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Lady Macbeth's Downfall Essay

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In every great play there is always a character that has a dramatic downfall which causes the audience to look at that character differently. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s character undergoes some pretty defying changes that makes the readers question whether or not she still obtains her sanity. The play begins with Lady Macbeth living a good life with her husband, the Thane of Cawdor - Macbeth. Once her and Macbeth saw the an open window to become King and Queen of Scotland, that is when everything began to fall. From Lady Macbeth urging to kill Duncan when Macbeth did not want to, sleepwalking around the castle claiming there was blood on her hands, and being to guilt stricken that is drives her to take her own life.
At the beginning of the play King Duncan and his people win the war against the Norwegians. Duncan rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth does not see this as a high enough honor so he conversed with Lady Macbeth and they both agree the only way to the top is to kill Duncan. “And that which rather thou dost fear to do, / Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, / That I may pour my spirits in thine ear …show more content…

She is so guilt stricken that the guilt drives her to commit suicide. When the battle begins between Macbeth and the forces of Malcolm come to Dunsinane Castle there was “a cry within of women” ( Shakespeare V. v, 9). Audience members cannot recognize who the scream belongs to because of the fighting occurring throughout the castle. Seyton identifies the scream of a woman and exists to check out the seen. He comes back with bad news that it is Lady Macbeth everyone hears. Macbeth, husband-of-the-year, does not show any sign of sadness. All he has to say is, “She should have died hereafter. / There would have been a time for such a word” (Shakespeare V. v, 20-21). He has not changed one bit, whereas Lady Macbeth is now dead because she simply could not handle the

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