vii. 55-58), she shows her ruthlessness and her “bad” ambition. In her “role reversal” with Macbeth, she gains somewhat of a conscience and realizes her guilt. When she tells him, “You must leave this” (III. ii. 35), she wants Macbeth to forget about his plan to murder Banquo’s family. She is very hesitant about committing another murder and does not want Macbeth to follow through with his plan.
Throughout Macbeth, characters were seen influencing others with their own ambition. One such instance was displayed via Macbeth’s interactions with his wife. Shakespeare revealed that Lady Macbeth was even more ambitious (and cruel) than her husband in Act 1, Scene 5 when Lady Macbeth states:
To me Lady Macbeth has been more evil than her husband. She is more ambitious than her husband, she does any and everything it takes to get to the top and she doesn't care who gets in her way. She is very manipulating when it comes to her husband. Her power she has over him is unbelieveable. In the beginning of the play everything seems equal, like this is an equal partnership between the two. But, later on in this play you can see how things change. Macbeth allows his wife to control him. She knows how to use just the right words when it comes to getting what she wants from her husband. Even when he questions himself about what she tells him to do, he ends up doing it anyways. When Lady Macbeth talks to witches she talks to them about how she thinks Macbeth will be too kind-hearted. She wants him to rule with an iron fist, she wants him to show no mercy at all. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to kill the king, so Macbeth can take the throne as the king. Macbeth had been already next in line for the king, but his wife did not want to wait for his time to come. Macbeth shows remorse after he kills King Duncan. It bothered him so bad that he couldn't sleep later on that night because of what he did. She wanted him to take his place as king right then and there.
Moreover, Lady Macbeth shortly expresses to Macbeth her loyalty to him as he has not yet agreed with the plan of killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, “ ‘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” (Shakespeare 1.7 55-58) Lady Macbeth’s wicked nature is revealed here as she expresses how she would take a baby drinking milk from her and smash his head than break Macbeth’s promise. Not only this, but it shows how Lady Macbeth leaves no value for her feminine characteristics that she would do something so tragic. It is revealed how corrupt and greedy she has become to turn into a male.
Lady Macbeth is what brought out the underlying evil in Macbeth, she does this by emotional and mental manipulation, therefore ‘playing’ on his emotions to get what she wants. This is shown when she emotionally blackmails him playing on his guilt by saying things such as ‘’I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.” This quote means that if Macbeth had asked Lady Macbeth to do as she had asked him, she would rather kill her breastfeeding baby than to break her promise. Once Macbeth has killed the king he feels enormous guilt and Lady Macbeth is
Macbeth also went through with his ambitious plan because of his wife. Lady Macbeth sees the his chance to win the prize of her life, so she adds the force of her appeals to that of Macbeth’s
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth could be used as analogies for evil and good; this is because when first suggested that they kill King Duncan, Macbeth does not agree and feels his wife is overreacting until she questions his manhood. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth immediately has the plan forming in her mind when she learns of the opportunity. Lady Macbeth plays a major role in influencing her husband to commit the sinister deeds. She is the reason Macbeth shows his true side of evil. Like her husband, her ambition for power leads her into an unnatural realm of witchcraft and madness. After the murder, Macbeth begins to feel guilty for
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have changed throughout the play. In the beginning Macbeth was a good man, he would never have done anything wrong if he had not been pressured to murder the King. Macbeth after he had killed King Duncan he instantly showed signs of regret and fear. He is haunted by nightmares a visions of that night. Lady Macbeth at this point in time of the play is all for the murdering of King Duncan, so that Macbeth can become the High King.
In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a very noble and worthy man. Throughout the play, he starts to murder people just to get what he wants, even if it means killing his best friend. He turns into a nervous wreck, trying to cover up all the murders with lies so that nobody starts to be suspicious of him. He turns into a completely different person. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth is a psychotic character right from when she is introduced. She was the one who persuaded Macbeth further into killing King Duncan. She tells him he isn’t a man
Furthermore, Macbeth is unconfident with murdering the King, his conscience reasons with him to not commit innocent murder. He says, "He's here in double trust: First I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed: and then, as his host, Who should against this murder shut the door, Not bear the knife myself" (I.vii.12-14). While this fulfills Lady Macbeth’s earlier doubts of Macbeth’s kindness; she has no choice but to challenge his manhood and mentality. All the while showing her own strength and cruelty by saying she’d kill her own child, "I have given suck; and know how tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums / And dash'd the brains out, had I sworn / As you have done this"
Shakespeare introduces Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play as a couple who are unique, but functional. As Macbeth continues to debate murder, Lady Macbeth pushes him and spoils his innocence. In Act I, when Macbeth learns that he will become king, he heavily debates whether or not to take action on his prophecy, on the other hand, Lady Macbeth takes no time for consideration when she reads Macbeth’s letter about his news. Her desire and drive clashes with Macbeth’s calm and equivocating demeanor.When
Lady Macduff’s loving, caring heart is shown, when she quickly starts to worry about her son when her husband left them. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth does not have any children, and she clearly states that she wishes her milk be changed to “gal,” and the she wishes she could “bash the brains of a baby.” These little things Lady Macbeth says shows us how even if Lady Macbeth did have children, she would not be the loving, caring mother any child would deserve.
While analyzing the two main characters in Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, critics have often argued about their true nature and inner coherence. Despite the effort made, very rarely are the characters presented as their true self, without the inclusion of psychoanalytical theories and other studies. Consequently, this essay’s primary goal is to analyze and discuss the main characteristics of the Macbeth couple—and how they relate with each other—by using nothing but a careful reading of the thoughts and actions of each of the characters and no external influence or studies whatsoever.
Macbeth is a play by Shakespeare about a once noble man’s influence and desire for power. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a noble general who is considered to be an honorable man by others. However, as the play progresses Macbeth’s character begins to take a turn as his thirst for power grows. The witches have a major role in Macbeth’s character change. They appear a few times throughout the play giving Macbeth prophesies with a vague amount of detail. Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, also influences his change by guiding his actions and thoughts. The witches and Lady Macbeth both have a strong hold over Macbeth's morals, they gain his trust, and influence his actions.