role of lady macbeth essay

Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

Lady Macbeth is possibly Shakespeare’s most famous and vivid female character. Everyone, whether they have read or seen the Macbeth play , has a view of her. She is generally depicted in the popular mind as the epitome of evil, and images of her appear over and over again in several cultures. She is usually portrayed in pictures as something like a Disney character, a cross between Cruella DeVille and the wicked stepmother in Snow White.

Although she has some of the most bloodthirsty lines in Shakespeare she is not quite Cruella De Ville or the wicked stepmother. The response she gets from the male characters suggests that she is a young, sexually attractive woman and, indeed, in her effort to influence Macbeth, she uses every method at her disposal, including the employment of her sexual charms.

She is usually depicted as a strong, tough woman and, in her drive to induce Macbeth to murder King Duncan, she appears to be that, but, having succeeded, it does not take long for her to crumble and break down, destroyed by guilt, and she ends up committing suicide.

Shakespeare does not have any evil characters. What he has are ordinary human beings, like you and me, placed in situations that challenge and test them. Some of them, like Iago in Othello , have personality defects, but that’s rare in Shakespeare and it’s not the case with Lady Mcbeth.

The challenges that Shakespeare presents his characters with generates different responses from different people. Lady Macbeth’s challenge is that she discovers that her husband has been tempted by an encounter with three witches to do something about their prediction that he will become king. She knows that the king would have to die for that to happen. When she gets a message that King Duncan plans to spend the night with them at Glamys Castle it seems to confirm the thought that they would have to kill him and that this was their once in a lifetime opportunity. That’s the situation into which she has been thrust.

She is as ambitious as Macbeth but she knows that for all his bravery in battle, all his soldierly and diplomatic qualities, he is basically much too soft –“too full of the milk of human kindness” – to take advantage of the opportunity. She makes up her mind to make him do it.

And she is right about his lack of resolve – they talk it over and he tells her that he just can’t do it. She goes into high gear and virtually holds his hand through it. One of her strongest qualities is persistence and she shows it here. Macbeth hesitates, equivocates and falters but she holds firm. She argues the case, she mocks him, bringing his manhood into question, she appeals to his sense of loyalty to her, she takes him to bed, and she finally prevails.

Macbeth kills Duncan in his sleep and from that moment their marriage begins to fall apart. They each fall into their own guilt-trip and hardly speak to each other. As king, Macbeth fears his political enemies and embarks on a reign of terror while Lady Macbeth stays in bed, unable to sleep, having nightmares when she does manage it. While walking and talking in her sleep she gives the game away about what they have done and sinks into a moral, physical and spiritual collapse. When Macbeth is on his last legs, with the rebels closing in, he gets the message that she’s dead. At that point, he says he doesn’t have time to think about it. “She should have died hereafter,” he says. Their partnership in this murderous enterprise has destroyed their marriage.

The promise of strength that we see in her at the beginning of the play is an illusion. What we are seeing is naked ambition and a willingness to act on it without having the resources to deal with the consequences. We see how guilt can eat up your soul and destroy you. We see how hollow ambition is, both in her journey and Macbeth’s. (Read the most  significant Macbeth ambition quotes .)

Character attributes

Some significant character attributes of Lady Macbeth are:

• Controlling – she understands that her husband doesn’t have the savageness required to murder the king of his own accord, so she manipulates him. She plans out the murder, then takes control of events when Macbeth loses his mind.
• Cruel – she is a violent, cold-blooded character who is happy to scheme the murder. She ridicules Macbeth when he doesn’t agree to participate in her violent plans.
• Two-faced – she welcomes King Duncan like a friend whilst at the same time planning his murder. She also advises Macbeth to be two-faced.

Erika Sunnegårdh as Lady Macbeth

Top Lady Macbeth Quotes

“I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness

( act 1, scene 5 )

“To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue; look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.”

“ The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements”

“Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

“Would’st thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage? “

( act 1, scene 7 )

“I have given suck, and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.”

“ Out! damned spot! “

( act 5, scene 1 )

Read more Lady Macbeth quotes .

See All Macbeth Resources

Macbeth | Macbeth summary | Macbeth characters : Banquo , Lady Macbeth , Macbeth , Macduff , Three Witches | Macbeth settings | Modern Macbeth translation  | Macbeth full text | Macbeth PDF  |  Modern Macbeth ebook | Macbeth for kids ebooks | Macbeth quotes | Macbeth ambition quotes |  Macbeth quote translations | Macbeth monologues | Macbeth soliloquies | Macbeth movies | Macbeth themes

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Common Questions About Lady Macbeth

Is lady macbeth a true story.

Although Shakespeare used the names of real historical people in writing Hamlet, the events of the drama are mostly made up. So in that sense, Lady Macbeth is not a real character. There was an 11th-century Scottish king named Mac Bethad Mac Findlaich . Presumably, he had a wife but we know nothing about her.

What kind of character is Lady Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth is ambitious. She is manipulative and uses several techniques of a skilled manipulator to entice Macbeth into the murder of Duncan. Usually thought of as a hard, ruthless woman, she is, in reality, soft. Not long after the murder, unable to cope with her guilt, she falls apart and loses all sense of herself.

What happens to Lady Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth tries to prop her husband up as he descends into a guilt-ridden hell but she soon falls victim to the same condition. Her whole life literally becomes a nightmare, in which she relives the event that has brought her condition about. Her life becomes unbearable and she commits suicide.

Who does Lady Macbeth kill?

Lady Macbeth does not personally kill anyone. She conspires in the murder of the king, Duncan, though, and actively encourages Macbeth to kill him. It is Macbeth who does the actual killing. Lady Macbeth plays no part in the many further killings that Macbeth engineers. Soon after the killing of Duncan the two don’t even talk to each other.

What made Lady Macbeth go crazy?

Lady Macbeth is partly responsible for the kind of killing that was taboo in Mediaeval Scotland – murdering one’s king, murdering one’s relative and murdering a guest in one’s house. In killing Duncan the couple did all three. She begins to have nightmares about the murder and, in particular, the blood on her hands, which she can’t get rid of no matter how hard she scrubs. That drives her to suicide.

