Lady Macbeth Quotes

After the rebellion war, Macbeth was given the title of “Thane of Cawdor” just by chance and not by his actions. Macbeth started getting ideas that maybe he could receive the title as king.In the 1st act of Macbeth, due to Macbeth’s desire to become king and Lady Macbeth’s urges, led him to kill Duncan. But Macbeth attempts to withstand these urges with his own reasons why he shouldn’t.

Lady Macbeth is an external force for Macbeth’s final decision to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth receives a letter about the prophecy from the witches, that Macbeth is becoming “Thane of Cawdor”. Lady macbeth believed that Macbeth was too nice to do what it takes to become king. Lady Macbeth made the decision that she needs to take it into her own hands, and asks for virtuously power by “unsexing” herself. “Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem”(1.7.42-43). She began criticizing Macbeth for his loss of ambition and referred to him as a cat that doesn’t want to get his feet wet so he won’t catch fish. She also called him a coward for breaking his promise with her. After all of Lady Macbeth’s insulting words, Macbeth changes his mind and chooses to kill the king for his own benefit.

Macbeth knows that if he kills Duncan, he gets the satisfaction in being king. Once Macbeth receives the position of “Thane of Cawdor” for his bravery so easily. “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my sir”(1.3.143-144). So he begins to think that since he received this higher position with doing nothing, then maybe doing nothing can crown him king. Although he was a very nice person, down deep he wanted to become king. Through his own ambition in wanting to become king, he made the final decision in killing