William Shakespeare Task: - Explain what act 1 scene 7 tells us about the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. What is troubling Macbeth at the beginning of the scene and how does Lady Macbeth persuade him to go through with the murder of Duncan? My aim in this essay is to explain what Act 1, scene 7 tells us about the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and what troubles does Macbeth come across and how does Lady Macbeth persuade him to murder King Duncan. The purpose that Shakespeare wrote act 1, scene 7, is to notify the audience more about Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's feeling and thoughts about murdering King Duncan. For example, when Macbeth leaves the dinner table, deciding on what he should do, he is worried and is having …show more content…
Overall I think that in act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth used Macbeth for her own selfish reasons. Lady Macbeth persuaded Macbeth to murder King Duncan, which is one of the major tragedies in the story, so Lady Macbeth has an important role of the incident, which had occurred. As being the dominated one in their relationship Lady Macbeth uses all her control over Macbeth to make Macbeth murder king Duncan. She also challenges his patriarchy to make him murder the King. For example, when Lady Macbeth says "When you durst do it, then you were a man." Now that Macbeth is trying to back out of it, Lady Macbeth is calling him a coward and torments him to do the murdering. She also says " Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem..." In other words, Lady Macbeth uses the power of love to persuade him. She also says if you love me you would kill him straight away with no hesitation. Lady Macbeth says "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 so sworn as you have done to this." In this quotation Lady Macbeth stirs Macbeth even more when Lady Macbeth challenges their love relationship on the basis of the decision, he eventually gives in and murders King Duncan. I think that Lady Macbeth is presented as an innocent and loving wife but in act 1
To illustrate , Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth because she was greedy for kingdom of Scotland . In act 1 scene 7 it shows how Macbeth will fight for crown which he pledges to have or he lives as a coward.Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth “ Are you afraid to act the way you desire?,will you take the crown you wanted so badly or live as coward ” . regarding this quote clearly shows us how lady Macbeth is making fun of Macbeth to make sure Macbeth proves himself as to kill Duncan
When King Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth start planning a plot to kill him. Macbeth begins to get cold feet about the plot to kill Duncan soon after. Lady Macbeth takes on the role here as being the head of the family by forcing and convincing her husband to go on with the plan. Once again, Macbeth is bothered by self-doubt from his fear of retribution in heaven and on earth by getting his reputation shattered. Lady Macbeth pours scorn upon Macbeth by his lack of courage. She says he is a coward and that her own lack of pity will make her kill her own baby as it suckled at her breast, if necessary. This statement and her powerful words convince Macbeth to carry out their plan to kill Duncan. Finally, Macbeth gets up the courage and bravery to kill Duncan as he and Lady Macbeth intend to do.
The effect of Lady Macbeth’s ambition and compassion towards her devoted husband is immediately shown in the first
Act 1 scene 7 is very important in the whole of the play because the
The characters go through a number of changes in feeling through the scene; these changes will be looked at in detail in the main body of the essay. This scene takes place immediately after the murder of Duncan. Meanwhile Lady Macbeth is anxiously wondering whether Macbeth will really do the deed. When he returns, covered in blood and highly strung, she organises how to cover up the murder so that they won't be found out. In this scene we see certain emotions in the characters,
With attention to the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth struggles with the morality of his actions. Before the murder takes place, Macbeth begins to believe that the murder will “be the be-all and the end-all” to his clear conscious and would risk him to eternal damnation (Act I, line 5). Yet, the murder would bring him power over Scotland and he “shalt be kind” as told by the Weird Sisters(Act 1, line 50). Macbeth goes off of his ambition to murder King Duncan. The internal struggle of choosing mortality over motives brought forth an intense shift of loyalty to betrayal. The murder caused for Macbeth to turn on Scotland and only care for his own selfish motives. The betrayal causes for the play to become horrific and have a double meaning. Macbeth must put on a face to hide his murder to become the king. The double meaning is how Macbeth looks like a hero to all of Scotland, but only the people on the inside know of his horrific actions. He had to murder to to get the position of King, but the
In Macbeth’s Act 1 scene 7, Macbeth is unsure on whether he should kill King Duncan. As He begins to analyze King Duncan’s honorable character and the betrayal he’ll be known for if he executes the King, he keeps a doubtful and pitiful tone. Lady Macbeth is able to convince Macbeth to follow through with their plan by attacking Macbeth’s character and persuading him to follow his desires. She keeps a seductive and demanding tone. The appeal used in Act 1 Scene 7, is both ethos and pathos; while still using rhetorical strategies such as repetition, diction, irony, metaphors and imagery.