How does Lady Macbeth feel after the killing of Duncan?

Once Duncan is killed Lady Macbeth is pleased that her ambition to be the wife of a king has been achieved, but that feeling very soon turns sour as guilt begins to eat away at her. She then she has feelings that she can’t live with, and ends up killing herself (one of 13 suicides in Shakespeare’s plays ).

Is 2016 film Lady Macbeth based on Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth character?

No. Lady Macbeth is a 2016 British film based on Nikolai Leskov’s novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District , and starring Florence Pugh.

Lady Macbeth as Powerful

The essay below uses this simple structure:, an introductory paragraph to summarise an answer to the question, one paragraph about the extract, one about the rest of the play, one about context., lady macbeth:, the raven himself is hoarse, that croaks the fatal entrance of duncan, under my battlements. come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full, of direst cruelty. make thick my blood., stop up the access and passage to remorse ,, that no compunctious visitings of nature, shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between, the effect and it come to my woman’s breasts,, and take my milk for gall , you murd'ring ministers,, wherever in your sightless substances, you wait on nature’s mischief. come, thick night,, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes,, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry “hold, hold”, starting with this speech, explain how far you think shakespeare presents lady macbeth as a powerful woman., write about:, how shakespeare presents lady macbeth in this speech, how shakespeare presents lady macbeth in the play as a whole., the essay below is written using a simple structure:, an introductory paragraph to summarise an answer to the question., one paragraph about the extract., one about the rest of the play., before you read the answer below, why not have a think about how you'd answer this question. i've highlighted the quotes i'd write about - do you agree or would you focus elsewhere also, which sections from the rest of the play would you focus on and what contextual factors influenced lady macbeth's presentation, most importantly, though, have a think about how you'd write that opening paragraph - answer the question in two or three simple sentences., an example answer, during the majority of the play, lady macbeth is presented as being a powerful woman who defies the expected gender stereotype of the caring, soft, gentle female. by the end of the play, however, she kills herself as she discovers that although she can order the rest of the world around, she cannot control her own guilt, right at the opening of this speech, lady macbeth makes her position known when she describes “my” battlements. the use of the possessive pronoun emphasises that she thinks of the castle walls as being her own. she follows this by calling “come you spirits.” the use of this magic spell has two effects on the audience: firstly, she is calling for dark magic to come and support her. this would have reminded the audience of the possibility that she was a witch and had all the evil powers connected with them. also, she is using an imperative here: “come you spirits.” she’s not asking them but telling them. this shows that she expects even the supernatural world to answer to her demands. one of the things she demands is that they “stop up the access and passage to remorse.” this means that lady macbeth doesn’t want to feel any regret for what she is about to do, which would make her powerful. she is no longer going to be slowed down by feelings of compassion or care in her pursuit of power. finally, she says that the spirits should “take my milk for gall.” here, she is asking that her own milk be turned to poison. this suggests that she is turning something caring and supportive into something deadly, giving her even more evil powers. also, milk is pure white and suggests innocence and purity so lady macbeth is asking that what is innocent and pure about her gets turned into something deadly. throughout this speech lady macbeth sets herself up as being someone very powerful, who is able to control even the spirits., her power continues throughout the play. lady macbeth suggests the murder and talks macbeth into it – showing that she is powerfully persuasive. she also plans the murder, showing that she is intelligent as well. she also stays calm under pressure, such as when macbeth arrives with the daggers from the murder scene but lady macbeth returns them to the scene so that they don’t get caught. she is also able to manipulate macduff when she faints in shock after they discover duncan’s body. you could easily argue that lady macbeth’s ambition was more powerful than macbeth’s, and that the murder wouldn’t have ever happened with her involvement. she is determined to become powerful and will stop at nothing to get it. at the end the play though she is caught sleepwalking, and she confesses to all that they’ve done. this is interesting, however, as while she is sleep-walking she is not in control of herself so she is not really aware of what she’s doing. it could be the case that lady macbeth herself never felt guilty, though she couldn’t hide her real feelings from her dreams. in the end, she dies. malcolm claims that she killed herself quite violently, but since it happens off-stage we cannot be sure. what is clear is that although she could push macbeth around, and trick macduff, and even order the spirits to do her bidding, she couldn’t order the blood off her own hands., shakespeare presents a very powerful female character in lady macbeth, and although this would have been quite radical for people in jacobean england there were other powerful, female role models to choose from: bloody mary or queen elizabeth are good examples. this play, however, was written for king james who had just taken the throne of england, and james was not a fan of queen elizabeth – who had killed his mother, mary queen of scots (and he might not even have been a big fan of his mum, because she married the man who killed his dad) as a result, james would have enjoyed seeing this powerful woman become such a villain and then getting punished for her crimes..

Essays on Power of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Play "Macbeth."

A short summary of lady macbeth character in shakespeare play macbeth, attachments.

Lady Macbeth is a complex and fascinating character in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. She is the wife of the play's protagonist, Macbeth, and plays a significant role in the events that unfold throughout the play.

At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a powerful and ambitious woman who is not afraid to take control of a situation. She is the driving force behind Macbeth's decision to murder King Duncan in order to fulfill the witches' prophecy and become king himself. She is portrayed as cunning and manipulative, as she uses her persuasive skills to convince Macbeth to commit the murder, even when he is hesitant.

Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth's character undergoes a significant transformation. As the guilt of their actions begins to weigh on her, she becomes increasingly tormented and unstable. She experiences vivid hallucinations and becomes consumed with guilt and remorse for her role in Duncan's murder. Her descent into madness culminates in her tragic suicide, which is a pivotal moment in the play's dramatic climax.

Lady Macbeth's character is also interesting for her gendered role in the play. As a woman in a patriarchal society, Lady Macbeth must navigate the constraints of her gender in order to achieve her ambitions. She is  aware of the societal expectations placed upon her and uses her femininity as a tool to manipulate and control Macbeth. However, her ambition ultimately leads to her downfall, and she is punished for crossing her boundaries.

