Lady Macbeth's Downfall
Lady Macbeth’s character has awed audiences of many generations. She may be the most famous actress ever written by Shakespeare. Literary critic, Dieter Mehl said, in response to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, “In spite of all the dramatic energy of Lady Macbeth’s character, which has made her part of one of the most famous and most effective actress’s roles in all the tragedies, she is, in comparison to the protagonist, not a very complex character. What makes her so fascinating to the audience is chiefly her fatal impact on Macbeth, not her own character problem or any tragic conflict within her.” Indeed I agree with Dieter Mehl that Lady Macbeth plays an important role in influencing her husband to act the way he does. Lady Macbeth promptly manipulates Macbeth into the planning of Duncan’s assassination. During the time of
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Macbeth’s near failure, she reassures her stand on the subject and continues to drive Macbeth towards Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth has been there to support Macbeth throughout his gradual downfall. She is the catalyst that effectively unleashes Macbeth’s true side of evil.
Lady Macbeth influences her husband in many different ways. The reader senses this as soon Lady Macbeth opens the letter from Macbeth. She immediately begins to scheme and plot to be the Queen of Scotland. In this scene, she refers to the qualities Macbeth shares with other humans, kindness, and that he may not be able to commit murder in order to ascend to the throne.
It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it. (I. v. 17-20)
The letter has bewildered Lady Macbeth and in the soliloquy she desires to become more evil and cruel. Her role change will affect Macbeth greatly as her cruelty and persuasiveness will outweigh Macbeth’s opinions. She informs Macbeth that he will need to act stealthier if they should get this deed done. She also shows that the thought of murder does not seem so cruel anymore, and you shall put
This night’s great business into my dispatch (I. vi. 67-68)
She has convinced Macbeth that they can go forth with the plan to kill Duncan and that he must try to act like the noble host he is.
The second time the reader witnesses Lady Macbeth’s power of actuation is when Macbeth doubts his motif.
Macbeth states reasons for not killing Duncan, first he is Duncan’s kinsmen, second, his subject and third, his host. As Lady Macbeth approaches him during the dinner he immediately tells her other reasons. She belittles him, What beast was’t then……. (I. vii. 47-51)
Macbeth is questioned regarding his identity, his self esteem and courage to do the deed. Here the reader observes another instance where Lady Macbeth over powers Macbeth with simple words which will drive him to his fatal destiny. Lady Macbeth assures him,
A little water clears us of this deed: (II. Iii. 67)
This perhaps tells Macbeth that it was okay and perhaps this also acts as the catalyst to Macbeth’s later tyranny.
Lady Macbeth has been there all along, cheering Macbeth on as he ascended to the throne of Scotland. During his celebratory banquet, as the king, with the thanes, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and has a fit. Lady Macbeth comes to his rescue,
Sit, worthy friends: my lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat; (III. Iv.
53-54)
Even though she cannot see the apparition herself she covers up for him. She tries to get him out of the strange state of mind by once again questioning his manhood while at the same time giving the guests the excuse that Macbeth is not well. As Macbeth start to progress toward his downfall, Lady Macbeth supports him and soon realizes that her actions has made him blood thirsty.
In conclusion, it can be commended that despite Lady Macbeth’s personal matters, she willingly influenced Macbeth to the path of destruction. Her sense of his desires led her to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan. Upon refusal, she questioned his manhood and made him go forth with the action. Towards Macbeth’s downfall, she reassured his position and kept his image up. As mentioned by Mehl, Lady Macbeth played a huge role in influencing Macbeth’s character transformation since by the end of the play she had successfully transformed Macbeth into the very thing she always wanted him to be.
Macbeth’s near failure, she reassures her stand on the subject and continues to drive Macbeth towards Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth has been there to support Macbeth throughout his gradual downfall. She is the catalyst that effectively unleashes Macbeth’s true side of evil.
Lady Macbeth influences her husband in many different ways. The reader senses this as soon Lady Macbeth opens the letter from Macbeth. She immediately begins to scheme and plot to be the Queen of Scotland. In this scene, she refers to the qualities Macbeth shares with other humans, kindness, and that he may not be able to commit murder in order to ascend to the throne.
It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it. (I. v. 17-20)
The letter has bewildered Lady Macbeth and in the soliloquy she desires to become more evil and cruel. Her role change will affect Macbeth greatly as her cruelty and persuasiveness will outweigh Macbeth’s opinions. She informs Macbeth that he will need to act stealthier if they should get this deed done. She also shows that the thought of murder does not seem so cruel anymore, and you shall put
This night’s great business into my dispatch (I. vi. 67-68)
She has convinced Macbeth that they can go forth with the plan to kill Duncan and that he must try to act like the noble host he is.
The second time the reader witnesses Lady Macbeth’s power of actuation is when Macbeth doubts his motif.
Macbeth states reasons for not killing Duncan, first he is Duncan’s kinsmen, second, his subject and third, his host. As Lady Macbeth approaches him during the dinner he immediately tells her other reasons. She belittles him, What beast was’t then……. (I. vii. 47-51)
Macbeth is questioned regarding his identity, his self esteem and courage to do the deed. Here the reader observes another instance where Lady Macbeth over powers Macbeth with simple words which will drive him to his fatal destiny. Lady Macbeth assures him,
A little water clears us of this deed: (II. Iii. 67)
This perhaps tells Macbeth that it was okay and perhaps this also acts as the catalyst to Macbeth’s later tyranny.
Lady Macbeth has been there all along, cheering Macbeth on as he ascended to the throne of Scotland. During his celebratory banquet, as the king, with the thanes, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and has a fit. Lady Macbeth comes to his rescue,
Sit, worthy friends: my lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat; (III. Iv.
53-54)
Even though she cannot see the apparition herself she covers up for him. She tries to get him out of the strange state of mind by once again questioning his manhood while at the same time giving the guests the excuse that Macbeth is not well. As Macbeth start to progress toward his downfall, Lady Macbeth supports him and soon realizes that her actions has made him blood thirsty.
In conclusion, it can be commended that despite Lady Macbeth’s personal matters, she willingly influenced Macbeth to the path of destruction. Her sense of his desires led her to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan. Upon refusal, she questioned his manhood and made him go forth with the action. Towards Macbeth’s downfall, she reassured his position and kept his image up. As mentioned by Mehl, Lady Macbeth played a huge role in influencing Macbeth’s character transformation since by the end of the play she had successfully transformed Macbeth into the very thing she always wanted him to be.