Lady Macbeth: Evil And Evil In William Shakespeare's Macbeth
In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Hamlet passionately explains “To be or not to be, that is the question” in his most renowned soliloquy. Unfortunately, the subject of discussion will not that of Hamlet’s inquiries as to whether or not he should continue to tread his feet above the soils of this earth or if it would be better off to just kick the bucket; but instead the subject of today’s discussion involves the concept of morality.
To be evil, or not to be evil, that is the true question.
In yet another one of Shakespeare’s tragedies Macbeth; though some may be falsely led on to believe that lady Macbeth was truly evil, in all actuality her actions merely thrive upon the pursuit of power and blind ambition.
This misconstrued insinuation that Lady Macbeth is evil is centered on the ideation that she is hailed in literature as being the physical manifestation of Satan. By this mentality, Lady Macbeth is characterized as a comparative to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Using manipulation and corrupt initiates, she tempts a naïve individual into committing a sin that bears an outcome to which is mostly in favor of the tempter and not so much the tempted.
In spite of the fact that Lady Macbeth urges on various morally degenerating acts, her actions are all merely built upon erroneous judgment and blind aspirations. Therefore, she can viably be characterized as ambitious and power hungry.
Those who believe that Lady Macbeth was truly evil claim that though
Lady Macbeth Character Analysis
1227 Words | 5 PagesHow does Lady Macbeth change over the course of the play? Over the course of the play the characters of both Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth develop intensively. They share similar ambitions, but it is Lady Macbeth who dares to do unspeakable things to accomplish them. This creates great conflict within Lady Macbeth who does not conform to the traditional female stereotypes of her epoch.
Macbeth Good Vs Evil
912 Words | 4 PagesImagine being presented with the opportunity for greater things, such as power, wealth, and respect, but could only achieve this life through destruction. In William Shakespeare’s drama, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, he writes the story of a man named Macbeth, who was faced with this very choice. Driven by twisted truths and his own ambition, Macbeth murders the king of Scotland and ascends the throne, unaware his decision will also lead to his downfall. The predominant theme of good vs. evil had surrounded Macbeth as he descended down the path of destruction and emerged in who he faced along the way including himself, Banquo and Macduff.
Lady Macbeth's Strong Character In Act I Scene V
780 Words | 4 PagesLady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive.
The Antithesis Of Lady Macbeth In Shakespeare's Play
325 Words | 2 PagesLady Macbeth is portrayed as the antithesis of the typical Shakespearean heroine in the play "Macbeth." She is characterized by her ambition, manipulation, and lack of empathy. This is evident when she contacts the evil spirits in an ultra-religious time, asking them to "unsex" her and fill her with "direst cruelty" in order to aid her in her quest for power. (Act 1, Scene 5) Her ambition to become queen is made clear when she receives a letter from Macbeth announcing his new position as thane of Cawdor.
Lady Macbeth: Victim Or Monster
1213 Words | 5 PagesLady Macbeth: Victim or Monster Lady Macbeth is an extremely unusual character as she is by far, the most complex and domineering female role in all of Shakespeare’s plays. She first appears in the play, plotting the king’s murder but the audience last sees her sleepwalking and drowned in guilt. This suggests that Shakespeare portrays her as a character who cannot be classified as any of the two categories (as a victim or as a monster), but rather as an ambitious woman prepared to go any lengths to achieve what- she believes- she and her husband deserve, but could not handle the consequences of her actions in the end. Lady Macbeth is depicted by Shakespeare as a lady filled with her dangerous desires, in Act 1 Scene 5; after reading Macbeth’s
The Consequences Of Evil In Shakespeare's Macbeth
913 Words | 4 PagesOn can tell when someone is evil hearted. In Macbeth, any person can definitely see who the evil spirited people are because they stand out more than the others in a negative way. In this story, they are clearly a married couple that are both trouble. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth demonstrate how evil a person can be by murder. They have no mercy for anyone besides themselves.
Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby
1959 Words | 8 PagesShe is malicious not only in words but also in her intent. Her sole object is to obtain power and wealth, with its attendant treasures. Lady Macbeth lacks humanity and regrets that she was not born as a man. She understands that power and violence are synonymous with manhood and bravery. Additionally, Lady Macbeth interests’ and ambition, override her love for even her husband, Macbeth.
Essay On Lady Macbeth Is Evil
505 Words | 3 PagesLady Macbeth is truly an evil character. In the beginning of the play, it tells how much Macbeth is a fierce warrior, but coming home the witches came. As soon as Lady Macbeth heard about the prophecy, she becomes the fierce warrior and Macbeth bends to her every whim. Lady Macbeth is always making Macbeth feel awful, (Act 3, scene V, line 58) “Are you a man?”.
Macbeth's Strengths And Weaknesses
824 Words | 4 PagesAt the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.
How Is Lady Macbeth Evil
714 Words | 3 PagesThroughout Shakespeare play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth was regarded as ruthless, cruel and manipulative, although it was suggested there was more to her character. Lady Macbeth is not as evil as she was portrayed to be. Lady Macbeth had a strong relationship with her husband, they trusted each other and were loyal to one another. Through her words and actions she showed humanity that others didn’t expect from her. A wicked person wouldn’t feel the slightest guilt for something wrong they have done, yet Lady Macbeth felt culpability that lead her to her downfall.
Nature Of Evil In Macbeth
1191 Words | 5 PagesMacbeth, the tragedy by the renowned William Shakespeare. The complexity and intensity of the characters in Macbeth is what makes the play one of the most popular plays and arguably the most intense play due to intensity of its action and its portrayal of human relationships. Throughout the whole play the ‘heroic’ and ‘villainous’ characters are constantly switching around leaving the audience confused about which character to trust. In the play, Lady Macbeth is more culpable of King Duncan’s murder, but as the play slowly progresses, Lady Macbeth 's conscience seems to have grown clearer but Macbeth transforms from the once noble and loyal soldier to the power crazed tyrant that will kill anybody who threaten his throne. Macbeth is certainly by far the most evil character in the play.
Essay On Macbeth Is Evil
593 Words | 3 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character; Macbeth, is seen as an evil character. The play is based off of Macbeth’s decisions and his actions to become King. In the beginning Macbeth starts out as a hero in Scotland’s war with Ireland and towards the end he is transformed into a murderer. Macbeth is not wholly evil because of is heroism in the war, his love for Scotland, and because he didn’t want to kill King Duncan initially. Macbeth was brain washed by his wife and tricked into killing the King.
Macbeth As A Villain
721 Words | 3 PagesVillain, a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot. Just like the definition of villain states, they show traits just like macbeth. In Shakespeare 's “ The Tragedy of Macbeth”, the character Macbeth is displayed as the villain throughout the play. Macbeth shows the readers that his amiton gets in the way and makes him do things that are considered “evil” until the end of the play. Macbeth is thinking to himself that it is not fair that Duncan 's kids will become king so he kills Duncan and has his sons flee.
Good And Evil In Macbeth And Othello
759 Words | 4 PagesThe religious preferences and philosophy of the English Renaissance affected Shakespeare’s writing. The battle for a man’s soul comes from the Christian idea of God in heaven conflicting with Satan in the world. Shakespeare views evil as more than only bad deeds; it breaks the holy order that God instituted to hold the universe together (Miller). Great medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas described evil as the absence of all good (Tufts). Shakespeare expands on this idea by portraying villains as examples of evil rather than humans.
The Battle Between Good And Evil In Shakespeare's Othello
757 Words | 4 PagesVirtuous characters lose their battles with evil, which does not appear in the human antagonist form (Miller). Revisiting the philosophy of Aquinas, he believed that humans have the potential to reflect the aspects of God or ignore that potential and reflect personal desires. Without any aspects of God, a human becomes nothing. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth find themselves with the potential to acquire a position of royalty, but instead of operating through God’s desires, they immediately turn to evil methods to obtain these positions (Tufts). Lady Macbeth says Macbeth becoming king is “the ornament of life” (1.7.42), and her ambition causes her to do anything to achieve it at the slightest possibility.
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