In conclusion, Lady Macbeth is a complex and compelling character whose actions drive the plot of the play. Her transformation from a powerful and manipulative figure to a tormented and guilt-ridden woman is a tragic  exploration of the human psyche. Additionally, her gendered role in the play highlights the societal expectations placed upon women during Shakespeare's time, and the consequences of challenging those expectations.

Here, you can find downloadable resources which contain essays written by GCSE students on lady Macbeth's characters.

• GCSE Essay about Lady Macbeth
• A pack of 6 sample essays written by GCSE students on character of Lady Macbeth

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Mr Salles Teaches English

Explain the Role of Lady Macbeth

(2 in the series of grade 6 and 7 essays).

How to Get Grade 7

This is the second in a series using ChatGPT. This AI takes the most obvious ideas from the internet and combines them to come up with an essay of its own.

And obvious ideas can get you grades 6 and 7.

Each week you will get a new essay - every topic that could possibly come up in the exam.

The play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare serves as a cautionary tale, warning the nobles in the court of King James about the disastrous consequences of ambition and regicide. At the same time, Lady Macbeth, a powerful and dominant figure, plays a significant role in influencing the actions of her husband, Macbeth. Through her wit and cunning, Lady Macbeth drives Macbeth towards a path of self-destruction, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Lady Macbeth's ambition and lack of moral scruples make her a dangerous force in the play. She instructs Macbeth to hide his true intentions, saying "look like th'innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't." In Act 1, Scene 7, she says "I have given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: / I would, while it was smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out," showcasing the extent to which Lady Macbeth is willing to go to help Macbeth achieve his ambition, even at the cost of her own morality. This is even more powerful because we know that her breasts still carry “milk” to be turned to “gall”, so she has only recently lost a baby.

However, Lady Macbeth is also a victim of patriarchal society. Shakespeare portrays her as a strong-willed and determined character, who uses her wit and cunning to manipulate Macbeth. Despite her power, Lady Macbeth is still limited by the restrictions of her gender in a patriarchal society, which makes her dependent on Macbeth to carry out her desires. This is evident when she says "Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself?" referring to Macbeth's hesitation in killing King Duncan. She scolds Macbeth for being too weak and pushes him to carry out the murder.

Shakespeare shows how male characteristics are cruel and violent. This is why Lady Macbeth demands supernatural help to “unsex me here”. Instead of traditional characteristics of being a woman, she wants to be “filled from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty”. Perhaps this society which only lets women achieve their ambitions through their husbands will always create powerful, cruel women, who have to manipulate their husbands in order to achieve what they want.

Shakespeare also wanted his audience to accept the divine right of kings, emphasising that the consequences of regicide are severe. This is evident when Macbeth says "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself / And falls on th'other." Macbeth is aware that his ambition is driving him towards destruction, but he cannot resist its pull.

This explains why Macbeth writes the letter to his wife to tell her about the witches’ prophecies. He knows that she will be the “spur” to give him the courage to kill Duncan. In this way we can see that they are equally responsible for regicide. He calls here “my dearest partner of greatness” because he wants her to be a partner, rather than the subservient wife his patriarchal society requires.

In conclusion, Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in influencing the actions of Macbeth throughout the play. Her ambition, lack of moral scruples, and her ability to manipulate Macbeth lead him down a path of self-destruction, ultimately contributing to his downfall. The last description of her is consequently “fiendlike queen”. Shakespeare uses the play as a cautionary tale, warning the nobles in the court of King James about the disastrous consequences of ambition and regicide. He hints that denying women power in patriarchal society might lead to violent opposition, as Lady Macbeth demonstrates.

Simplified Version for Grade 6

"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare serves as a cautionary tale, warning the nobles in the court of King James about the disastrous consequences of ambition and regicide. The play also highlights the significant role played by Lady Macbeth, a powerful and dominant figure, in influencing the actions of her husband. Through her cunning and wit, Lady Macbeth drives Macbeth towards a path of self-destruction, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Lady Macbeth's ambition and lack of moral scruples make her a dangerous force in the play. She instructs Macbeth to hide his true intentions, saying "look like th'innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't." Her willingness to sacrifice her own morality to help Macbeth achieve his ambition is evident in Act 1, Scene 7, where she says "I have given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: / I would, while it was smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out."

However, Lady Macbeth is also a victim of patriarchal society. Despite her strength and determination, she is limited by the restrictions of her gender and is dependent on Macbeth to carry out her desires. This is evident when she scolds Macbeth for his hesitation in killing King Duncan, saying "Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself?"

Shakespeare portrays the male characteristics in the play as cruel and violent, and Lady Macbeth demands supernatural help to "unsex me here" and become "filled from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty." This shows how women in a patriarchal society are only able to achieve their ambitions through their husbands, leading to powerful, cruel women who have to manipulate their husbands to get what they want.

Shakespeare also emphasises the importance of the divine right of kings, and the severe consequences of regicide. Macbeth is aware that his ambition is driving him towards destruction, but he cannot resist its pull. This is evident when he writes the letter to Lady Macbeth about the witches' prophecies, recognizing that she will be the "spur" to give him the courage to kill Duncan. This highlights the fact that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equally responsible for regicide.

In conclusion, Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in influencing Macbeth's actions throughout the play. Her ambition, lack of moral scruples, and her ability to manipulate Macbeth contribute to his downfall. Shakespeare uses the play as a cautionary tale, warning the nobles in the court of King James about the disastrous consequences of ambition and regicide. He also hints that denying women power in patriarchal society might lead to violent opposition, as demonstrated by Lady Macbeth. The last description of her is "fiendlike queen", emphasizing the destructive consequences of ambition and lack of moral scruples.

An Even Simpler Version

"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare serves as a cautionary tale about the disastrous consequences of ambition and regicide. The play also highlights the significant role played by Lady Macbeth, a powerful and dominant figure who influences the actions of her husband through her cunning and wit. She instructs him to "look like th'innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't" and drives him towards self-destruction, leading to his downfall.

However, Lady Macbeth is also limited by the restrictions of patriarchal society, as she is dependent on Macbeth to carry out her desires. Despite her strength and determination, she must manipulate him to achieve her ambitions. She scolds Macbeth for his hesitation in killing King Duncan, saying "Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself?" and demands supernatural help to "unsex me here" and become "filled from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty."

