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External Influences In Macbeth And Memory Police

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The art of influence is a powerful asset in the pursuance of control. Control comes through personal influence over another, compelling them to act a certain way. It can also be, conversely, by tyrannical influence through authoritarian or government-related force. Macbeth and Memory Police both integrate these themes to depict the negative impact of these external influences on its characters. Through personal manipulation and authoritarian influence, both Ogawa and Shakespeare skilfully illustrate how our perception can be subtlety altered and corrupted, suggesting the influence external factors have on our beliefs and reactions. The following essay will analyze and compare the theme of influence in its diverse representations in these two …show more content…

In the first act of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth uses her personal knowledge of Macbeth to agitate him, stating “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” (Shakespeare, 1.7. 49-51). In this proclamation Lady Macbeth exercises authoritarian power over her husband. This quote exhibits her ability to personally manipulate him, ultimately persuading Macbeth to commit murder, in order to secure his place as king. Lady Macbeth uses her knowledge of Macbeths fragile masculinity, exclaiming that only when he murders King Duncan, “then you were a man”. Lady Macbeth repeatedly uses Macbeth's insecurities regarding his manhood to influence him to kill King Duncan. She states “Unsex me here” (Shakespeare, 1.4), and subsequently, how she wishes to swap her milk for “gal”, so she can be a man so and kill King Duncan herself. This statement emanates the idea that murder is a man’s job, meaning that if Macbeth does not go through with the murder he has surrendered his manhood. Macbeth exercises the societal standard of masculinity as a reoccurring theme which expedites Macbeth to kill the king. Ultimately, Lady Macbeth takes advantage of this theme of Macbeth’s need to prove his manhood, and influences his characters plot. Similar to this intimate manipulation, the typing teacher in Memory Police also uses a personal connection to manipulate and influence the typing student. The typing student is abused mentally and physically by the typing teacher however, the student still is under his control and relies on him. The teacher somehow manipulates the student into “losing” her voice forever, and eventually losing her bodily presence, and attachment to the outside world. This is prominent in the statement “I could no longer understand

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From the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth impacted the plot and forced the main character into changing his mind set. Lady Macbeth questioned Macbeth’s man hood to attempt to convince him to kill Duncan. After commenting on Macbeth’s weak ambition Lady Macbeth stated, “When you durst do it, then you are a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man” (I, vii, 49). For Lady Macbeth to be able to convince her

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First of all, Macbeth is presented as a strong and noble soldier at the beginning of the play. As a warrior, he has very traditional masculine traits, such as bravery and strength. However, his masculinity is often questioned by his own wife, Lady Macbeth. When the couple is planning Duncan’s murder and Macbeth hesitates, Lady Macbeth is always ready to insult his manhood. She calls him a “coward” and tells him

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In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, masculinity is a recurring theme. The play explores various aspects of masculinity like bravery, loyalty, and honor through characters like Banquo and Macduff and using Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to demonstrate a more destructive and toxic approach to masculinity. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is brave, loyal and respected. But his ambition to become king changes his idea of masculinity to one of strength, ambition and ruthlessness. Lady Macbeth takes an even more aggressive approach to masculinity, and pushes Macbeth into the murder of King Duncan and his own friend, Banquo.

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When you durst do it, then you were a man” (Shakespeare 1.7.46-51). Macbeth agrees to murder Duncan because he wants to defend his manliness; however, in doing so, he is being submissive to his wife which is unmanly. Macbeth is trapped in the boyhood stage of manliness in which he will go to great lengths to achieve approval for his masculinity. This desperate need for

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In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, Shakespeare reveals that the exposure to negative influences can alter our behavior and affect our conscience,

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Lady Macbeth tried and attempted to fasten onto Macbeth’s inner feelings and attacked his level of masculinity. He is a easy person to manipulate once the future queen questioned his manliness. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he cannot go through with killing King Duncan, she proceeds to tell him that he is a coward. To further convince her husband to kill Duncan is the utmost importance she said that she “would, while (her unborn child) was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed his brains out.” (Act 1, Scene 7, Lines

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Well Lady Macbeth, who is dead set on having absolute power, disagrees with that. She convinces Macbeth to kill, to cover up the murders, and tries to convince him that these murders will get them to the top. Lady Macbeth calls upon the witches and states, “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 lines 31 and 31). This shows that while in the pursuit of power, Lady Macbeth wanted it so much that she asked the witches to “unsex” her and make her more like man. But along with that you see the theme of gender roles are uncertain which ties into Lady Macbeth leading Macbeth in this pursuit of power, also giving him the ambition that she wants him to

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