Although Macbeth may be responsible for his own downfall, Lady Macbeth’s actions are to blame since her desires and attitude have influenced Macbeth in a negative way, ultimately leading him down the wrong path. Lady Macbeth’s support for the dark arts as well as her criticism of her husband’s “unmanly” and vulnerable behavior have served to draw out the ambition and avarice apparent in Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition and desire to be king may have been large factors in corrupting his outlook, but it was Lady Macbeth who released those desires emanating from him. Macbeth even seems reluctant about holding such an ambition and hoping that the king is murdered. Macbeth exclaims, “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step / On which I must fall down …show more content…
Even though Macbeth exclaims to his wife “We shall proceed no further in this business,” Lady Macbeth replies, “Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? / And wakes it now, to look so green and pale / At what it did so freely? From this time/ Such I account thy love” (I. vii 31, 35-39). Lady Macbeth seems to mock Macbeth for turning down the idea of killing the king and calls him a coward. Since he originally wanted the position to come to him “by chance,’ it can be concluded that Lady Macbeth was most responsible for the driving of Macbeth to insanity and murder after killing Duncan to become king. Macbeth shows much regret for killing the king and asks himself, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine, / Making the green one red” (II. ii. 56-60). Macbeth’s exclamation reveals that not even the vast oceans will cleanse his hands of his wrongdoing. This is important since it hints at the fact that Macbeth will eventually go deeper into insanity and murder due to paranoia and guilt from his first murder. In addition, it highlights the earlier point that Macbeth wanted the position to come to him. However, Lady Macbeth convinced her Macbeth to rethink and instead allow ambition and impulse to rule. Therefore, she is the one to blame for Macbeth’s