The play also emphasises the importance of the divine right of kings and the severe consequences of regicide. Macbeth recognises his ambition is driving him towards destruction, but he cannot resist its pull. He writes a letter to Lady Macbeth about the witches' prophecies, recognizing she will be the "spur" to give him the courage to kill Duncan. This highlights the fact that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equally responsible for regicide.

In conclusion, Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in influencing Macbeth's actions and contributing to his downfall through her ambition, lack of moral scruples, and manipulation. Shakespeare uses the play as a warning to the nobles in the court of King James about the dangers of ambition and regicide, and hints that denying women power in patriarchal society may lead to violent opposition, as demonstrated by Lady Macbeth. The last description of her is "fiendlike queen", emphasizing the destructive consequences of ambition and a lack of moral scruples.

Three essays - grades 7, 6 and 5. Here’s why:

What the marks mean.

Grade 7 = 70%. 21 marks out of 30.

Grade 6 = 60%. 18 marks out of 30

Grade 5 = 53%. 16 marks out of 30

Level 5 in the Mark Scheme

Grade 7 starts in Level 5 = Thoughtful, developed consideration = 21–25 marks

At the bottom of the level , the essay will have all Level 4 and start to:

1.      Be thoughtful

2.      Consider the writer’s methods

3.      Consider the context.

To be thoughtful, the essay can

4.      Consider more than one interpretation.

5.      use words like ‘may, might, could, perhaps’.

6.      Simply be a longer essay: more ideas means it is more thoughtful.Level 4 in the Mark Scheme

Level 4 = Clear understanding = 16–20 marks

At the top of the level , the essay:

1.      Is likely to be clear, detailed, and all the points will be relevant to the question.

2.      Will show good understanding and include a range of examples from the whole play.

3.      Each paragraph will focus on explaining how these examples prove the student’s point of view about the topic in the essay title.

4.      The answer will write about a range of methods, which will be named (anything named is a method – so ‘as a cautionary tale’ or ‘attack patriarchal values’ or ‘portray the damaging effect of ambition’. Yes, simile, metaphor, alliteration and so on are also methods. But anything you say Shakespeare is doing is a method! ).

5.      Will include Shakespeare’s viewpoint, or what he wants his Jacobean audience to think or do.

At the bottom of the level , the essay will:

·       Show understanding of why characters behave in particular ways

·       Or why/how Shakespeare wants to influence his audience.

·       Have a smaller range of methods without always explaining their purpose.

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Lady Macbeth Gender Roles Essay

A majority of Shakespeare’s plays include significant presence of female characters that reveal his views regarding woman’s role during the time period. Generally, women during the Shakespearean time period were obligated to suppress their opinions and were stripped from rights that women in the twenty-first century possess. They were expected to manage the household, as opposed to men, who were expected to be the decision makers. Additionally, the qualities of an ideal woman were mainly her virtue, beauty and youth.

With that said, many of the female characters in Shakespeare’s plays oppose the societal norms of that time period in some form or another. For example in Twelfth Night, we observe opposition to these cultural assumptions in an obvious manner through Olivia, as she controls the management of her estates, as well as in a more subtle manner through Viola, as she disguises herself as a male . However, one of the most interesting examples of gender out of traditional order is portrayed in the tragedy Macbeth .

Most of Shakespeare’s plays usually challenge women in terms of the cultural assumptions applied to them, however, Macbeth is a play that also challenges men in their traditional gender role of having autonomy and power. Macbeth is a perfect example of gender roles defying the assumed societal norms in both sexes, and this is depicted in the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth serves as a masculine figure and takes up the role of a man by denouncing herself as female .

She also does this by using gender discrepancy to her utmost advantage to manipulate and control her husband, especially in a time period when societal norms about gender and sexuality were very unfavorable toward women portraying such behavior. Macbeth, a brave Scottish general, much to our surprise, falls under the presumed gender role of a feminine figure due the influence of his powerful and ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth.

Analyzing how these two characters can fall into gender roles that are opposite to their respective sexes reveals to us that women have the potential to have as much ambition and barbarism as men do. However, it is the patriarchal society that denies women from attaining these ambitions and achievements at their own account. O Lady Macbeth goes about certain tactics and strategies in order to achieve her role as the more masculine, an attribute that all males in the society have the privilege of being born with.

It would be apt to suggest that metaphorically, Lady Macbeth is a man confined within a woman’s body. However, literally speaking, she is a female confined within a man’s world. During the time period that Macbeth was written, women, especially wives of those withholding power, were expected to produce an heir and take care of their husbands and were not a dominant contributor in the relationship. But Lady Macbeth shows a contrasting view in behavior than that expected of females by taking on a more assertive and decisive standpoint as compared to Macbeth.

For example, in the situation where Macbeth is hesitant about Duncan visiting Inverness, it is Lady Macbeth that intervenes and dominates the scenario. She commands that Macbeth “Put this night’s great business into my dispatch” and takes over control from Macbeth, already establishing that she is taking charge. During Shakespeare’s time, a woman taking up a behavior such as this was very uncanny and rather frowned upon. Hence, it was more difficult to challenge these perceptions of gender roles back then than it is in the present day due to awareness.

In order to achieve control and fight for her ambitions, Lady Macbeth had to assert her dominance over her husband in order to take up the male gender role and thus, challenge male autonomy, which has always been a significant issue in the realm of gender and power. Lady Macbeth’s portrayal is unconventional according to the norm in Shakespeare’s time, yet so powerful and therefore, makes us think that perhaps society back then was perceived to be controlled only by men, but in actuality, females also contributed to controlling it to an extent.

Another interesting observation connecting gender and power is that even though Lady Macbeth is a female, her possessing the traditional manly attributes classifies her as being “masculine”. Masculinity itself is defined by attributes such as success, power and ambition and could be used as an adjective to describe a person possessing these characteristics . It seems as if that femininity cannot be defined by these values but instead, can be defined by values such as emotions, weakness and indecisiveness. Therefore, Macbeth being a male, is still classified as being feminine, not masculine.

