Lady Macbeth's Resoluteness Analysis

Lady Macbeth would have made a great queen regardless of what happened to King Duncan. While her ascent to the throne was turbulent and many of her actions might have left her with a bad reputation, she did what she had to do to assume the throne. Her characteristics of resoluteness, levelheadedness, and remorse describe an effective ruler. Lady Macbeth’s resoluteness is shown early on in the play. As the night of Duncan’s impending murder approaches, her husband has a difficult time going through with the plan. Duncan is one of Macbeth’s greatest friends-a man that also has Macbeth’s utmost trust, in addition to being the king. Macbeth is distraught, nervous, and not very confident. He feels that he too good-natured to commit such a vile act. Macbeth has the ambition, however,he doesn’t have the guts to go through with the act. Lady Macbeth realizes she must be the driving force in getting her husband to get over his fears. While her husband’s confidence wavers throughout this part of the play, Lady Macbeth is as strong-willed as ever. Shortly before the murder, Lady Macbeth meets her

After the murder, Macbeth is visibly shaken. Head spinning, Macbeth, hearing voices in his head and becoming hysterical, exclaims to his wife “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; look on’t again, I dare not” (2.2.54-56). Lady Macbeth, very calm and collected, points out that in Macbeth’s franticness, he has forgotten to place the murder weapons-the bloody daggers, by the drunken guards. She downplays the murder by comparing the dead king to images Macbeth may have seen as a child. “Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures; ‘tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil” (2.2.56-59). In Macbeth’s moments of doubt early on in the play, Lady Macbeth’s composure plays a huge role in him keeping his