Why Does Lady Macbeth Want To Be King

Macbeth was honored and looked highly upon by the soldiers he commanded. He was a brave fighter and trusted by everyone around him. When a soldier is telling the events of the battle he says to King Duncan “For brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name” (4). This showed how much his subordinates trust him on and off the battle field. After the battle Macbeth was promoted to Thane of Cawdor, on top of his current position, Thane of Glamis. King Duncan honored Macbeth for his courage on the battlefield. At this point in the play, Macbeth had no intentions on hurting or turning on his king.

Some people might argue that Lady Macbeth got into Macbeth’s head because she wanted power, and the only way she could do so, was to have a husband of high authority. Lady Macbeth may have been the one to tell Macbeth what to do, but he took the actions upon himself. Macbeth

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s character starts off as a loyal and brave soldier, who is admired by many people. Throughout the play, however, it is evident that his character and the personality of his character change a lot. There are many aspects that changed his character. What the witches said to him I think changed him the most. Before the witches spoke to him, he didn’t think of what it would be like to be king, or any of the other things, but because the first prediction came true, it led him to believe all the others would as well. The witches are what started him off thinking of how powerful he could become. Obviously his wife talked him into it, but without what the

Macbeth needed Lady Macbeth to do this, for without her, he would have continued to see the horrible act as something he shouldn’t do. In this regard, Lady Macbeth does this very well, she makes Macbeth see things in a different light, tells him how he is erroneous in his thinking and gets him to think how she wants him to. The following quote shows these domineering and manipulating qualities of hers quite well: “Art thou afeard/To be the same in thine own act and valor/As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that…/And live a coward in thine own esteem,/Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’/Like the poor cat I’ the adage?” (1.7.43-49) This passage of Lady Macbeth also sums up her thoughts quite nicely: “What beast was’t it then/… made you break this enterprise…/when you durst do it, then you were a man,/…to be more than what you were, you would/Be so much more the man.” (1.7.53-57) Both of these quotations display Lady Macbeth’s thoughts about Macbeth: he is weak, and he must be a man, while she is strong and would do the murder without a thought. These thoughts clearly show how ambitious she is, and how determined she wants to influence Macbeth’s actions.

The play Macbeth by Shakespeare is a great example of power affecting characters motives. The main characters that were affected by power are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Their want for power causes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to murder, betray their friends and allies and want what they cannot have. Lady Macbeth is so power hungry that her perception of right and wrong is blurred.

Just as the character spectrum flows from hero to villain, Macbeth also gradually makes his way down the line. In the very beginning of the play (before making his appearance), Macbeth’s fellow Scots and lords praise him for his loyalty and noble deeds. Here, it is made clear that the public initially views him as a heroic figure who is loyal to Scotland; “for brave Macbeth, (well he deserves that name)”(9) Admittedly, Macbeth does unseam a man “from the nave to th’ chops”(9), however this is considered an act of valor in the service of his country and his king. However, Macbeth’s loyalties soon become questionable, as he plots to and then commits the murder of his honored king, Duncan. At this point, the audience

Macbeth’s lust for power would lay the foundation for his own self destruction. Macbeth’s encounter with witches was the start of this bane. If it were not for the three witches Macbeth met in the woods, then he would have never known that he was suppose to be king in the first place. These witches were one of the three reasons Macbeth would be known for his infamous and abominable reign. His own wife, Lady Macbeth, would be another reason they were both so detested; Lady Macbeth was the reason Macbeth even saw in the first place that he truly wanted to be king. When Lady Macbeth finds out that Macbeth is destined to be king, she is determined to make this happen as soon as possible. She convinces Macbeth that if he were to murder the current King Duncan, he would be king and she would be queen immediately. Finally, the capital reason that Macbeth would follow the path of evil, his own self. Before the witches even gave Macbeth his prophecy to become king, he was

Macbeth’s character has developed significantly up to the second act. We are first introduced to Macbeth character in a way that we view him as powerful and Nobel. We get this idea from the quote “oh valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” which is what he is described as by Duncan, who at the time is the king. From this quote Macbeth is portrayed as a loyal and heroic figure who has done much for many, however as we know this was not a smart move for Duncan to make as it makes him come across and weak and seems like Duncan should be giving Macbeth a higher title, which is what the witches had told him before. In addition, this idea of the king complementing Macbeth about all the good that he has done seems to trigger the belief that Macbeth has the ability to be king, even in the eyes of Duncan who is so ecstatic what he has done for the county.

In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare I found at the beginning the character Macbeth was a portrayed as a noble, honest and brave man. As said by the captain in the second scene, ‘For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that title’ (I.2.16). This gives the audience an indication that Macbeth was highly respected by the king’s men and the king himself. His desire for power grew throughout the play from when he had his first encounter with the witches.

Ambition is the desire to achieve a certain goal one has created. Yet to drive one’s ambition is the desire to achieve that goal, regardless of the consequences. Within the first act of the play Macbeth, it becomes quite clear that Macbeth and the witches carry a great deal of influence toward the titular character, but it is Lady Macbeth who drives Macbeth’s ambition the most.

She knows that the process of making her husband believe what she wants may not be easy. Lady Macbeth has to be cunning, and she is up for the challenge. The thought of being in power - the King and Queen of Scotland - drives her and she cannot be stopped. Lady Macbeth often has to reinforce her immoral beliefs to her husband.

The play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, presents many societal issues, such as the influence of superstition and the supernatural, as well as the continuous desire of the human race for progress and ambitious fulfilment. What a person chooses to do in order to fulfil those desires depends on the individuals themselves, and in the case of Macbeth, he turns to murder in order to advance his social and political standing. The audience’s perception of Macbeth changes throughout the play, beginning with feelings of admiration and approval of his deeds and character, and ending, with the play and as well as his life, as feelings of contempt and disgust at his treachery. This is achieved mainly through the progression of Macbeth’s character development, as well as through the dialogue of himself and other characters.

Firstly, Macbeth strives to remain king, and in order to do so, he creates a kind and jovial image for himself, to remain loved by those in the kingdom. Often times, Macbeth motivates himself in preparation to deceive those around him, creating an innocent atmosphere around himself. After discussing the plans to murder King Duncan with Lady Macbeth,

Throughout the story of Macbeth the main character, whom the story is named after, starts as a loyal and righteous soldier who quickly evolves into a power hungry, immoral murderer. In the beginning, three witches appear to Macbeth and Banquo promising the crown to Macbeth. The only problem with this prophecy is Macbeth does not just acquire the throne naturally he has people standing in his way that inhibit him from becoming King. At first, Macbeth is timid and moral while his wife tries to persuade him to kill for the crown, but as the story progresses he throws all of his previous ethics out the window and will do anything to become King. Although people do try and persuade Macbeth’s wretched decisions, he is ultimately in control

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the tragic tale of a man corrupted by power and greed whose world comes falling down around him. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is in the perfect position to become a great leader and an important man in Scotland. However, he is prevented from becoming such a leader because several internal and external influences on his life make him thirst for power. These forces include his wife, Lady Macbeth, the Weird Sisters, and his own conscience; all three share in process of corrupting Macbeth and leading him to his downfall.