When Lady Macbeth is wanting to lose her feminine qualities, she wants to abandon them completely and so she can adopt more masculine attributes in order to achieve what she desires, which is power. She feels the need to let go of her femininity completely because she thinks that anything remotely related to femininity would negatively impact her ambition. Since motherhood is such a significant part of femininity, Lady Macbeth also believes that children would have a similar impact on her plans as portrayed by her in “plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn, as you have done to this”.

The first scene of the play portrays Lady Macbeth again in a battle with gender roles and shows her as wanting to abandon her humanity “unsex me here”, but since she is female, abandoning her humanity means abandoning her womanhood and the feelings it entails according to society, such as compassion and lack of strength. Masculinity is linked to characteristics like violence and ambition as observed after Duncan’s murder in Act two when Macbeth implies Lady Macbeth to be a masculine soul within a female body. I When females, such an Lady Macbeth, take up the assumed role of men in their society, they do so in many ways.

Lady Macbeth takes advantage of her femininity in order to attain masculinity. She uses manipulation through sexuality and control of her husband. Lady Macbeth is the more ambitious of the two in her marriage to Macbeth and the driving force behind his political success. As it was not very common and indeed frowned upon in a patriarchal society such as during the time Macbeth was written, Lady Macbeth verbally manipulates gender roles to fit her purpose. She accuses Macbeth of being too feminine as seen in Act 1 Scene 5 when she directs “too full o’th’ milk of human kindness” toward him.

Since being full of milk suggests breastfeeding, it is considered a female attribute. She is seen to very fiercely go about mocking Macbeth’s masculinity at a time where he was considered as one of the bravest fights, which is also a very highly ranked masculine trait. She challenges his masculinity by referring to him as a coward and uses the method of attacking his male ego. Macbeth, provoked by such attacks on his manhood, says he would go to higher bounds to prove his masculinity as observed in in his words “I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none”.

Lady Macbeth still does not stop ridiculing him as a man and Macbeth, being known as a courageous and strong fighter, is extremely affected by this as he agrees to plot the murder of Duncan. He is seen to be blinded by his want to prove his masculinity due to the ways of Lady Macbeth. This is an obvious example of manipulation of sexuality to achieve desired goals on Lady Macbeth’s part. Using cultural assumptions to her advantage, she pressurizes Macbeth to act according to “manly” values and live up to the idea of societies idea of men.

O However, gender roles can also be perceived to a disadvantage in society back then. Magic is a theme that Shakespeare emphasizes a lot in several of his plays as it was something very commonly believed in and practiced. Since magic was used in a negative light a lot of the times, in Macbeth we can observe a trend relating to power and gender in terms of supernatural ability. Transgressive behavior in females seemed to be linked to evil or supernatural activities. Lady Macbeth’s behavior and character did work to her advantage as well as her disadvantage.

Since she could be considered as transgressive back in the day, she is perceived multiple times as evil. Another example in Macbeth of nonconventional and transgressive female behavior is seen through the characters of the three witches. I The witches are referred to as “The Weird Sisters” which implies that they are female. Their gender role is not as emphasized as much as the supernatural and evil character in them however, we can see a link. The witches are also taking up a similar role as Lady Macbeth in terms of masculinity and power.

Shakespeare has further emphasized this by giving these “sisters” beards, which is an obvious male characteristic. Since masculinity is strongly linked to power and control, the witches can be portrayed in this way by looking at how their prophecies impacted the characters. They fed Lady Macbeth’s ambitions and challenge Macbeth’s fate. They can look into the future and reveal details about ones future, like they did for Macbeth, and through this, the idea of killing Duncan even came to birth. Having that level of power and masculine character, but being female shows the connection power and gender have within women sexuality.

Basically, a woman that has power and control was seen as monstrous but men were encouraged to attain power and ambition. ) However, the witches as well as Lady Macbeth are still perceived as negative and evil powerful characters, as opposed to the socially accepted perception of powerful male characters. Lady Macbeth as well as the witches, both are perceived negatively for their respective uncommon behaviors in the society . However, they all possess a significant masculine character which brings them power and control.

This further elaborates the point that any unconventional behaviors that challenge the traditional norms in society are labelled as evil or paranormal. An underlying reasoning of this could be that females bearing such behaviors brings fear within the society regarding women having more control than men. In such a patriarchal society, it is easier to overcome this fear by justifying it by magic. D In our world today, an ambitious powerful women is more or less part of our societal norm and our theatre and literature emphasizes very different values regarding gender and power as compared to the analysis of gender and power in Macbeth .

In a society such as the one in Scotland during the time Macbeth as written, where hierarchy of sexes is so prevalent, Shakespeare portrays females in way that deconstructs norms and cultural assumptions in a way that we realize their presence however, we can also notice how shallow they really are if we observe in more detail. The bard illustrates the power of gender roles, but in Macbeth, there is a special emphasis on power of females as the play could be assumed to be driven by females, for example the witches and Lady Macbeth.

Simultaneously, he also pays validation to the power the male gender possesses, which is what the norm is. In describing power females possess, he uses masculinity as an adjective, therefore implying that power is indeed a male characteristic however, females do possess it. Due to this intricate, unconventional portrayal of both genders and their connection to power, Shakespeare serves to enlighten modern society about how females have always been able to possess power, but the ways to express it have been different.

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macbeth essay/role of lady macbeth

Macbeth Essay

Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth, Thane of Glamis. She is the essential figure in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth because she was the one who strained him to kill the king to take over the throne. The audience knows she is an influential woman because she wants everything but at the price of the king’s life. The authority Lady Macbeth got was from insatiability.  Lady Macbeth becomes egotistical, resentful, petrified because of her determination as the play develops. The strength of her character escalates greatly.

The initial impression of Lady Macbeth is that she is resolute and ambitious. She was first seen when she was reading her husband’s letter about his meeting with the witches and their predictions. She was very pleased that Macbeth had become the Thane of Cawdor. So she started getting very courageous about becoming the future queen. Lady Macbeth was very similar to the witches in many ways in Act One. She calls evil spirits to make her evil and take away any kindness she has left “I may pour my spirits into thine ears”, so that Macbeth doesn’t feel sorry and leave the king alive. The witches have associations with evil spirits and demons.

