Lady Macbeth Research Paper

In the play Macbeth by WIlliam Shakespeare, the supernatural is an ever present force, seen in the witches, the ghost of banquo, and maybe some other places. The way Shakespeare portrays the supernatural, and especially the witches, add a great deal s to the play, and also contribute in key ways to the themes, structure, tone. Mood, and literary devices in ways that are designed to affect the audience of the play. The most important contribution in my opinion, was that they made the play scary, and created a feeling of uncertainty or unease, which felt like an important aspect of the play.

The topic of whether Lady Macbeth should be considered as the third witch is a complex one with no definite answer but is open to interpretation. However, diving deeper into the problem one lacks any evidence to support the claim that she could be the fourth witch. We are first introduced to Lady Macbeth as she has just received a letter from Macbeth telling her of the encounter that he had with the witches and of the prophecies that they told Macbeth of. The first hint that Lady macbeth could be a witch comes when she states, “Come, you spirits that tend on the mortal thoughts. unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty”.

The gentlewoman tells the doctor that Lady Macbeth has been writing something whilst she has been sleepwalking. Perhaps this is a letter to Macbeth, or perhaps a confession. What do you think? Write what you imagine she might have written on the paper.

The poor lady has not had a restful sleep since Macbeth became king, what is causing her so must distress. She speaks of unnatural deeds which have happened to the kingdom of Scotland. Lady Macbeth will never be able to overcome her tortured mind which will not let her rest. The lady needs to see a doctor but I fear he will not be able to cure her. What does the lady mean by this, “Here’s the smell of blood still." My lady’s strength and dignity are her clothing so why is she having these horrific dreams.

The witches play an important role they have the ability to predict the future and affect it too. Without their warnings and predictions Macbeth wouldn’t have chosen to act in the way he did. In their second appearance they prophesize that that he cannot be harmed by no one born of woman, a child with a crown represents Malcolm, and he’s warned about the moving Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill. “But yet I’ll make assurance double sure, and take a bond of fate” (4.1.83-84).

The ghosts that are presented in the play also cause a great deal of conflict. When macbeth sees the dagger in front of him in his soliloquy in act 2 scene 5 before he kills king Duncan, this is supernatural because he is seeing something that isn’t there. This causes conflict because this dagger ends up being the murder weapon that is used to kill Duncan. After they find king Duncan assassinated they are conflicted on why and who did it. They also have to find a new king to take a spot. After banquo’s is killed, macbeth has a dinner party and at the party he sees Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair. Macbeth is frightened and is fighting with the ghost, this is supernatural due to it being a ghost and it caused a conflict between the two of them. In Mr. Polanski’s film, Macbeth he sees fleance put on his crown while macbeth is in bed. This does not occur in the play but it is also supernatural since macbeth is seeing something happen that is not

Lady Macbeth has proven to be an equal partner to Macbeth's crimes. Arguably, she has many traits that could be considered as evil, however, I feel that these elements were not strong enough to override her prevailing human qualities. This can best be seen when Lady Macbeth prays to evil spirits to muster the courage to go through with Duncan's murder, her sanity there after and finally her suicide.  Lady Macbeth is not naturally evil by nature.

In Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses an underlying motif of the supernatural to control the characters and add a new dimension to the play.

One of the reasons I believe that Macbeth is a tragic hero is because he is of noble stature. This is true because he is a military general and the Thane of Glamis. If you are a military general you are a high rank and usually highly respected and have a large amount of responsibility. He is also a thane, which is someone who owns a large amount of land that is usually granted by the king. Thanes are also usually leaders of clans who are in control over a large amount of people.

Macbeth’s prophecy is one of the contributors that lead to his decease. During the play Macbeth receives a prophecy from the Three Witches saying: “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor.” (I.iii.51-52) This informing Macbeth of his soon to be title. The Witches than continue to tell him the rest of the prophecy which is: “All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter.”

The natural order of the world is disrupted; this is made obvious from the start of the play. Even though they generally speak in riddle, the three witches are significant characters because of their foresight and knowledge of future atmosphere.

Macbeth’s sense of self seems to diminish as he comes to reality with what he has done and who he has hurt. This leads to him to not being able to sleep because he has “murdered and therefore/Cawdor/Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.55-57). By him not sleeping it shows that he is going crazy, and is not ok with what has happened. Losing his sense of self is also slowly killing his mental state. His conscience is guilty which makes him think less of himself. When Banquo’s ghost appears it makes Macbeth feel as if he were dead. Wanting Banquo to “Take any shape but that,” because he wants him to “be alive again/And dare [him] to the desert with thy sword” (3.4.124-126). When Macbeth’s fears are confirmed about the line of kings all in the image of Banquo his future is shaken. Once being trusted friends this also helps to twist his mental state; and not for the good. Also by him not being stable Macbeth starts hallucinating and feels tempted to grasp what he sees and use it. These visions are a

Lady Macbeth, as opposed to many of the other characters in the play, has a very clear character and personality. She is unmistakably power-hungry, and she does whatever it takes to seize that power. She manipulates her husband and those around her, all while acting perfectly proper and innocent. She is a truly evil character compared to the rest of the people in the play. However, her wickedness is also her downfall, as she goes crazy in the last act and dies, likely from suicide.

Lady Macbeth can be said to be one of Shakespeare's most famous and frightening female characters. She fulfills her role among the nobility and is well respected, like Macbeth. She is loving, yet very determined that her husband will be king. At the beginning of the play, when she is first seen, she is already plotting the murder of Duncan, showing more strength, ruthlessness, and ambition than Macbeth. She lusts after power and position and then pressures her husband into killing Duncan. Upon receiving the letter with the witches' prophecies from her husband, she begins to think and knowing that Macbeth lacks the courage for something like this, she calls upon the forces of evil to help her do what must be

In writing his history plays, Shakespeare was actually commenting on what he thought about the notion of kingship. Through his plays, he questions the divine right of kings, which the kings and the aristocracy used heavily in their favour to win the people's love. In Macbeth, King Richard II and King Henry IV part 1, Shakespeare shows us his opinion of kingship in general.