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Lady Macbeth Research Paper

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Mabillard, Amanda. Introduction to the Characters in Macbeth. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. Web. 13 Jun. 2016 Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most famous villains, compared to the likes of which ready to murder innocent women and children, or to usurp a throne for his own greed. However despite these comparisons, Macbeth himself is not entirely evil. He is constantly aware of his own descent into darkness, his diminishing shreds of conscience trying desperately to convert him from his ways only for his wife to convince and prod him on in his ambitious and bloody quest for the throne. Lady Macbeth on the other hand, is a vile creature with an effective disguise as a human. Soon after her introduction in the play, she invokes a prayer …show more content…

Their mystical and cryptic chants and prophecies set the stage as the first to appear. Their prophecy to Macbeth was the catalyst to set the events of the rest of the play in motion, Macbeth still feeling the power of a battle won and a new title to his name found the thought of becoming king tantalizing at the witches mention of it. Between this first appearance and their last the sisters do not appear often at all though their prophecies ring out through the play. In their second appearance when they show Macbeth the three spirits, they fill their cauldron with all sorts of ghastly and foul things. Eye of newt, a dragon's scale, and tiger intestines are three of the numerous ingredients for this hellish brew. Their crypticism coming in full force at their three predictions that give Macbeth false hope. The first warns him that Macduff will come to challenge him and to beware him, and the second says that no man born of woman shall harm Macbeth. The third and final apparition says that he would only be vanquished if “Great Birnam wood” and “High Dunsiane hill [should] come against him” (4.1.87-90). The hidden meanings behind each foretelling succeed in fooling Macbeth and growing his confidence, leading to his demise and death. Throughout all of this, the witches' gain or profit from this is completely unknown, whether they did it from pure enjoyment or from a mysterious motive

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Throughout the play, the witches’ control over Macbeth developed into a strong tie with his choices. By prophesying to him, the witches essentially planted the seed that grew to dominate Macbeth’s mind. This is shown when Macbeth says, “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (1.3.70). Once Macbeth notices the prophecies becoming a reality, he starts to think about becoming king, thus fulfilling all the prophecies. Aside, Macbeth says,, “Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme” (1.3.128-129).

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In the beginning Macbeth has started off as a nobleman because of a successful battle that lead to Macdonwald being decapitated and his head place upon the battlements. Rewarding Macbeth the cawdor’s title. Later on in the story he was approached by these three witches who have told him about his prophecy of becoming a king, that when lady macbeth come into the picture. After reading Macbeth letter she feared that with his human kindness he would not kill Duncan and fulfill the witches prophecy, so with that being said how she feel, on Act 1. Sc.5 Lady Macbeth wish for something from the supernatural.

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Admittedly, some readers believe that Macbeth is to blame for his downfall by the virtue of being foolish, however, Lady Macbeth is shown to be a manipulative woman who can easily persuade Macbeth. While it may be true that Macbeth is foolish enough to believe that assassinating the King “may become a man” (1.7.51), yet he is not assured that the murder will not contribute to anything satisfying. Before accepting Lady Macbeth’s plan, Macbeth contemplates the reasons why it is terrible to murder King Duncan. Lady Macbeth then persuades her husband by questioning “[his] love” (1.7.43) towards her and questions if “[he is] afeard” (1.7.43), which led him to approve Lady Macbeth’s offer. Lady Macbeth even jeers her husband’s masculinity by stating,

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Murdering the king undoubtedly makes Macbeth a true villain. He becomes sincerely evil, consumed with ambition and devotion to protect his position once he is crowned king, however as the story goes on we hear the witches say that Macbeth needs to be careful of his supposedly trusted ally Macduff. Macbeth hires assassins to kill Macduff's servants, wife, and children. Macbeth states, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, give to the edge o’ the sword, his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line” (Act Ⅳ, scene Ⅰ). Clearly, you can see that Macbeth’s temptation takes over once he hears there is a threat in his position to be king.

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Written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is one of the most renown tragedies, which depicts recurring themes of greed, paranoia, ambition and jealousy. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are impelled to become King and Queen of Scotland, placing all their faith in the prophecy of the three witches. The pair soon disturb their composition, social class and natural order by forcing their way through to achieving their ambition. Nearing the end of the play Lady Macbeth becomes guilt-ridden and Macbeth becomes ambitiously driven, juxtaposing and spookily contradicting their natural order. This symbolic portrait interprets the two different physiological, emotional and physical viewpoints of Lady Macbeth, consisting of her initial manners of inhumane desire

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