Lady Macbeth Selfish Quotes

Macbeth is considered the most evil character in Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, having nefarious traits of over-ambition and selfishness. Following the events of Act 1 Scene 3, the three witch sisters foresee Macbeth’s prophecies; he will become the Thane of Cawdor, and eventually become King of Scotland. Although he finds such statements to be nonsensical, he is then proven wrong as he finds out King Duncan bestows him as Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth states, “Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs” (Shakespeare, 1.3, 133-37). This quotation describes Macbeth’s newfound desire

Nevertheless, to become king, Macbeth realizes that in order to attain the throne, he would have to murder King Duncan. This soliloquy further foreshadows Macbeth’s over-ambition and how his character develops into one more corrupt throughout the play. Moreover, Macbeth’s selfishness highlights him as a relatively evil character. The murders of King Duncan and Banquo have already transpired, yet Macbeth still believes that his position as king is being threatened by others. Macbeth states, “Blood will have blood. Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak. Augurs and understood relations have By magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forth The secret’st man of blood. —What is the night?” (Shakespeare, 3.4, 146-150). This quotation indicates Macbeth’s greed for power, insinuating that he will not stop murdering his enemies until he is reassured that his throne is solely his. Despite suffering from the guilt of it all, Macbeth recognizes that he must continue the murder cycle in order to sustain his

Lady Macbeth exhibits stronger traits of an evil character, objectively making her eviler than Macbeth himself, as she is presented to be manipulative and brutal. Her manipulative tendencies in Act 1 Scene 7 truly acknowledge how corrupt she is in contrast to Macbeth. After receiving the news regarding Macbeth’s new title of Thane of Cawdor and the meeting with the witches, Lady Macbeth recognizes this as an opportunity for power. Due to her status as a woman in a Jacobean society, Lady Macbeth is socially constrained from pursuing any ambitions. With the information that is shared with her, Lady Macbeth’s persistent ambition leads her into manipulating Macbeth to murder King Duncan, overriding Macbeth’s morality. Lady Macbeth states, “What beast was ’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were