Lady Macbeth's Sacrifice

One of the many timeless plays by William Shakespeare is Macbeth, a tragedy written in 1606, shortly after the attempted treasonous assassination of James 1, the current King of England at the time. James 1 was disliked due to his strive to unite England, and the place in which Shakespeare’s work took place, Scotland. Enkindled by these recent events, Macbeth, the protagonist, experiences power struggles in his relationships with other characters, which prove to be crucial to the outcome of the play. It is his relationships with Banquo, a fellow soldier; the Apparitions produced by the Witches, and Macduff, the Thane of Fife, that most significantly portray his internal strife.

Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, is a play that transcends time due to its timeless and universal themes. The themes presented in this play are just as relevant to modern audiences as they would have been to contemporary Elizabethan audiences. The play has been able to maintain its textual integrity, withstanding the fact that it is now performed out of its original context to remain a successful play for modern audiences. The issues of heroism, abuse of power and the deceptiveness of appearances are all key within the play, conveyed through the use of dramatic and literary techniques, are issues which still resonate with contemporary audiences. Shakespeare has tested the parameters of the conventional tragedy that was extremely popular during his lifetime and in doing so has created text, which is still relevant today.

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth the reader watches as Macbeth changes gradually as the play endures. He are transforms from a loyal person with a loving and loyal disposition with other people, into a tyrants who are willing to kill in order to keep himself on the throne. He is tormented with fear, regret, and guilt. When someone does something they know is wrong it causes them to fall prey to their own emotions.

What people do in their lives, and also in novels, helps people decipher what they are passionate about and where people, and characters, find their beliefs. Both Leah from The Poisonwood Bible and Lady Macbeth from Macbeth made numerous sacrifices in the books. Both women had starkly contrasting sacrifices but in the end the same thing is revealed, who they are and what they value. Leah sacrifices a considerable amount in her life and throughout the novel.

The play, Macbeth, is established around the central idea that once you have completely abandoned your mind, morals, and being you lose everything you have. It is clear that the acts committed by the conflicted and mislead Macbeth, have the potential to shatter him as a mortal, such is the overall theme of Macbeth. But, when contemplating the presence of the unnatural forces in the play it is difficult to truly decipher what is meant by their intentions. The intervention of the supernatural evidently helps to assemble the play’s key theme of self demise, yet it can be viewed that supernatural manipulation can alter one’s fate such as that of Macbeth and his later death.“To know my deed ‘twere best not know myself” states Macbeth (act 2

Some actresses see Lady Macbeth as sympathetic to her husband like Sarah Siddons and Kate Fleetwood, feeling sympathy for Macbeth is a decision both actresses made for Lady Macbeth to be relatable and more human, Siddons who portrayed her in the mid-1800s said that she approached her as, “keen to present the character in as attractive a light as possible, so sexually appealing – fair feminine, nay perhaps even fragile” (Sarah Siddons qtd. In Robert Miola, 94). Siddons saw the character of Macbeth as honorable and to have him as a husband only proves Lady Macbeth is very taken with him, having put all of her efforts into seducing such an honorable man. Kate Fleetwood’s own interpretation of Lady Macbeth was very domestic, the societal hostess. In an interview in 2011, Fleetwood who was directed by her husband Rupert Goold in the 2007 version of the play said that, “When Rupert suggested to me about the domestic side of her, that started to ring really big bells for me” (Fleetwood qtd. In Miola, 135). The argument about how Lady Macbeth truly loves her husband and tried to summons the spirits is because she knows that Macbeth is very ambitious, and she needs all the strength she can have to convince him to act out the three witches’ prophecy. This arguement and its solution is very valid, Lady Macbeth only acting out for the benefit of her husband, she wants her husband to be the king of Scotland but it does not mean she wants to queen herself. In an interview, Fleetwood also

Lady Macbeth asks external forces to fill her with cruelty because she believes in order to commit the necessary acts needed to become queen, she must be completely purged of her kind soul. After reading Macbeth's letter describing the witches and the prophecy that he and Lady Macbeth are to become rulers of Cawdor, Lady Macbeth realizes that Macbeth's kindness is problematic to his path to become king; Lady Macbeth describes him saying, "thy nature; it is too full o' th' milk of human kindness" (1.5 16). Here Lady Macbeth compares Macbeth's kindness to milk because she believes, that like milk, being kind and harmless will not allow him to do whatever it takes to become king, instead she believes he has to be cruel and merciless in order to

It is difficult and sad to think that one’s innocence can be snatched away by one’s will to achieve a goal. Hard work and good character are two things that make a person successful. For Macbeth, however, greed and guilt are the only products of horrible acts. In life, there are many paths. One path may seem easier than the other; however, this does not necessarily mean it is the correct path to choose.