She also turns good into evil “come, to my mother’s breasts and take my milk for gall” she doesn’t want the delight that every woman wants to be come a mother but rather poison her milk. The witches turn evil into good “fair is foul and foul is fair”, this means that good is bad and bad is good so in both ways you should do bad.

Lady Macbeth wants to manipulate Macbeth, “chastise with the valour of my tongue”, she will persuade him with her own words. The witches have already manipulated Macbeth with their prediction about his future. They both have lots of similarities in their language such as all they speak about bad things and that evil should take over them.  

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Finally they both like darkness so they can hide their evil intentions. To show her objective and evil purpose she uses very vigorous, melodramatic and exceedingly sturdy language that women of that time wouldn’t consider about using or talking back to their husband.

Lady Macbeth uses a lot of ways to persuade her husband Macbeth to murder King Duncan:

“Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor!

Great than both by the all - hail here after” this shows she’s trying to flatter Macbeth that whatever they are doing is correct.

She also says “when you durst do it, then you were a man “this means she’s using emotional blackmail and questioning about his ability and man hood. This really mortifies Macbeth that someone would question him on his man hood.

However she occasionally relieved him “But screw your courage to the sticking point and we’ll not foul” this shows Lady Macbeth is being reassuring to Macbeth he is strong and no one can beat him in anything. Macbeth had a misapprehension about being the greatest.

But irregularly she would really tease him “live a coward in thine own esteem, letting I dare not wait upon I would.” Lady Macbeth is using verbal abuse to manipulate and cause pain to Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth is very diverse from Macbeth at this stage of the play. She is the one out of the couple who has the most power by keeping making insults and manipulating Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth is very much in control of the situation straight after the murder. She goes and puts the daggers near the chamber men while Macbeth was still in shock. Their hands were covered in blood which signifies murder “will great Neptune’s ocean wash blood clean from my hands “Lady Macbeth replies “little waster clean us of this deed”. This significance of the imagery of blood, darkness, contaminated seas and loss of sleep, shows they are guilty of murder and want to get lost in the darkness. So no one sees them and that their sin can’t be washed by big oceans/ seas. This and the rustling noise make the atmosphere more peculiar, spine-chilling and mysterious.

Lady Macbeth requests her guests to stay patient and that Macbeth isn’t feeling well. When Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet he goes frenetic. Lady Macbeth controls the entire drama. She began to praise Macbeth when he starts to panic that he’s a very strong soldier and commanding king and no one can beat him in this world. As Macbeth starts to pull himself together we start to see Lady Macbeth less in control .Their relationship is breaking up they don’t speak to each other. Macbeth ignores her as he doesn’t need her anymore for encouragement and doesn’t sleep with her. Instead he goes out with his councillors and has more confidence in himself because he has no one in his way.  

The cause Lady Macbeth suddenly transforms into an obsessed woman because she’s not authoritative anymore, she starts to see that she has no significance. Also this murder has led to one problem after another because of her dreams and aspiration to become queen. While sleep walking she talks about blood on her hands and keeps rubbing it off. “Here the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand .Oh! Oh! Oh!” She sleeps with the light on like little children as if she’s terrified of the dark. How come she is by that light though she used to love this darkness in the begging to hide her dark intentions. This is called irony. Not sleeping signifies that she’s feeling guilty and gets flash backs of the murder that wakes her up .Her  and Macbeth’s relationship has finished , they don’t meet or talk to each other and Macbeth can’t be bothered if she goes mad or even dies . She jumps off the balcony of her room and dies because she couldn‘t handle the flashback of the horrible night. Macbeth didn’t even shred one tear for her, his own wife, as he had no relationship with her. He just walked past her dead body.

Lady Macbeth has changed radically. At the beginning powerful she was demanding. However, the guiltiness hit her in the face and she started going insane she started reading the letter again that Macbeth had sent her that started everything. The audience would have said she got what she deserved. The response won’t be different today because what she did was wrong. She was on evil’s side and she did an enormous sin by killing the King in her house. Even in the 21 st  century the response would be the same, this woman didn’t deserve to be alive.

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• Word Count 1140
• Page Count 2
• Subject English

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Role of Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a typical femme fatal, using manipulation to effectively control her husband and convince him to commit murder. She continuously questions his masculinity until he feels he has no choice but to prove himself by killing. Even after the murder, Lady Macbeth remains strong, providing support for her husband. So far in the play, Lady Macbeth learns about the impending visit of the king and hears about the witches and their prophecies.

Despite being a bold and ambitious woman with worldly views, she strongly believes in witchcraft and magic, which was widely accepted in Scotland during this time. While she shares her husband’s ambition, she lacks his loyalty to the King, causing him to hesitate in following her advice. Once she learns about the King’s visit, she immediately decides that he will not survive his time at Machete’s castle.

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Believing the witches’ prediction about her husband becoming king, Lady Macbeth resolves to remove any obstacle to its fulfillment by urging Macbeth to commit murder. She reads a letter from her husband, revealing his encounter with the witches and their prophecy of him becoming King of Scotland and Lord of Castor. Lady Macbeth eagerly anticipates these future distinctions and fails to consider that Duncan and his sons may also be fated to die before Macbeth’s ascent to the throne. Macbeth himself briefly entertains the possibility when he remarks that chance may crown him without his own doing. However, Lady Macbeth, driven by her ambition and ruthlessness, immediately suggests the appalling idea of killing Duncan, which she forcefully pressures onto Macbeth against his will.

Such a crime, involving intentional regicide and a horrifying violation of the responsibilities of a capitalist, was never even considered by the real Lady Macbeth. Although she was a determined woman, when she learns about the royal visit, she praises her husband for his newfound status and potential royalty. However, the thought of murdering their guest and sovereign immediately comes to her agitated and unwilling mind. She is an entirely hardened and ambition-driven woman, lacking any moral scruples. In relation to her status and personal motives, her supposed love for Macbeth, which has been emphasized greatly, appears to deserve little, if any, praise.

