When an immoral decision is made under someone’s orders, is it the manipulator or the manipulated that should face the repercussion? In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a situation challenges the Scottish nobleman’s ability to choose from good and bad. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, must make a decision to murder or not to murder. Although Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth into murdering a fellow nobleman, Macbeth has the right to choose against it. Regardless of who aided the decision, the murderer must face a stronger condemnation. As Macbeth prepares for his murdering of Duncan, his wife, Lady Macbeth, is constantly motivating him. Although Lady Macbeth is the deceiver in this circumstance, Macbeth still possesses the right to choose against murdering Duncan. “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed” (III. II. 45-46), Shakespeare wrote, which reveals Macbeth’s true colors. Macbeth shows, through this, his anxiousness to murder Duncan, …show more content…
As his wife, Lady Macbeth will do anything for her husband. Lady Macbeth felt as though her husband must kill Duncan in order to prove his masculinity and maintain his ego. “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” (I. VII. 49-51) She challenges her husband’s role as a man and degrades his confidence level. Also possessing a sadistic quality, Lady Macbeth takes pride in her evil thoughts and actions and does not see them as evil. When speaking of kindness, she speaks with disgust and fear. Shakespeare wrote, “Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way” (I. V. 3-5), to express Lady Macbeth’s thoughts on virtue and kindness. This shows the persuasive tactics she uses to manipulate her husband. With that being said, Macbeth still had the right to go against his wife and choose the better