Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

Throughout the play "Macbeth", by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth's character drastically changes from being sinister to feeble. Lady Macbeth was an evil, manipulative person whose greed and selfishness were eventually the downfall of her character and well being. During the beginning of "Macbeth", she used her twisted mind to convince her husband to murder, making him believe that it was the only way he could get what he wanted. But as the play developed and the murders started to increase, Lady Macbeth started to question whether or not they were necessary. Sadly, though possibly justifiably, she ended up committing suicide after her constant questioning of the murders drove her to insanity. Lady Macbeth was an unemotional person who only cared about what she could gain. She made her disconcern about other people well known when she said, "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." (Act I, Scene VII, Lines 55-60). Lady Macbeth refers that she would have no problem taking the life of her son, if it meant getting what she wanted. The fact that she would even fathom the idea of killing her own child makes her morose and appalling. If only she knew that it would be her who would be taken out of this world so cruelly. Being able to manipulate her husband's mind and the minds of others was another one of Lady Macbeth's baneful traits. After Macbeth killed King Duncan, still reeling from the crime he had committed, he met up with his wife. Once again, she used her manipulative ways to make him think that she felt just as bad as he did. She said, "My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white." (Act II, Scene II, Lines 63-64). Lady Macbeth appeared to her husband as if she felt just as guilty about the act of violence as he did, knowing that in reality she didn't care at all. Telling Macbeth that her hands were as bloody as his own was to try to give him comfort that he was not alone in his schemes. But Lady Macbeth had other ideas in mind. She couldn't care less about her husband's thoughts or worries. All she could think about was

Macbeth, written by william shakespeare displays a diverse range of themes and topics throughout the play. These themes are represented through a wide range of characters throughout the dramatic text. One that is strongly underlined throughout the whole play is the theme of the connection between ambition and manipulation and one of the main characters; Lady Macbeth. Throughout the sequences of the play, lady macbeth is depicted as a head-strong ambitious woman who challenges her husband's masculinity in order for him to commit actions in order to gain power.

In the play Macbeth, the character Lady Macbeth has changed throughout Act I and Act V tremendously. Her attitude has changed heavily from her being cold-hearted and harsh in the beginning, to being dominated by guilt. Lady Macbeth’s transformation reveals the darkness of human nature and eventually dark ambition leads to Macbeth murdering Duncan to be king. This play critiques or upholds prescribed gender roles because when Lady Macbeth is pushing Macbeth to murder Duncan, she feels as if she has to take on manly characteristics. Also, Lady Macbeth seems to rule Macbeth and control his actions, and this makes Lady Macbeth seem like she plays the dominant role in their relationship. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth changes greatly throughout Act I

When Shakespeare first presents Lady Macbeth in the play, we believe that she was an ambitious woman who was driven to get power at all costs. We are irresolute however as to whether she is part of a chain of events in the evilness going around the source. The first words we from her mouth are her husband’s word, which he wrote on his letter, showing us that she was the agent of his thoughts. Women in that period of time, were running a household, producing heirs for their husband and taking care of them, this is not the case for Lady Macbeth as she involves herself in social affairs. Her drive for power is what makes them so successful in their deceitful plans. The play shows us that there is a unique chemistry between two individuals which rare in that period as marriage was usually arranged. She is essentially what keeps the force going as she guides Macbeth and teaches is him how to be manipulative. Even though the crime that they had committed was treason she was simply past the point of caring as she believed she had nothing to lose as she was childless and she had no emotional fulfilment as a woman. She is superfluous and nothing less than reigning alongside Macbeth can feel this hole.

Manipulation, greed, narcissism, desire, impulsivity, paranoia, lack of empathy. These are the words often used to describe a sociopath. Sociopaths use these traits to fulfill desires and gain power. They do not retain or possess empathy for anything, and although it may seem like they care, the relationship is superficial and often toxic. In Macbeth, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and her husband is not only damaging but is also toxic to those around them. While Macbeth may exhibit sociopathic tendencies, the true sociopath is Lady Macbeth. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth shows how her sociopathic behavior shaped the story through her use of manipulation used to coerce Macbeth, the impulsivity of these actions, and the paranoia that follows them.

Michael Shlenskiy Ms. Wickens ENG2D1-05 May 25th, 2016 Foul Minds When an individual is consumed with horrorful ambition, it causes the most unimaginable sorrow to not only themselves but those around them. In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the necessity of power and control brings out the inner monster in various characters, forming the theme of appearance vs reality. Commitments based on greed for power leads to demise, betrayal and life changing lies, though nothing comes out well with these dark desires. The vast amount of trickery, fraud, and betrayal could only be done by Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, and the three witches as they are willing to live a life filled with the uncontrollable desire for power.

