Similarities Between Macbeth And Lady Macbeth

980 Words4 Pages

The Macbeths’ marriage, like the couple themselves, is abnormal, particularly by the standards of its time. Yet despite their odd power dynamic, the two of them seem surprisingly attached to one another, particularly compared to other married couples in Shakespeare’s plays, in which romantic luck appears mainly during courtship and marriages tend to be troubled. Macbeth offers an exception to this rule, as Macbeth and his wife are partners in the truest sense of the word. Of course, the irony / mockery of their “happy” marriage is clear—they are united by their crimes, their mutual madness, and their mounting alienation from the rest of humanity.
Their mutual ambition to fulfil the witches ' prophecy is a driving force of their relationship. However, while Macbeth is happy to wait for fate to take its course, Lady Macbeth has a clear vision to take the crown; unfortunately, this ambition warps their relationship as both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change into completely different people.
Macbeth goes from being a strong, well respected general, a devoted husband and loyal subject of the king to a cold, heartless, fearless murderer while Lady Macbeth goes from being strong willed and controlling to a scared, paranoid/ suspicious child. These changes are the direct result of murdering Duncan.
Though Macbeth is a brave general and a powerful lord, his wife is far from obedient to his will. Indeed, she often seems to control him, either by crafty manipulation or by direct order.

Open Document