Lady Macbeth Analytical Essay

“One of the methods of manipulation is to inoculate individuals with the bourgeois appetite for personal success.” - Paolo Freire

Many contest the nature of Macbeth’s murderous actions in Shakespeare’s Macbeth—whether they were committed in a sound state of mind or controlled by external influences. [Comparison] Macbeth’s actions were executed in a mindless state where the only factors that could determine his future deeds were his prophecies from the witches and his manipulative wife. Both gain Macbeth’s trust, though the witches exploit his indivisible faith in the supernatural, whereas Lady macbeth utilizes her womanly qualities as his wife and his equal to gain control of Macbeth’s conscience. [Conclusion]

Viraginous(?) Lady Macbeth is arguably the strongest influence on Macbeth’s actions. He considers her both a wife and his “dearest partner of greatness” (1.5.9), and instills a fair amount of trust in her to guide his actions with morality. Lady Macbeth exploits this bond to persuade him into taking his rightful prophetic belongings. “Hie thee hither,” she says, “that I may pour my spirits in thine ear / And chastise with the valour of my tongue” (1.5.24-26). When she speaks of how her words will convince Macbeth into claiming “the golden round / Which fate and metaphysical aid

She uses multiple methods to convince him, including questioning his masculinity, using her power as his equal, and exploiting her trifecta of feminine qualities. By use of degradation, she prompts Macbeth to question his masculinity and respond defensively by assuring her that he “[dares] do all that may become a man” and that those “who [dare] do more [are] none” (1.7.51-51) When Lady Macbeth utilizes her status as his equal, she knows she possesses a direct channel into his decision-making process and uses this to fill him with an “appetite for personal success”, as it is referred to by