In Shakespeare’s play, the author clearly portrays the characteristics: ambitious, masculine, and cunning in lady Macbeth and her influence on the readers. Firstly, in act 1 scene 2, lady Macbeth is characterised as ambitious. An example of this is” Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised”. (I, i, 2). Shakespeare’s use of authoritative tone in scene 1 highlights her ambitious nature and that she is the powerful person in the relationship. In context, lady Macbeth’s ambitions stand out, because women at the time wee not only known as mothers and wives to not have any authority, having lady Macbeth take control over the event, contradicts that fact, secondly, lady Macbeth shows a number of masculine traits such as aggression, thirst for power, and the desire to be in control. She demonstrates a controlled nature by “ tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown the toe top-full of direst cruelty”. (I, v, 30-33). Shakespeare’s use of visual imagery is implied by “fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty”, demonstrates lady Macbeths thirst for power, and she sees cruelty as a masculine trait, which traditional women do not have. In act 1 scene 5, lady Macbeth asks the “spirits” to “unsex” her, to be able to show the aggression she fears Macbeth does not have. Lastly, lady Macbeth is described as being genuinely cunning.” Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under “t” (I, v, 56-58). The writer’s use of metaphor portrays lady Macbeth as cunning. She characterises Macbeth by referring to him both as a “flower” and a “serpent”. She is showing this skill by telling Macbeth to be behave as he was an “innocent flower” but she turn his back against king Duncan.

Through this deceiving look she convinces Macbeth to murder Duncan in order to take the throne. She does this by herself by challenging the manhood of Macbeth. Once convinced she plans for her husband to deceive Duncan as shown by “Look like th' innocent flower, but be the serpent under ’t” (Act 1, Scene 5). This further shows how looks can be deceiving as they plot to look innocent but be the vicious backstabbers beneath. Through Lady Macbeths gender role and her plan against Duncan she shows how looks can be deceiving, the actions committed by her deceiving looks go on to further affect

Throughout his tragedy, Macbeth, Shakespeare employs examples of false appearances and duality to characterize Lady Macbeth as a manipulative, deceptive woman. Not only does Lady Macbeth’s own speech characterize her as such, but even the three witches give the statement, “fair is foul and foul is fair,” (act I. scene i. line 11), establishing the motif of false appearances before the audience first meets her. Lady Macbeth does not seem evil from the outside, but she is insidious on the inside. Her manipulative nature shines through when she tells Macbeth he should, “look like the innocent flower,/ but be the serpent under it,” (act I. scene v. lines 71-72). Her deceptive persona in this scene mimics the story of Adam and Eve. She is attempting

Karin Thomson from the Shakespeare Institute in the University of Birmingham states very well in her analysis of Shakespeare’s Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is not so much a criminal as she is a “victim of a pathological mental dissociation upon an unstable daydreaming basis”. Thomson continues to mention that this is “due to the emotional shocks of her past experiences”, which of course is the loss of her child. Lady Macbeth’s mentally unstable state ultimately ends with with a tragic conclusion, death.

At this point in the story, Macbeth is seen as weak and indecisive because other characters are forcing him to make decisions he should have made himself. Lady Macbeth is trying to convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan so she can be queen and tells him to “Look like th’innocent flower,/ but be the serpent under’t” (1, 5, ll. 63-64). Here it is revealed that Lady Macbeth had an enormous influence on Macbeth, and although she is seen as strong, ruthless and selfish, it is later exposed that she was using duplicate behaviour to ultimately get what she wanted. Later in the play, after being influenced into to do certain terrible actions, Macbeth has now developed and is now starting to make his whole own decision without influence to a certain extent.

Macbeths Physical courage is falsely made by his and Lady Macbeth’s high ambitions, but also Lady Macbeth’s manipulative and duplicitous character. Lady Macbeth implies to Macbeth that ‘When you durst to do it, then you were a man,'(1.7. ). Lady Macbeth caused him to commit to such evil acts. Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it” (1.4.62-63). Lady Macbeth is encouraging him into doing something he doesn’t want to commit to.

In the opening scene of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the witches, through their incantations and the way they are described, introduce us to the theme of appearance and reality. Firstly, the witches end Act 1 Scene 1 with the antithesis "Fair is foul and foul is fair” (1.1.12); meaning what is good will become evil, and what is evil will become good. The paradoxical aspect of the phrase is that the witches will destroy Macbeth by leading him to greatness. In addition, the irony in the phrase is that the witches are foul but give fair prophecies however Macbeth is portrayed as a noble and fair man but his ambition makes him foul within. During the witches’ encounter with Banquo and Macbeth, Banquo says that they “should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so”

Lady Macbeth is by far the most evil spirited lady Mr Shakespeare's has ever wrote about.

In perhaps the most pivotal scene in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s motives are truly revealed in her manipulation of Macbeth to show how humans have a desire for power and once they get a taste of it, they will go through any lengths to have it, no matter the effect on others. Her lust for power is showcased through how she persuades Macbeth by insulting his masculinity and using emotive language to counter his logical reasoning. This section of the play illustrates the tipping point of each character’s morality with Macbeth having second thoughts about the planned murder and Lady Macbeth diving straight in.