Characters are manipulative, influencing others to meet their ends. In ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth is manipulated by his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth Is fully aware she will have to push Macbeth in to murdering Duncan. She states ‘I fear thy nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness’, ‘Human kindness ‘referring to Macbeth’s Kind moral and heart. She is fearful that Macbeth’s kind nature will inhibit him from killing the king.
Although, Macbeth takes the dagger and kills King Duncan, Lady Macbeth was the one who planned to kill him that night and frame his guards. I believe that Lady Macbeth played a huge part in the murder of King Duncan. Macbeth was ambitious about becoming King, yet, at moments he felt uneasy about the idea of murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth convinced him otherwise challenging his manhood and planning the murder to the finer details. Lady Macbeth went to great measures to make sure Duncan was killed; she even called upon the evil spirits to aid her.
The death of Duncan would mean the birth of a new Macbeth, King Macbeth. Lady Macbeth decided to have her husband kill Duncan and said in Act I scene 5, "He croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan." (p.33) This quote says how the presence of Duncan would turn fatal once Macbeth kills him. Once Duncan is killed, Macbeth has second thoughts about the murder of Duncan and his conscience starts to kick in. His wife then puts his conscience at ease.
It suggests a certain foreshadowing of things to come in the play, implying that all may be not what it seems. The quote can also be said to represent the characteristics of Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is the foul, ruthless woman who tries to convince her husband to commit regicide in order to become King. She manipulates him into killing the King, sparking the many murders to follow this event. Initially, she differs from Macbeth in this way because he is reluctant to kill his kinsman.
The points that will be argued are, that Lady Macbeth played a large role in the murder of King Duncan, The three witches planted the idea in Macbeth’s head, and that the murder of King Duncan was all Macbeths doing. In many ways, Lady Macbeth drives Macbeth to the murder and acts as more of a physical spur, as opposed to the witches who use a mental approach. She bullies him, uses emotional blackmail and knows he is morally sensitive so he must be pushed. She mocks his bravery and knows he is a warrior and will be insulted. When Macbeth is thinking about not going ahead with the plan she says, “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”.
She threatened Macbeth, ‘live a coward in thine own esteem’ (Act 1 Scene 7), by questioning his manhood and calling him a coward. She seemed to be in control and took leadership over her husband usually dictating his actions. She had him in the palm of her hand. The one time when Macbeth decided to do what was right and stand up to his wife he failed and still went along with her plan. The one time when we knew that Lady Macbeth was still human and still had feelings was towards the end of the play when the guilt drives her mad and she commits suicide.
This quote spoken by Lady Macbeth is showing her desire for Macbeth to become more daring and wicked. He has many doubts in his mind about killing Duncan, but Lady Macbeth convinces him to do it. Before he kills the king and shortly after becoming king, Macbeth’s
She expresses her determination and the desire she has for the third prophecy to come true. She knew that Macbeth would be too kind of a man to complete the task at hand. Lady Macbeth: “What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness “ (1.5.15-16) Knowing that Macbeth wouldn’t have the heart to kill the king, she conjured up the master plan to kill Duncan. In act 1 scene 7, she revealed the plan to Macbeth, saying that they will drunken Duncan’s chamberlains, then slip in and stab Duncan with the chamberlains’ weapons. Lady Macbeth: “What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan?” (1.7.76-77) Lady Macbeth’s plan
| Verbal irony, the difference between what is said and what is meant. (eg: sarcasm) | The first witch comments on Macbeth's forgetting to thank them: Witch - That this great king may kindly say our duties did his welcome pay. | Dramatic irony - when the audience knows more than the characters | The death of Macduff's wife, children and servants. When Ross first declares to Macduff that his family is "at peace," the audience already knows what happened. | Part Six: Foreshadowing – Select two examples of foreshadowing and make a prediction based on the lines The bloody battle in Act 1 | 1 foreshadows the bloody murders later on; | when Macbeth thinks he hears a voice while killing Duncan | foreshadows the insomnia that plagues Macbeth and his wife; | Macduff’s suspicions of Macbeth after Duncan’s murder | foreshadow his later opposition to Macbeth
Macbeth Essay: Is Lady Macbeth more ruthless than Macbeth? Tommy Kim Everyone has certain goals they want to achieve in life and people can attain their goals through different ways and means. To divide the method of achieving one’s goal into two ways, people can either wait for time to take its toll or perform tasks with their own hands to fulfill their aspiration. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have the goal of Macbeth taking the throne and to obtain this easier and quicker, they decided to kill King Duncan. Only those who are ruthless can commit such an atrocious act like murder.