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Essay about The Corruptive Power of Lady Macbeth

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The Corruptive Power of Lady Macbeth

Women are underestimated in medieval and Elizabethan times. They are shown in a few works just how powerful, cunning, and intelligent they can be. In Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, it is said that what a woman’s true deepest desire is to have complete control over her husband. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has acquired this power and control that all women desire so much. It is shown throughout the tragedy Macbeth how Lady Macbeth uses her overpowering influence on the foolish, but good at heart, Macbeth. In two specific instances, Lady Macbeth guides Macbeth into doing a deed that he would not have without her influence. Each of these is morally wrong …show more content…

Although he could be great because of the position he was in, he would not take advantage of his opportunity to siege glory and become King. She then forces this on him. Macbeth returns home, and the first person to propose the killing of Duncan is, of course, the corruptive Lady Macbeth, who says, “O, never shall sun that morrow see!”( I, v, 62-63). Before she spoke these words, Macbeth innocently about the arrival of Duncan and his staying at their house for that night.

Later in the play, Macbeth feels that he should not go through with his plan to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth sways this out of him in Act I scene vii. Macbeth begins by saying “We will proceed no further in this business”(I, vii, 32). He “wants out” of this plan and is afraid to go on. Lady Macbeth counters this by saying, “Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem,”(I, vii, 39-44). The “fair lady” uses his pride and manly foolishness of feeling the need to be brave to turn him back on her track toward the riches and the crown. Macbeth’s conscience was outsmarted by this “mere” woman, which has little role in the decision making of most heard stories of the time. She once again changed the course of the play by manipulating Macbeth to do her will.

Also, in Act V

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