Lady Macbeth Research Paper
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is introduced as Macbeth’s loving, loyal wife. An Elizabethan audience would expect her to be a domesticated housewife who depended on her husband. She holds the respect of the King, her servants and her husband’s companions. However, the moment she receives Macbeth’s letter, she initiates the action behind the play. Without Lady Macbeth, Macbeth would not have felt as obligated to murder King Duncan, and the play would not have developed the way it had. Her manipulative and cunning qualities were revealed during the planning of Duncan’s murder, and as the play continued her mind began to unravel. Her tragic flaw, a willingness to succeed without being caught, destroyed her. She became mentally
…show more content…
She is ambitious and has a weaker moral base. The average woman in Shakespeare’s time would be respectful and subservient to men. After reading Macbeth’s letter involving the witches’ prophecies, she begins planning how Macbeth will become King of Scotland.
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet so I fear thy nature;
It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way.” (I, V, 14)
She is aware that Macbeth is too kind to kill Duncan without proper motivation. She plans on talking him out of whatever is keeping him from pursuing the crown, and believes that fate wants him to become king. Her lust for power exposes her unpredictable qualities to the audience. This breaks the stereotypical view of Lady Macbeth because Elizabethan women did not take on warrior-like attributes, or became involved in political affairs. These qualities would seem unfit for a woman, and would be more appropriate traits of a man.
“Come, you spirits
That tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here
And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull
Of direct cruelty; make my blood thick,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse.” (I, V, …show more content…
She places herself in a cruel frame of mind so that her emotions will not get in the way of her accomplishing murder. When Macbeth returns, unsure of his choice, she questions his manhood and forces him to wrestle with his super-ego, resulting in his decision to assassinate Duncan. His decision, modified by Lady Macbeth’s manipulation, puts the play into motion. It can be argued that Lady Macbeth is the tragic heroine in the tragedy. She has ambition, holds power over her subjects and has a tragic flaw: a willingness to succeed without being caught. Her character is intriguing, persuasive and strong. These qualities ascertain the audience’s curiosity to know Lady Macbeth’s next moves after Duncan’s murder. Instead of taking a more prominent role after Macbeth becomes king, her role as influential wife deteriorated, as she realizes the monster she has created within her husband.
“How, now, my lord, why do you keep
She is ambitious and has a weaker moral base. The average woman in Shakespeare’s time would be respectful and subservient to men. After reading Macbeth’s letter involving the witches’ prophecies, she begins planning how Macbeth will become King of Scotland.
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet so I fear thy nature;
It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way.” (I, V, 14)
She is aware that Macbeth is too kind to kill Duncan without proper motivation. She plans on talking him out of whatever is keeping him from pursuing the crown, and believes that fate wants him to become king. Her lust for power exposes her unpredictable qualities to the audience. This breaks the stereotypical view of Lady Macbeth because Elizabethan women did not take on warrior-like attributes, or became involved in political affairs. These qualities would seem unfit for a woman, and would be more appropriate traits of a man.
“Come, you spirits
That tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here
And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull
Of direct cruelty; make my blood thick,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse.” (I, V, …show more content…
She places herself in a cruel frame of mind so that her emotions will not get in the way of her accomplishing murder. When Macbeth returns, unsure of his choice, she questions his manhood and forces him to wrestle with his super-ego, resulting in his decision to assassinate Duncan. His decision, modified by Lady Macbeth’s manipulation, puts the play into motion. It can be argued that Lady Macbeth is the tragic heroine in the tragedy. She has ambition, holds power over her subjects and has a tragic flaw: a willingness to succeed without being caught. Her character is intriguing, persuasive and strong. These qualities ascertain the audience’s curiosity to know Lady Macbeth’s next moves after Duncan’s murder. Instead of taking a more prominent role after Macbeth becomes king, her role as influential wife deteriorated, as she realizes the monster she has created within her husband.
“How, now, my lord, why do you keep