Lady Macbeth Character Analysis

Macbeth states to Lady Macbeth, “we will proceed no further in this business” (I, VII) since he almost finally decides to refuse to kill Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth uses different manipulative methodologies towards Macbeth and persuades him to consult the killing of Duncan. “So green and pale” (I, VII), Lady Macbeth even called him a coward. From the same scene, she mentions, “From this time, such I account thy love”, implying that if Macbeth cant stay steady concerning the murder of the king, then she will consider his love for her to be as similarly conflicting. Later in scene, Lady Macbeth states that if she had made such a promise as Macbeth did to her, she would “dash the brains out” of her own child as “it was smiling in her fail”.

She persuades her husband into killing Duncan by saying, “screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail” (1.7.60--61). By saying this, Lady Macbeth is calling her husband a coward if he does not kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth is motivated by her ambition to gain power by forcing Macbeth to kill Duncan so they can become the new king and queen to rule over everything. By having Duncan killed, it causes Lady Macbeth to get into trouble because Banquo becomes suspicious that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were responsible for Duncan’s

Juliet has had many suicidal deliberations throughout the play. The first thought came after her father told her she was to marry Count Paris. After the big argument with her parents and betrayal of the nurse, Juliet decided that the only way she will be able to escape Paris is for her to execute herself. Juliet states that “If all else fail, myself have power to die.” The next time she contemplated death is when she is about to consume the potion Friar Laurence gave her. She concludes that if the mixture doesn’t work, she will be forced to kill herself with a dagger.

Lady MacBeth controlled MacBeth with manipulation into killing King Duncan. At first MacBeth hesitates to kill King Duncan however his wife had a plot on how to make the assassination fall back on someone else which was the guards. Lady MacBeth is driven by the outcome of killing

Her ambition, resolution, dissimulation, cunning, presence of mind, energy, and affection were all important, especially in the murder of King Duncan. “Lady Macbeth knows right well when she tells her husband to “leave all the rest to me,” that by dissimulation and cunning she could plan and carry out the murder of Duncan so that no suspicion would rest upon either Macbeth or herself.” (www.shakespeare-online.com)  Saying this, Lady Macbeth seems to be the more plotting character between the two. She plans the whole crime scene and leaves the murdering to Macbeth. While readers know her energy is one of the main traits that helped con Macbeth into murdering King Duncan, Macbeth did not realize that she knows his weakness and uses it to her

However, she becomes less cruel and consumed with guilt towards the end of the play. In the beginning she wanted to be the one to kill King Duncan. When she saw him asleep, she manipulated Macbeth to do it instead because he looked like her father. “If Duncan hadn’t looked like my father in his sleep, I’d have done it myself.” (2,II,12-13), Lady Macbeth must have a heart and be nice enough to not kill someone that looks like her father. If she was evil, nothing would stop her from committing the murder to get what she wants.

On many occasions she rules her husband and dictates his actions. Although near the end of the play Lady Macbeth’s personality and strength begins to deteriorate. Later committing suicide after having many detailed memories and thoughts from the murder. Shakespeare not only shows how guilt can change a person’s personality but he also portrays untraditional gender roles. After the vision of the three witches, Lady Macbeth had persuaded Macbeth to go against fate and kill Duncan.

He tries to save himself but still Macduff and others are suspicious of him. Macduff eventually kills Macbeth because he believes that he unjustly killed the kings and his family. Lady Macbeth is under so much guilt that she throws herself off the balcony and commits suicide. Killing seem as though it is not the way to go, it causes many problems that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decided to endure after killing. After killing, guilt follows you like a shadow, following you every move, never

Unfortunately, Lady Macbeth herself lacks the capability to kill Duncan. While she sincerely wishes she was able to complete the act, she asks the spirits if they could “unsex” her so that she would be capable of killing King Duncan (Shakespeare 32). As Lady Macbeth becomes aware of the witches’ prophecy, her ambition prompts her to develop a plan involving Macbeth murdering the king. However, she also suspects that her husband is “too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way” (Shakespeare 30), and therefore too civil to be able to seize the throne. Throughout her soliloquy that follows, Lady Macbeth finds that the only way to accomplish her goal is to manipulate her husband and convince him to go through with the murder.

Her idea is to kill the current king Duncan by getting him drunk and murdering him in his sleep. Macbeth hesitates to perform this action, and Lady Macbeth responds to his uncertainty, “when you durst do it, then you were a man;/ And to be more than what you were, you would/ Be so much more the man.” (I.vii.56-58) This quote proves how Lady Macbeth believes that in order to be a man, Macbeth needs to kill Duncan to show how he is valiant and indomitable therefore elucidating the impression that Lady Macbeth’s definition of a man is being strong and courageous. Macbeth continues to be fearful and replies, “If we should fail [this murder? ]” (I.vii.68). Lady Macbeth responds, “screw your courage to the sticking place/And we’ll not fail.” (I.vii.70-71) Lady Macbeth believes that screwing Macbeth’s courage and bravery in place will help him get through the process of killing Duncan, and she believes courage is what will make him manly.