Lady Macbeth Coat Of Arms Essay

Beginning in the mid-twelfth century CE, coats of arms became a common symbol for identification and family status, as only the wealthiest and strongest of families were granted the privilege of displaying this status symbol (World History Encyclopedia). Commonly containing symbols of valor and wealth, a coat of arms served to show off beneficial and respectable aspects contained within a family name. Combined with powerful symbols, a motto often accompanied these crests, embodying the family name in a quick, easily memorable saying. As a wealthy individual in the 1500s, famous playwright William Shakespeare gained ownership of one of these sought-after symbols (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust). Shakespeare often conveyed themes of status and

To peer through her seemingly cold heart would be to find a woman plagued by societal expectations and jealousy, a product of a society that disregarded the rights and powers of women, instead rewarding all potential to men. As a coat of arms typically only displayed the outward appearance of its holder, I selected to design Lady Macbeth’s coat of arms to portray her as victorious. Referenced directly in the text, I chose a purple raven to represent the identity of Lady Macbeth. As a portent of doom, the raven often symbolizes incoming death or misery, while purple represents royalty, the position most desired by Lady Macbeth. On the eve of her murderous act, Lady Macbeth spoke in soliloquy, begging for release from her gracious feminine mannerisms to allow her descent into madness. In this fit of lunacy, she remarked that “The raven himself is hoarse [, the raven] that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements…” (Shakespeare 1.5 45-47). As the harbinger of Duncan’s doom, Lady Macbeth embodies the role of the raven, calling her husband to commit murder. Laying under the claws of the raven’s grasp, I designed an image of a dead lion, colored yellow, to represent the power that Lady Macbeth holds over her husband. Previously untouched by Lady Macbeth’s malice, Macbeth was both lionlike and yellow, courageous and happy, until his wife manipulated him

Marked by her enterprise and desire, I selected the well-known Latin phrase “Veni, vidi, vici,” translating into “I came, I saw, I conquered” in English to describe Lady Macbeth’s character. Throughout the perilous journey of the play, Lady Macbeth committed horrific acts, often the conquering, or wish to conquer, of a fellow friend. Upon her arrival and marriage to Macbeth, Lady Macbeth fulfilled the motto’s “I came, I saw” verse, as she quickly became intelligent about the workings of the royal system, allowing her to carefully plan her rise to the throne. In dictating to her husband the plan for Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth remarked, “Go, carry [the daggers] and smear the sleepy grooms with blood” (Shakespeare, 2.2 63-64). Demonstrating her meticulously thought out plan, Lady Macbeth showed her knowledge of crime and royalty, as she had even created a plan for the blame of the murder. To fulfill her piece of conquering, Lady Macbeth successfully orchestrated the murder of Duncan, leaving no trace to place the blame on her. Additionally, to further the accountability from her name, Lady Macbeth faked a fainting spell, crying, “Help me hence, ho!” (Shakespeare, 2.3 138) as she crashed to the ground. Upon hearing the news of Duncan’s passing, Lady Macbeth saw the opportunity to clear