The Macbeths are depicted as ruthless and ungrateful, exhibiting shrewd conduct. Their primary objective is to acquire power and wealth, disregarding any repercussions. They will do whatever it takes to accomplish their aspirations, solely driven by their selfish ambitions. Their actions lack justification. Moreover, there is a poignant moment in which Macbeth, who is still innocent and loyal to his king, implores his wife to abandon their plot for murder. Nevertheless, she manipulates him with even greater malevolence than the witches had attempted.

Despite his interview with them, he maintains a trace of moral guidance that she completely lacks. Gradually, he fully submits to her wishes and manipulation. Ann-feminism, the notion that masculinity is vital for gaining power, dominates Lady Machete’s immediate mindset. Nevertheless, this viewpoint is deceptive; she is not solely detached or ambitious regarding religion. To prepare herself for what she deems necessary, she calls upon malevolent spirits to ensure an absence of remorse and retain unwavering determination.

Otherwise, her conscience would hinder her from taking action, but she eventually wants to become a man in order to carry out the deed herself. Lady Machete’s character revolves around the interplay of gender and power: her husband implies that she has a masculine essence within a female form, which links masculinity to ambition and violence. However, Shakespeare seems to use her and the witches to challenge Machete’s notion that only men have unwavering determination and bravery.

The crafty women in the play use manipulation to achieve power, which is considered a female method. The play suggests that women can be just as ambitious and cruel as men, but societal constraints restrict their ability to pursue their ambitions. Lady Macbeth believes that femininity is associated with compassion and kindness, while masculinity is linked to extreme cruelty. She criticizes her husband for being too kind, implying that he lacks the necessary power to be a monarch. Lady Macbeth later uses this perception of his kindness to manipulate him into murdering the king, challenging his masculinity in the process. Lady Macbeth tries to reject her feminine traits and adopt a more masculine mindset, as she believes that society views feminine qualities as weak.

According to Robert Cumbrous, in his article titled “Macbeth: The Prisoner of Gender,” he suggests that in Elizabethan literature, specifically in Macbeth, there is a belief that being “manly” means displaying aggression, courage, bravery, determination, and strength when facing death. On the other hand, Cumbrous argues that Lady Macbeth desires to be cruel because she sees it as a characteristic associated with calculation. However, in order for her to achieve cruelty, she must suppress the emotions of love that reside in her heart – the place where “remorse,” pity, and compassion stem from; all of which are inherent aspects of human nature.

Lady Macbeth dares to question Machete’s manhood, claiming that he must adopt masculine traits and collaborate with her in their quest for kingship. She opines that only by having the audacity to kill Duncan will Macbeth truly earn her respect as a man, transcending ordinary masculinity. Lady Macbeth acknowledges Machete’s weaknesses but remains unwavering in her scheme; moreover, she displays profound insight into her spouse’s nature.

Lady Macbeth doubts whether her husband, Macbeth, has the capacity to kill King Duncan because of his gentle nature. In order to guarantee that he follows through with the murder, she suppresses her own guilt. Initially, Macbeth agrees to the scheme but later becomes unsure. Nevertheless, Lady Macbeth remains convinced that becoming king is Macbeth’s true desire and insists it is in their best interest. To overcome his hesitation, Lady Macbeth manipulates him by questioning his manhood and his love for her. Her manipulation proves successful as Macbeth eventually executes their plan without considering his own conscience.

The similarities between Lady Macbeth and the three witches are evident. Lady Macbeth’s dangerous nature is comparable to the “bearded” sisters who are linked to an external force that drives Macbeth towards committing murder. Lady Macbeth’s speech about being “unsexed” aligns her with witchcraft and the supernatural as she calls upon spirits and mentions the “smoke of hell” and “murdering ministers.” While the three witches make the prophecy and indicate that Macbeth will succeed Duncan, Lady Macbeth is often considered the fourth witch because she compels Macbeth to ultimately order Duncan’s death.

Witches were seen as an extreme form of anti-mother, even believed to have the ability to cook and consume their own offspring. While Lady Macbeth may not exhibit violence towards her child with the same level of grotesqueness, she certainly displays a sense of brutality when she declares her willingness to crush the baby’s skull. Lady Macbeth’s cunning and almost supernatural strength are showcased through her careful focus on every minute aspect of the murder.

When Macbeth returns to their chamber, Lady Macbeth cunningly smears the grooms with Duncan’s blood following the murder. It is possible that she believed suppressing her conscience for the act would suffice and that eventually the memory of it would fade away. However, the outcome does not align with her expectations. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth frequently struggle to sleep, with Lady Macbeth experiencing an even greater loss of sanity and composure during daylight hours than her husband does. She implores him to maintain a cheerful and carefree demeanor. Nevertheless, as time goes on, her simulated strength diminishes as she battles against the torment of her guilt.

Lady Macbeth’s moral conscience overwhelms her and makes her unable to support Macbeth against Malcolm. Despite her efforts to suppress her conscience, she fails. Eventually, she chooses death because she can no longer bear the torment of her guilt. In Inverness, Macbeth’s castle, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth announcing his promotion and his encounter with the witches. Lady Macbeth acknowledges Macbeth’s ambition but worries that he is too kind-hearted to take the necessary actions to become king.

In this scene, Lady Macbeth determines to persuade her husband to do whatever it takes to seize the crown. A messenger enters and informs her that the king is approaching the castle, with Macbeth on his way as well. While waiting for her husband’s arrival, Lady Macbeth delivers a famous speech where she implores, “you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsexes me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty.” She is determined to set aside her natural femininity in order to carry out the ruthless actions necessary for seizing the crown. Macbeth arrives, and he and his wife discuss the impending visit from the king.

Macbeth informs his wife that Duncan intends to leave on the following day, but Lady Macbeth confidently asserts that the king will never live to see tomorrow. She advises her husband to be patient and entrust the plan to her. In Act 1, Scene 6, Duncan commends the pleasant atmosphere of the castle and expresses gratitude towards Lady Macbeth, who has come forward to greet him, for her hospitality. Lady Macbeth explains that it is her duty to show hospitality as she and her husband are indebted to their king. Within the castle, as oboes play and servants prepare a table for the evening’s feast, Macbeth paces alone, contemplating his thoughts on assassinating Duncan.

