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Similarities Between Macbeth & Lady Macbeth – Essay

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Love was very important to the Shakespearean audience. There is not a play written by Shakespeare that does not contain some form of a love relationship. These plays usually end happily, however in the case of “Macbeth”, the relationship that carries this important function, that is love, is conveyed in a way most peculiar. Instead of the average “happily ever after” ending an audience would expect, Shakespeare offers the audience, a villainous duo. One would expect that their relationship is an average husband and wife relationship, but there are many similarities and differences in the relationship which makes it even more enjoyable for the audience to watch the course of it. The relationship between Macbeth and his Lady comes into …show more content…

However he is quickly persuaded by Lady Macbeth, who is infinitely more ambitious, determined, even obsessed than her husband: “I am settled and bent upeach corporal agent to this terrible feat”. Unlike her husband Lady Macbeth is a shrewd character. She is determined to achieve her ambition by any means possible to her. This shrewdness along her extensive manipulation skills create the strongest character in the entire play: “Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself”. The most grievous insult one could render a man during the Middle Ages, were to his manhood; Lady Macbeth makes excellent use of this: “And live like a coward in thine own esteem letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would” like the poor cat i’th adage”. This seems to be in strong contrast with the fact that Macbeth cannot even hide his true feelings; and he proves by failing to attend the welcoming banquet for Duncan due to his unbearable guilt. Given many differences between Macbeth and his spouse, the main thing they share is the guilt, paranoia, and shear consequences that are brought about by the murder of Duncan: “These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so it will make us mad”/ “Methought I heard a voice cry “sleep no more””. This is the turning point of the Macbeth’s relationship; they are united further by the murder of Duncan, as if they could find a better event to bring them closer other than the murder of a king. The amount of guilt felt by Macbeth after his terrible feat is

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