macbeth: influence

Influence and Manipulation on Macbeth In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth; Many people throughout the play attempt to manipulate others in order to fit their own needs and desires. prime example of this is with Lady Macbeth. She uses her influence with her husband to convince to murder King Duncan. A second, and major, example of manipulation in Macbeth is with the three witches. They give the prophecy to Macbeth, knowing that he and his wife will plan to murder King Duncan in order to fulfill it. The play encounters influence and manipulation from Lady Macbeth and the three weird sisters. Do to those characters questions begin to stir up. Such as who was the cause for everything Macbeth did? Would there be a play without neither of the characters? In opinion there would not be a play without neither of Lady Macbeth or the three witches. Thus, stating that Macbeth would have never became a Tyrant. For example, Lady Macbeth in the play came off as a manipulator. Lady Macbeth in the play questioned Macbeths’ manhood. “Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat i' th' adage?” (Macbeth 316) or when she says, “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.” (Macbeth 316) Lady Macbeth would only see him as a man if he does it. Otherwise, she would see him as a coward. She then goes on to say that if she had promised to "dash the brains out" of her own newborn, she would have kept the promise. With that being said Macbeth in the play lets us know how he feels that his wife is a male trapped in a female body. Lady Macbeth craved power more than Macbeth ever did, which caused her to manipulate and convince him to kill King Duncan. Moreover, were the three witches the main instigation on Macbeth’s actions, or did they just tell him what they knew? In ones eyes many believe that it was both; they told him his future but left out important details. “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (Macbeth 305) The weird sisters told Macbeth he would become king, at first Macbeth didn’t believe it till he became Thane of Cawdor. Immediately afterwards, he does indeed become Thane of Cawdor, but this merely increases his thirst for ambition. At first, Macbeth is content to sit and wait for the events to proceed. "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me/Without my stir." (Macbeth) However, the Weird Sisters manipulate him, and let his ambition drive him forward into his demise. “Say, if thou'dst rather hear it from our mouths, Or from our masters?” (Macbeth 358) That quote basically is the Witches letting Macbeth know that it is the “truth” because even they’re master knows. The three witches never told Macbeth how soon or far away that prophecy would come true.
However, It was Lady Macbeth who believed Macbeth was supposed to be king right then and there. Later on in the play Macbeth went to see the witches again, where they showed him three apparitions that made him seem invincible. The witches yet manipulate Macbeths yet again near the end when they show him various confusing apparitions. Hecate commands tham to confuse Macbeth and give him a sense of security thta will lead to his downfall. The first apparition, an armed head, warns Macbeth of Macduff. Macbeth then decides to have Macduff's family murdered. Macduff ends up killing Macbeth as revenge, showing how the witches manipulated Macbeth into his downfall. “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.” (Macbeth 358) The second apparition, a bloody child, tells Macbeth that none born of a woman can harm him. When Macbeth finally meets Macduff, Macbeth tells him this prophecy, but Macduff tells him that he was prematurely born through surgery. Once again, the witches succeeded in manipulating Macbeth by providing him with a false sense of security. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth.” (Macbeth 358) The third apparition, a crowned child with a tree in his hand, tells him that no one will harm him until the forest of Great Birnam Wood comes against him on Dunsinane Hill. The opposing forces take branches from the forest's tress and use them to hide themselves from Macbeth's forces. “Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him.” (Macbeth 359) The weird sisters didn’t try to change his mind they let him believe what he pleased. In all honesty, would the outcomes have been the same without Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters instigating? The witches can hold the blame for the most instigation because they decided to tell Macbeth his “future”. But even at that point Macbeth wasn’t thinking about killing Duncan. It was Lady Macbeth whom created the plan, and instigated Macbeth to murder King Duncan, so that they, referring to Lady Macbeth can have all power. Lady Macbeth was the one that began to have remorse and feel guilty. “Out, damned spot! out, I say!—One: two: why, then, 'tis time to do't.—Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?—Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” (Macbeth 377) The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?— What, will these hands ne'er be clean?—No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that: you mar all with this starting.” (Macbeth 377) “Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!” (Macbeth 377) Lady Macbeth wasn’t the one to kill Duncan yet multiple times in her sleep walking scene she tried to wash her hands clean of blood. Only the sign of someone behind the entire plot should be feeling that guilty. Therefore, both the weird sisters and Lady Macbeth can be blamed for the entire plot of the play. They influenced the entire outcome and manipulated and twisted the entire truth. Lady Macbeth can take the overall blame though because not once did the witches feel guilty about the outcome. They knew everything that was bound to happen they did not force it upon Macbeth to make the decisions right away. Thus without neither Lady Macbeth nor the three witches Macbeth would have never became a tragic hero/tyrant.