In acts 1 and 2 of the play “Macbeth” by Shakespeare, the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are presented to the audience through soliloquies and dialogue between the two. Macbeth is presented as brave, ambitious and guilty in Acts 1 and 2 of the play through the way others describe him, what he says and how he internally feels, and Lady Macbeth is presented as being determined and driven.
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.
In Act 1, Scene 7, Lines 56-57, "When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man", Lady Macbeth orchestrates Macbeth’s self-esteem by taunting his manliness when Macbeth doesn’t plan on following through with her plan. Moments later, she tells him how he should act and what he needs to do, in Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 71-75, “When Duncan is asleep...look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” She successfully augments Macbeth’s ambition and exhorts him to commit atrocities. After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth no longer values Lady Macbeth’s opinions- his actions are rash and selfish because they are made promptly. Interaction between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth falters since Macbeth is now swept up with erasing his tracks. The two perish as individuals- Macbeth is miserable with guilt caused by cold- blooded Lady Macbeth’s attribution of influence and plan. But instead of comforting her husband and talking him out of murdering more people, Lady Macbeth only gives one feeble attempt.
In Act 1 Scene 7 Shakespeare expresses Macbeth’s feelings and emotions through the use of a soliloquy. This is a technique he uses to show the confusion that Macbeth is facing due to his ambition to rule Scotland. In the beginning of the soliloquy Macbeth is questioning whether sacrilege is the answer to his problems and his state of mind is unstable suggesting he does not want to commit a crime. Near the end of the soliloquy he uses nature imagery to show what he is doing is unnatural and going against the ‘Divine Right of King’ by personifying nature through stating that “The tears shall drown the wind.” This could be a reference to the tears that will be shed by those in the castle upon hearing of King Duncan’s death. The last lines of the soliloquy are important as Macbeth states: “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself / And falls on th’other--” suggesting that he aware that the consequences of allowing his ambition to control his actions could backfire. This implies that Macbeth’s excessive ambition is like a horse that attempts to cross a hurdle that is too high and falls.” It is extremely convenient that Lady Macbeth enters at this time as this suggests that she is the spur that will drive him on to achieve the power and status that he believes he rightly
In Act 1 Macbeth is troubled by his desire to kill the king that is countered by his morals that state he should not kill Duncan for the fact “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
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
In the play “The Tragedy of Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare, we see a very complex character which is Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth's character throughout the play changes as she experiences the misfortunes that are brought to Macbeth and herself. This essay will explore how we as an audience feel sympathy for Lady Macbeth throughout the play, and how this feeling changes as we watch Lady Macbeth.
Soon after, a letter is sent by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth it begins to show Macbeth the reader learns Macbeth may not be as heroic as he is on the battlefield. The letter that Macbeth writes to Lady Macbeth explained what the witches prophesied to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth comments by saying “ Yet I do I fear thy nature: it is to full of th' milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way”(1.5.16-18). Lady Macbeth views Macbeth as a coward and therefore would not kill the king for the throne. In fact, Lady Macbeth is the person who pushes Macbeth to commit the murder of King Duncan in order for her to for her to become queen. Lady Macbeth is the one who plans King Duncan's murder. “When Lady Macbeth enters, though, she uses her cunning rhetoric and persuasive techniques to convince Macbeth of the murders.” (Macbeth-Attitude Changes). Lady Macbeth is strong and likes to get her way. Macbeth continues to demonstrate his lack of heroism because he is Lady Macbeth's follower and does whatever she makes him do. Lady Macbeth treats Macbeth as though he was a ring on her finger. Lady Macbeth at first is shown as ruthless and has complete control over Macbeth and makes him do what ever she wants “Had he not resembled my father as he slept I don it”(2.2.13). This states though she is ruthless she has a