Success never occurs without a cost. In order to achieve success, one must face a path of obstacles and make sacrifices along the way. Sacrifice is the act of giving up something that one values in order to accomplish something greater. Throughout the play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, and The Social Network, directed by David Flincher, the characters encounter circumstances that ignite their ambition. It is this ambition that paves their way to success, however, not without consequences. Yet, what ultimately decides if one’s sacrifice is worth it in the end? Even though sacrifices are inevitable when it comes to succeeding, it does not always have good results, and therefore,

It’s been a fortnight since the usurper was slain by Macduff. My father would’ve been very proud of the loyalty his subjects still possess even after his passing. I have named Macduff Thane of Glamis and Clawdor, Macbeth’s old titles, in return for his service to my father and I. I have a sour taste in my mouth to even utter such a vile name after all he did to my family and my kingdom. We had his body cast into the ocean and his head displayed in the town square for all to see his misdeeds. Macbeth left my villages, castle, and my people in shambles, he deserved any and all horrible things done to him after his death. May he never have the pleasure of entering the afterlife.

In the story Macbeth, we see so many countless examples on why Macbeth should be straight up murdered or even put away in jail to sing the blues or play a harmonica. I can prove that he had motives, and have character witnesses that tell of his downfall after the murder and how he went straight psychopath. Wee see many people acting strange in this novel; but none more than Macbeth with his delusions of ghosts and spirits. Macbeth is guilty and I, the best prosecutor in the land, can prove it.

Star, hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires. (Act 1, Scene, IV, lines 50-51). This evocative quote from Macbeth portrays the tragic of Macbeth as his ambition is dark and the depth unleashes inner conflict. In the world of Shakespearean’s play Macbeth is a tragedy because the character was unable to fulfil his ambition.

Macbeth was, at first, a wise and well-adjusted Thane of Glamis but after his encounter with the Weïrd Sisters his nobility began to quickly falter. His wits last him until the insight that he will become the Thane of Cawdor proved the witches true. He follows his wife’s footsteps and joins in on the apparent necessity of assassinating all those who may stand in his way. Unlike his wife, Macbeth’s mind takes an early toll as he begins to hallucinate images that guide him in these tasks and wrought his mind with maliciousness and emotional pain. It is clear to see that his faith in the fortunes is what is wrenching his mind into such dark places. If not for being told of his greater becomings, Macbeth would have been satisfied with the life he led, as he was honored by his granted title to Thane of Cawdor. Only after meeting Macduff, who by word of the witches is the one who will kill him, does he realize that he may very well have been tricked:

The night was dark and the sky stormed as if it were a fragment of hell itself. Cold rain cut through any layers of warmth that remained in Macduff. Behind him, Macbeth’s castle cast light on the horizon. “I don’t believe in spirits much, but a night like this could bring out the foulest of creatures.” Macduff thought to himself. The storm spooked his horse, but they trudged along. Macduff had fought harder battles against real enemies, no storm, no matter how harsh, was going to stop his progress. There were rumors whispered in eager ears, suspicions, that Macbeth had murdered men, including Duncan, to claim the throne.

In the beginning of the play Macbeth and Macduff are very similar in many aspects including rank, leadership, belief, and loyalty. But as the play unfolds, Shakespeare reveals these two characters are as different as night from day. In this essay I will compare and contrast the characters of the murderous Macbeth, and the forthright Macduff. I will consider their status within the Scottish society and the depth of their intelligence. I will also evaluate their actions and their relationships with other characters, including their families and I will discuss their degrees of ambition.