Lady Macbeths Downfall

Author Frank Crane once said, “You may be deceived if you trust too much.” Often times, those whom people place their utmost trust in turn out to become manipulative and not whom they once seemed to be. However, this frequently happens without the knowledge of those being exploited which may result in dire consequences. For instance, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s downfall is brought about by the actions of Lady Macbeth, for she took advantage of her influence, neglected her own responsibility over his actions, and suppressed any doubts he expressed. First off, Lady Macbeth was instrumental in giving rise to Macbeth’s downfall due to the fact that Macbeth truly valued her and her opinions. Originally, Macbeth had,

For instance, he hallucinates that a dagger is floating in the air in front of him, which he sees in a “form as palpable / As this which” he uses to kill Duncan (2.1.40-41). Moreover, later on in the novel after murdering his former friend Banquo, Macbeth loses his mind in front of the Lords as he envisions Banquo’s ghost sitting at a table. Almost proving that he ordered Banquo’s murder, Macbeth exclaims “Thou canst not say I did it; never shake / Thy gory locks at me” (3.4.50-51). Thus, his judgement may be impaired or at least very questionable, as he cannot clearly or thoughtfully think through all of his actions and their consequences. However, Lady Macbeth is his only confidant in his struggle to fulfill the prophecy. She is the only one working with him that knows the full story of what he is doing and, most importantly, why he is doing so. Therefore, she is responsible for not stopping him from committing these terrible acts, as he is not sane enough to do so himself. And, as Macbeth continues to rule cruelly without interference from his knowledgeable wife, the citizens begin to realize more and more that he must be overthrown. Ergo, Lady Macbeth’s unwillingness to accept the responsibility she has over Macbeth’s actions, considering he cannot think clearly for himself, is another contribution to Macbeth’s