Macbeth considers several reasons why he should not kill Duncan: Duncan is Macbeth’s relative, ruler, and host; furthermore, he is widely respected as a virtuous king. Macbeth acknowledges that his only motive for murdering the king is his own ambition, which he realizes is an unreliable guide. Lady Macbeth enters and informs her husband that the king has finished dinner and has been asking for Macbeth. Macbeth declares that he no longer plans to kill Duncan. Infuriated, Lady Macbeth accuses him of being a coward and questions his masculinity, stating, “When you dared to do it, then you were a man.”

He asks her what will happen if they fail; she assures him that as long as they are courageous, they will succeed. Then she reveals her plan: while Duncan is sleeping, she intends to intoxicate his chamberlains with wine and then she and Macbeth can enter unnoticed and kill Duncan. They will then place the blood of Duncan on the sleeping chamberlains to shift the blame onto them. Impressed by the genius and audacity of her plan, Macbeth expresses his belief that her fearlessness gives him hope that she will only give birth to male offspring. He then agrees to proceed with the assassination.

As Macbeth walks towards Dunce’s chamber, Lady Macbeth enters, commenting on her audacity. She envisions Macbeth assassinating the king at that very moment. Upon hearing Macbeth’s cry, she worries that he might fail – she had personally prepared the daggers for the chamberlains. She declares that she would have committed the regicide herself right then and there if the king hadn’t resembled her father while sleeping. Macbeth emerges, his hands stained with blood, and confirms that the deed is accomplished. Profoundly disturbed, he mentions hearing the chamberlains wake up and say their prayers before going back to sleep.

When they said “amen,” he attempted to say it as well, but found that the word got stuck in his throat. He mentions that while he killed the king, he thought he heard a voice cry out: “Sleep no more, / Macbeth does murder sleep”. Lady Macbeth initially tries to calm her husband, but she becomes furious when she realizes that he forgot to leave the daggers with the sleeping chamberlains in order to frame them for Duncan’s murder. He refuses to go back into the room, so she enters the room herself with the daggers, stating that she would be ashamed to be as cowardly as Macbeth. As she departs, Macbeth hears a mysterious knocking.

Lady Macbeth is the most memorable character in the play, as her violent and powerful soliloquies in Act 1, scenes 5 and 7 demonstrate her willpower, which surpasses that of her husband. The portentous sound frightens Macbeth, causing him to desperately ask if the ocean can cleanse the blood from his hands. Lady Macbeth returns to the hall, and as the knocking continues, she guides her husband back to the bedchamber to wash away the blood. “A little water clears us of this deed,” she assures him, emphasizing how easy it is.

She is aware of the difference in their resolutions and knows she will need to manipulate her husband to act on the prophecy from the witches. Her soliloquy in Act 1, scene 5, starts to explore gender roles in the play, specifically the value and essence of masculinity. In her soliloquy, she rejects her feminine traits, declaring “unsex me here” and desiring her breast milk to be replaced with “gall” so she can kill Duncan herself. These statements reveal Lady Macbeth’s belief that being a man means being capable of murder.

In Act 1, scene 7, Lady Macbeth taunts her hesitant husband about his manhood, pushing him to murder Duncan. Throughout the play, she continues to mock Macbeth’s masculinity whenever he shows weakness. Macbeth even suggests that Lady Macbeth should only give birth to sons because of her boldness and courage. This statement implies that he admires her bravery and agrees with her belief that courage and intelligence are masculine qualities.

However, the comment indicates that Macbeth is also contemplating his legacy. He admires Lady Macbeth’s boldness and masculinity, seeing them as admirable qualities, while Lady Macbeth uses her supposed masculine traits for sinister and cruel intentions. Unlike Macbeth, who is conflicted, Lady Macbeth is solely driven by the desire for immediate power. She appears forcefully when her husband is unsure and forcefully dismisses his rational and moral arguments, questioning his manhood. She challenges him to commit the murder, using taunting words instead of persuasion.

Under Lady Macbeth’s influence, all of Machete’s objections vanish and he can only weakly respond with “If we should fail?” to counter her passionate challenge. The notion of a moral order is present as Machete acknowledges that there will undoubtedly be consequences. Nevertheless, Machete’s resistance is not strong enough to withstand his wife’s manipulation. The impact on Lady Macbeth after her visit to Duncan’s bedroom is particularly noteworthy. She asserts that she would have murdered Duncan personally if he didn’t resemble her sleeping father.

Lady Macbeth’s vulnerability is displayed for the first time when she compares Duncan to her father. This indicates that despite her desire for power and her harsh treatment of Macbeth, she views her king as an authority figure deserving of loyalty. When Macbeth expresses his distress over the blood on his hands that cannot be washed away, Lady Macbeth remains rational and suggests that water can remove the blood. However, she eventually recognizes that the guilt represented by the blood requires more than just water for cleansing.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth — The Concept of Free Will in Macbeth

The Concept of Free Will in Macbeth

• Categories: Macbeth William Shakespeare

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 697 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Macbeth's ambition and free will, lady macbeth's influence and free will, the consequences of free will in macbeth, the role of fate in macbeth.

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Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009.Bradley, A. C. 'The Witch Scenes in Macbeth.' In Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. Macmillan, 1904.Knight, G. Wilson. 'The [...]

Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare's most renowned tragedies, delves into the intricate nuances of macbeth masculinity. Set against a backdrop of power, ambition, and betrayal, the play offers a profound exploration of how [...]

Aydın, Can. 'Fate and Freedom in Shakespeare.' Accessed from: https://www.academia.edu/29784209/Fate_and_Freedom_in_Shakespeare

Overview of "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare Introduction of the idea that multiple factors contribute to Macbeth's downfall Lady Macbeth's initial response to Macbeth's ambition The metaphor of Macbeth's [...]

Macbeth is about contradiction and ambition, the play was written by the famous play wright William Shakespeare. The play is about a Macbeth who is driven to become king, Macbeth kills all and any that get in his way of [...]

In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches saying that he will become king. With high ambitions, Macbeth murders his king and becomes king himself. As king, Macbeth rules with tyranny and [...]

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